Thousands of homes could have more planes overhead, following Auckland Airport's proposed changes to some of its flight paths to make trips faster.
A draft report has made recommendations after trials of more time and fuel efficient flight paths.
There has been opposition to the trial flight paths, which have caused higher noise levels of three decibels.
The draft report recommends changes on the new paths that would bring down noise levels by making the planes go higher and reducing use of speed brakes.
An Airways New Zealand spokesperson, Pauline Lamb, said the modifications would still ensure efficiency.
"Instead of doing really long straight-in approaches we can now fly our aeroplanes in curves, which reduce the amount of distance flown."
A spokesperson from a group opposing the new flight paths says it's still looking through the report and is seeking legal guidance.
