Frequently Asked Questions

The airspace over the Phoenix area is very congested, with over a dozen airports in close proximity to our city.  The FAA establishes air traffic patterns throughout the Valley, to safely separate aircraft, both horizontally and vertically. Aircraft seen overhead can be using Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (one of the busiest airports in the nation), but could be flying to, or from, Phoenix Deer Valley (DVT), Phoenix Goodyear (GYR), Mesa Gateway (AZA), Scottsdale (SDL), Falcon Field (FFZ), Glendale Municipal (GEU), Chandler Municipal (CHD), or other smaller airports. Military jets generally operate from the Luke Air Force Base (LUF) in Glendale. 

When filing a noise complaint, we recommend providing a specific date and time of the overflight to help correlate your concerns with a particular flight. However, general complaints are also accepted. Each complaint should include your name, address, and the details of the overflight, including the date and time if available. If you would like a callback, please include your telephone number and specify your request for follow-up communication. Abusive language or comments will not be tolerated, and any threats involving aircraft or the airport will be reported to the proper authorities. Please note that calls may be recorded for quality assurance purposes.

Just about everything an aircraft does, including the noise it makes, is affected by the weather. Aircraft climb more slowly in warm weather, making operations louder on the ground. On cloudy days, the noise from aircraft rebounds down to the earth’s surface from the bottom of the clouds, making it louder. On windy days, aircraft noise carries further at ground level.

For safety reasons aircraft always land and take off into the wind.  A headwind decreases the amount of runway needed for an airplane to take off and land by increasing the amount of airflow over the wing, which increases lift, allowing the plane to land or take off at a slower airspeed.  As a general rule, when the wind speed at the airport is measured to be three knots or higher, the prevailing direction of the wind dictates which runways are used for landing and takeoff.

Arriving aircraft at low altitudes are generally quieter than departures of the same aircraft type because the landing requires much less engine power. However, close to the airport, the relative “quietness” of an arrival may be offset by the fact that aircraft are typically lower in altitude than departures over the same location.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has the sole authority in determining where aircraft will fly and how the airport will operate. These decisions are made solely on standard air traffic control procedures. Noise complaints are not considered when making these decisions.

Like most commercial airports in the US, Sky Harbor, Deer Valley, and Goodyear Airports operates 24 hours per day 365 days per year. There is no nighttime curfew . However, the City of Phoenix, in coordination with the FAA, airport users and community representatives, has developed preferred nighttime aircraft procedures that help mitigate aircraft noise over residential areas. Wind and weather permitting, these procedures are designed to keep aircraft over less populated areas as much as possible.

Commercial pilots fly designated routes to and from PHX as instructed by FAA air traffic controllers. The FAA is responsible for managing Phoenix’s airspace and for ensuring the safe and expeditious flow of traffic.

City of Phoenix is responsible for operating and maintaining airport facilities and for ensuring runways (and taxiways) are in good working conditions and ensure FAA regulations are met.