Check if a home is under London Gatwick Airport flight paths before you buy.
Before buying a home near London Gatwick Airport, it’s important to understand where aircraft fly and how often they pass overhead. Gatwick is the UK’s second-busiest airport, handling tens of millions of passengers each year and serving airlines flying throughout the UK, Europe, North America, Africa, and beyond. Because Gatwick is located within a network of established towns and villages in Surrey, West Sussex, and Kent, flight noise and overflights can extend far from the airport itself.
Whether you’re looking north towards London or south into Sussex, aircraft routes and runway use can make a big difference in daily life and long-term property values.
Which Gatwick neighborhoods are under LGW flight paths?
Gatwick doesn’t have the wide open rural buffer zones that some newer airports have. As a result, established towns and villages lie under arrival and departure routes, and both direction and runway use change with weather and time of day.
North of Gatwick (towards Surrey & London)
Horley & Salfords – Frequent arrivals and departures overhead
Tatsfield & Biggin Hill fringes – Affected by some approach routes
Reigate / Redhill corridor – Some zoned traffic depending on runway use
East of Gatwick
Crawley & Maidenbower – One of the most consistently overflown areas
Copthorne & Felbridge – A mix of departure paths and flight turns
East Grinstead direction – Dependent on wind and runway configuration
South & Southeast of Gatwick
Charlwood & Hookswood – Historically quieter but potentially affected by modernised paths
Horsham (northern parts) – Under certain departures and holding areas
Christ’s Hospital / Billingshurst corridor – Occasional overflights
West of Gatwick
Balcombe & Ardingly – Under some arrival corridors
Haywards Heath outskirts – Affected when paths shift west
North of Shoreham – Occasional flights overhead
Gatwick’s expansion controversy: what buyers should know
Second runway and capacity growth
The UK government has given conditional approval for Gatwick’s second runway project, which would convert the existing standby runway into a fully operational second runway, increasing capacity by around 100,000 flights a year and boosting connectivity and economic activity.
Airport officials argue this is necessary for growth, could create jobs, and support the regional economy. Opponents — including groups like Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE) — argue that:
noise and overflight exposure will increase for thousands more homes
environmental assessments were inadequate
any economic benefits must be weighed against community health and wellbeing impacts
Property values and noise impact
Local property experts warn that increased flights and noise can make homes less desirable for some buyers, potentially affecting resale values and demand. Some campaign groups also argue that airspace modernisation has introduced new flight paths where none existed before, meaning communities that never experienced regular overflights may now see them.
Noise management and support schemes
Gatwick operates a Noise Insulation Scheme for eligible homes within defined boundaries across Surrey, Sussex, and Kent. This can provide financial assistance towards double-glazing and other noise reduction measures.
The airport also offers tools like WebTrak and the InsightFull dashboard so residents and prospective buyers can:
check how often aircraft fly over a specific postcode
see recent aircraft tracks
understand noise contours for different times of day
These are useful resources, but they’re typically used by current residents — not by buyers before purchase. A comprehensive flight path report analyses historical flight data to show what aircraft activity actually looks like at a home address.
Understanding LGW's flight operations
A single-runway airport operating at near-maximum capacity
Gatwick operates primarily with one main runway, making it the busiest single-runway airport in the world. This means:
Aircraft movements are tightly scheduled
Delays can quickly stack up
Flights often operate at very regular intervals
There is little slack in the system to reduce noise exposure
When the runway is active, aircraft may pass overhead every 2–3 minutes during peak periods.
Runway direction and prevailing winds
Like most UK airports, Gatwick operates using prevailing westerly winds around 70% of the time. This results in:
Arrivals from the east (over Kent, Surrey, and East Sussex)
Departures to the west (over West Sussex and beyond)
When wind direction changes, the entire pattern reverses — meaning areas that are normally quiet can suddenly experience frequent overflights.
No formal runway alternation
Unlike Heathrow, Gatwick does not operate a consistent runway alternation system to share noise between communities. Because there is only one main runway:
The same areas can experience continuous arrivals or departures for long periods
Noise relief through alternation is limited
Communities directly under flight paths may experience repetitive overflights
This repetition — rather than just volume — is one of the most common resident complaints.
Night flights and scheduling
Gatwick is subject to UK government night flight restrictions, but it is not a curfew airport. In practice:
Flights operate late into the night and early morning
Quiet periods are limited and variable
Delayed evening flights often push into night-time hours
Early morning arrivals begin before 6am
For buyers sensitive to sleep disruption, understanding night-time flight patterns is essential.
Holding stacks and stacking delays
When Gatwick experiences congestion or poor weather, arriving aircraft may enter holding stacks — circular flight patterns at altitude while awaiting clearance to land.
This can result in:
Aircraft repeatedly passing over the same areas
Prolonged noise exposure even far from the airport
Increased impact during weather disruptions or peak travel periods
Some communities experience more disturbance from stacking than from direct arrivals.
Weather impacts
Gatwick’s operations are affected by:
Low cloud and poor visibility
Strong crosswinds
Storm systems across southern England
These conditions can change approach routes, increase stacking, and extend periods of overhead aircraft noise — sometimes unexpectedly.
Why this matters for homebuyers
Because Gatwick operates close to capacity, small operational changes can have big noise impacts. A property that seems quiet during a short viewing may experience:
Frequent overflights at specific times of day
Seasonal changes in flight patterns
Increased exposure during disruption or growth phases
A My Flight Path report analyses historical flight data across different times and conditions, giving you a realistic picture of what living at that address is actually like.
How to Check Flight Paths Before Buying near Gatwick
London’s housing market moves fast, and many buyers overlook aircraft noise completely. Before you make an offer on a home anywhere near Gatwick:
Check historical flight paths, not just today’s noise levels
Consider time-of-day patterns, including early morning and evening flights
Look at future expansion plans and planning decisions
Understand how aircraft noise might affect resale value
A detailed flight path report shows real flight activity — not assumptions — so you can make an informed choice.
Frequently asked questions
How far from Gatwick can aircraft noise be heard?
Aircraft noise from Gatwick can be noticeable well beyond the immediate airport area; many towns 10–20+ miles away see overhead flights, depending on runway use and weather.
Does aircraft noise affect property values near Gatwick?
Experts and local estate agents report that noise exposure and flight paths can influence buyer interest and pricing, particularly when routes are over homes regularly.
Will the second runway make noise worse?
If the project goes ahead, overall flight numbers will increase. While newer aircraft are quieter per flight, more flights usually means more total noise for affected areas.
Are there quieter times?
Flights operate throughout the day, and Gatwick does not currently enforce a strict overnight curfew. Noise levels tend to dip at night but early and late flights still occur.
Check before you buy
Don't let aircraft noise turn your dream home into a regret. Get a detailed My Flight Path Flight Blight Report for any affected address near Gatwick before you make an offer.