N E S W 289°
29 / 11
RWY 29/11
HDG 289°
LEN 11,004 ft
Darwin International Airport

Runway 29 at YPDN

Runway 29/11 at Darwin International Airport (YPDN) in Darwin is a 11,004 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 289°/109°. The runway is 197 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 53 landings and 55 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around. Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.2°, touchdowns averaging 10,132 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 145 kt, a 3.8 kt average crosswind component, a 1.6 kt average tailwind.

Last 30 Days
108 Operations
55 Deps / 53 Arrs

Runway 29/11 at Darwin International Airport (YPDN) in Darwin is a 11,004 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 289°/109°. The runway is 197 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 53 landings and 55 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around. Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.2°, touchdowns averaging 10,132 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 145 kt, a 3.8 kt average crosswind component, a 1.6 kt average tailwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

53 landings observed on Runway 29 in the last 30 days, alongside 55 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 08:00 with 11 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 10,132 ft from the threshold on Runway 29.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at YPDN have prevailed from the east (90°), accounting for roughly 16% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 7.3 kt with peak gusts to 46 kt. Strong-wind days are infrequent here.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 3.8 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 29 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 2.2° on Runway 29, shallower than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 29 over the last 30 days. Each value is shown only when at least 10 valid samples were available; sparse cells are hidden rather than estimated.

Avg approach slope
2.2°
Avg touchdown GS
145 kts
Avg touchdown zone
10,132 ft
Avg headwind
-1.6 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

00:00 3 landings
02:00 3 landings
04:00 3 landings
05:00 6 landings
06:00 4 landings
07:00 7 landings
08:00 11 landings
09:00 4 landings
10:00 2 landings
15:00 4 landings
22:00 3 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 29 grouped by hour-of-day (UTC).

Approach Types and Categories

Aircraft approach runways using different procedures based on weather conditions, visibility, and available navigation equipment. An Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach provides precision horizontal and vertical guidance using ground-based radio signals, enabling aircraft to land in low visibility conditions. Visual approaches require pilots to maintain visual contact with the runway and surrounding terrain, typically used during clear weather. Area Navigation (RNAV) approaches use GPS technology to guide aircraft along specific flight paths.

Approach Categories Explained

Category (CAT) classifications define minimum visibility and decision height requirements for instrument approaches. Higher categories enable operations in lower visibility conditions.

CAT I
Decision Height: 200 ft
Visibility: 550m
CAT II
Decision Height: 100 ft
Visibility: 300m
CAT III
Decision Height: 0-50 ft
Visibility: 0-200m
Visual
Clear of Clouds
Visibility: 5 km

Wind and Environmental Factors

Wind conditions directly impact runway operations, influencing approach difficulty, landing performance, and runway selection. Runway 29 benefits from favorable wind alignment, with prevailing winds creating minimal crosswind components for most operations. Average wind speeds of 12 knots pose no operational constraints for commercial aircraft.

24-Hour Wind Pattern

10:00
289° at 3 kts, gusting 3 kts
3 kts
04:00
310° at 11 kts, gusting 0 kts
11 kts
07:00
171° at 6 kts, gusting 6 kts
6 kts
05:00
35° at 6 kts, gusting 10 kts
6 kts
22:00
111° at 11 kts, gusting 13 kts
11 kts
06:00
39° at 5 kts, gusting 6 kts
5 kts
08:00
174° at 7 kts, gusting 10 kts
7 kts
02:00
90° at 12 kts, gusting 0 kts
12 kts
15:00
152° at 2 kts, gusting 0 kts
2 kts
00:00
130° at 9 kts, gusting 0 kts
9 kts
09:00
20° at 7 kts, gusting 10 kts
7 kts
METAR
130° at 11 kts, gusting 0 kts
11 kts

Wind patterns show typical diurnal variation with stronger winds during midday hours.

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
289°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 108 operations recorded over the past 30 days, derived from global ADS-B flight broadcasts. Coverage may be incomplete in areas with limited ground-station reception, and statistics may vary with weather and traffic volume.