Planes over New York right now
New York has three major airports and a busy business-jet field, all within about 25 km of Manhattan.
Closest planes right now
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Live ADS-B positions within 50 km of central New York, updated every few seconds. Rings every 10 km.
Airports near New York
| Airport | Code | Distance from the centre |
|---|---|---|
| LaGuardia Airport | LGA / KLGA | 13 km north-east |
| Newark Liberty International Airport | EWR / KEWR | 14 km west |
| Teterboro Airport | TEB / KTEB | 16 km north |
| John F. Kennedy International Airport | JFK / KJFK | 21 km south-east |
What you see in the sky over New York
LaGuardia in Queens is the closest, and its arrivals and departures fly low over Queens, the Bronx and the East River. JFK, on Jamaica Bay, handles most long-haul flights, so you will see Boeing 777s, 787s and A350s over Brooklyn, Queens and the Rockaways. Newark, across the Hudson in New Jersey, is United’s hub.
Teterboro in New Jersey is one of the busiest business-jet airports in the US, so small private jets pass low over the Hudson and northern New Jersey.
Below 1,300 feet over the Hudson and East River there are corridors for helicopters and small planes, which is why you see sightseeing helicopters along the rivers. Many of them don’t show up on ADS-B maps.
Typical traffic
- JFK to London, Paris, Tokyo, Dubai and the Caribbean
- LaGuardia to Chicago, Boston, Washington and Florida
- Newark to United destinations across the US and Europe
Questions about planes over New York
Why are planes flying so low over Queens?
They are using LaGuardia, which sits on the Queens waterfront. Depending on the wind, arrivals and departures pass low over Queens, the Bronx or Flushing Bay.
Which New York airport is a plane going to?
Low over Queens and the Bronx: LaGuardia. Low over south Brooklyn and Jamaica Bay: JFK. Low over the New Jersey side: Newark or Teterboro. Tap the plane on the map to see its route.
Point your phone at it
JetDex is our upcoming app: point your phone at a plane over New York and it tells you exactly which flight it is. Collect the planes you see and race your friends.