HKG-Spot1
Taipei Taoyuan Intl. Airport Spotting Guide
September 22, 2016
Lanzarote Arrecife Airport Spotting Guide
September 28, 2016Hong Kong Intl. Airport Spotting Guide
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- last modified on January 4, 2022
Hong Kong International Airport (HKG/VHHH) also known as Chek Lap Kok Airport is located 25 km west of Hong Kong Central on an artificial island close to Lantau Island. It can be easily reached by car from motorway 8. From the city the Airport Express is riding every 10 minutes and takes around 25 minutes (100 HKD). Several public lines connecting the airport with nearly every part of the city, the fares are lower than the Airport Express. Additionally ferries are going to Macao and China Mainland.
In 2018 74,7 million passengers were handled (#8 world wide). HKG is the world’s busiest cargo airport. The airport was opened in 1998 to replace the famous Kai Tak Airport. The airport is hub of Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines and Hong Kong Express Airways.
Nearly all major world airlines can be seen in HKG, as well as numerous Asian carriers. The airport has two terminals which are seen on the apron as one. Terminal 2 is only equipped with check-in desks but no gates. All aircraft are handled at Terminal 1 with it’s main building and the two concourses (North Satellite and Midfield)
You can check the flight schedule for passenger and cargo flights on hongkongairport.com. The airport operates 24 hours, so some special visitors may move in the dark only.
The current two runway system might be extended in the future by a 3rd runway. Also around the airport a lot of construction is ongoing. The bridge to Macao and other building sites can obstruct spotters.
Written by Marcus, Clive Grant, Finn Ridley (Spot 14), Guillaume Bach, Thomas Ingendorn and Miguel Alia (last update April 2021)
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| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 07R/25L | 3,800m Asphalt |
| 07L/25R | 3.800m Asphalt |
| Terminals | One for all passenger flights. |
| Terminal 1 | Major terminal which includes all the concourses. |
| Terminal 2 | Has been closed, demolished and will be re-built. All passenger flights currently use Terminal 1. |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Not necessary and even forbidden at the fence. |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is not useful, as parking might become an issue. All spots can be reached by public transport. With the “Octopus” card you can pay in all buses, metros and ferries. The card can be obtained at all MTR stations. |
| Restrooms | Only in the terminal and at MTR station “Tung Chung” |
| Drinks/Food | Only in the terminal and at MTR station “Tung Chung” |
| Hotels | Few (expensive) hotels around the airport. Bigger choice in Central or Kowloon. |
| Season | Summer is hot and humid. As it is also the rainy season thunderstorms or typhoons have to be expected. Autumn and winter is cooler and more dry, but it can get very hazy. |
| Security | Nothing special. |
| Runway Usage | |
| General Info | Clear rules make spotting quite predictable, still exceptions happen from time to time. Update DEC 2019: Till 7:15 in the morning normally all traffic will be handled on one runway only which is changed day by day between northern and southern. During the day it is still mostly arrivals in the north and departures in the south… |
| 07L/25R | Third new runway in construction, should open in July 2022. |
| 07C/25C | Nearly all passengers flights will arrive here. Also few cargo arrivals might be seen. Update December 2021: currently only used after dark => once busy traffic occurs. |
| 07R/25L | All departures to be expected here as well as most cargo arrivals. Few passenger flights can also land on this runway. Update December 2021: currently the only rwy in use. |
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Sky Deck – 25R and 25L Arrivals
| WHERE | +++ UPDATE December 2021: Spotting location is no longer available. Please choose spots 7, 10 or 11 for approaching aircraft to RWY 25R +++ |
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Cathay Pacific City – Take-Off 07R
| WHERE | On a pedestrian bridge at Cathay PacificCity directly at the bus stop. Several bus lines from airport and the city will stop here. |
| WHAT | You can get aircraft departing 07R. |
| TIME | Morning until afternoon. |
| MISC. | Nothing here, so bring what you need. At least you can stand in the shadow. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 300 mm for A320 |
Scenic Hill – Take-Off 07R
| WHERE | From bus stop Cathay Pacific City walk on Scenic Road towards the hill. At the cable car building move the stairs up and follow the rocks poured in concrete path all long. Some light posts have been added alongside the path so you can go up and down in the dark as well. You can leave the bus at “Aviation Fuel Tank Farm” which is closer to the spot. But not all bus lines will stop there. |
| WHAT | You can get aircraft departing 07R. 25L will be also possible there. |
| TIME | Good until noon in summer. In winter until 15:00. |
| MISC. | It is quite popular during the weekend and that it’s quite a hike to go up there so bring enough water if you plan to stay there all day long, particularly during the summer. At least there are benches and shadow in the shack. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 500 mm for A320 |
HAECO Aircraft Maintenance Area – 07L Arrivals
| WHERE | Take bus S52 from “Cathay Pacific City” or MTR station “Tung Chung” direction “Aircraft Maintenance Area”. Bus S52 rides every 20 minutes. Exit at terminus at the HAECO hangars and walk back a few meters to find your preferred position. You can sit on the rocks at sea. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on 07L can be seen here, also 07R arrivals are possible as well as heavy departures on 25L. |
| TIME | 07L: Good until noon in summer. In winter until 15:00. 07R/25L: Afternoon in summer. |
| MISC. | Nothing here, so bring what you need. Even no shade. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Between 250 and 450 mm for A320 depending on your position. |
Sha Lo Wan - 07R departures
| WHERE | Take a 10 minutes walk from MTR station “Tung Chung”. From “Tung Chung Development Ferry Pier” take Fortune Ferry (see picture below) direction “Tai O” Ferry Timetable. Exit at the next ferry pier “Sha Lo Wan” after about 10 minutes. From ferry pier take the footpath and walk along the coast line to the village. Pass the village and move on along the coast. At the parting of the ways move the left footpath up the hill until you reach a meteorological station. There you can stand in the shades of trees. The walk is around 25-30 minutes. The next bus stop in Tung Chung is a walk of ~80 minutes by foot on paved ways from where one can take a bus to a metrostation, which can be used to get to the airport/city. Update DEC 2019: Spot situation improved as some trees disappeared and the way up is (partly) concreted now. In addition the platform is now paved with concrete as well and marked with two large pink flags so it can even be seen from far away. Apart from this signs showing the way to “View Point @ Shao Lo Wan” were also installed (starting showing the way at the soccer pitch next to the shore down there in Sha Lo Wan). Update NOV 2021: the spot is not accessible as it is bocked off by Sha Lo Wan villagers |
| WHAT | Arrivals and departures on 07R, also departures on 25L. |
| TIME | Morning until afternoon in winter, in summer until noon. |
| MISC. | There’s absolutely nothing at this spot, bring with you what you need. Take care of the ferry schedule. If you miss the last ferry you need to walk about 2 hours to get back to civilization. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 250 mm for A320 lining up 07R, 120 mm for 747 landing. |
View of the village where the journey begins.
This is how the platform looks like now (DEC 2019):
Terminal at Gate N68 or S49 - Only airside
| WHERE | After passing security and immigration: If you have some time until your flight is departing move to the end of the main terminal building close to gate N68 or S49. You can also chose any other gate, but around N68 and S49 you will catch the highest number of movements. Special hint: If your flight departs later in the day, check in your luggage at Airport Express stations “Hong Kong Central” or “Kowloon” up to 24 hours ahead of departure, get your boarding pass and move to the airport. To be eligible for this service you need to obtain a ticket for the Airport Express (115 HKD). Check here if your airline offers in-town check-in: MTR Airport Express |
| WHAT | Movements on northern runway (N68) and southern runway (S49) and taxiways. Photos are taken through glass, so be careful of reflections. |
| TIME | All day long. Depends where you take your pictures. |
| MISC. | As you are in the terminal you can find everything around you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 60 mm for A320 on the taxiway. |
Airport Authorities – 25R Arrivals
| WHERE | This spot is netxt to the airport authorities at the junction of “Cheong Yip Rd” and “Cheong Wing Rd”. Its an alternative to spot #1 but you are much closer to the RWY 25R movements so you don´t need a huge hense and you have less dust/heat in your pictures. Exit the terminal and walk northwards by passing the taxi station. |
| WHAT | You get 25R arrivals only so you will miss most freighters as they usually use 25L. |
| TIME | Morning until afternoon in winter, in summer until noon. |
| MISC. | Everything you need is within the terminal. There is a security guard next to you so don´t be always in their sight and keep a low profile. Currently extensive road and construction works are ongoing in this area. So spotting experience might be obstructed or even stopped by workers. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-200 mm |
Sha Lo Wan 2 – 07R/25L Departures
| WHERE | Follow the same directions to the first Sha Lo Wan spot #5 (metro to Tung Chung, ferry to Sha Lo Wan pier), but at the football pitch turn left and left again in the next junction. Continue the path, that now goes cleary uphill. On the highest point of the path, after a really steep section, there is a crossing, where you need to go left here (street view). The hard surface ends some twenty meters from this point, on the fence of a meteorologic station. You have to continue on your left, walking along the fence, and further up on a barely marked trail. Continue always uphill for some 10 min more until you reach an opening on the forest. Here, take the path on your right, now on a slight downill, and in a couple or three minutes you will reach the spot. The next bus stop in Tung Chung is a walk of ~60 minutes by foot on paved ways from where one can take a bus to a metrostation, which can be used to get to the airport/city. |
| WHAT | Departures on 07R / 25L. A few arrivals (mainly cargo) on the same runway. |
| TIME | Morning until afternoon in winter, in summer until noon. |
| MISC. | You are as far away as on the other Sha Lo Wan spot. Heat haze can be a problem even during winter. There is absolutely nothing here, so bring what you need. A small shop can be found (before climbing to the spot!) |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 400mm for an A320, 200mm for a B77W. |
Regal Hotel Executive Rooms and Executive Club Lounge
| WHERE | Just north of the main terminal building is the Regal Airport Hotel which is easily accessible on foot. Executive Rooms #1148, 1146, 1142, 1140 & 1138 all have similar west facing views overlooking the airport. Some standard rooms on lower floors may provide a similar view but this has not been checked. Staying in the Executive Rooms also gives you access to the hotel’s Executive Club Lounge which overlooks the approach to Runway 25R. The lounge provides hot meals at the usual meal times and cold snacks and drinks, including alcohol, all through the day, so effectively that covers the cost of your meals.
Update December 2021: This hotel is currently exclusively reserved for COVID quarantine travellers. |
| WHAT | From the rooms: all traffic taxiing east of the North Satellite Concourse. From the lounge: Arrivals on Runway 25R only; (even heavy departures from 07L are too high by this point). |
| TIME | Taxiway: mornings only until about 10am in the winter; 1pm in the summer. For runway: mornings only in the summer; almost all day in the winter. |
| MISC. | Although the Regal Hotel can be expensive, they sometimes do good deals for their Executive Rooms. The hotel rooms are double glazed but at least it’s possible to open the inner window to make photography a bit easier. Care is needed to avoid reflections in your photos. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 40 – 150mm |
Samples taken from the room:
T2 Drop Off Area – 25R Arrivals
| WHERE | When Sky Deck is closed you can use this spot for 25R arrivals. The area is located on level 4 of Terminal 2 close to the the taxi and bus drop off. Just go outside of the terminal and move to the end of the pavement. You can stay in the shadows. |
| WHAT | Arriving aircraft on 25R. |
| TIME | Morning until afternoon in winter, in summer until noon. |
| MISC. | All facilities in the terminal. Food, drinks, supermarkets, restrooms. Your views are obstructed by lightpoles. So especially for larger aircraft it might be not easy to catch the right moment. But after a few minutes you will get used to the situation. 90° pictures are hardly possible. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 280 mm for A320 approaching 25R. |
Bus Stop Asia World Expo – 25R Arrivals
| WHERE | Update: December 2021: a new medical and Covid isolation facility has been constructed in the area. Views of arriving aircraft are blocked. |
| WHAT | |
| TIME | |
| MISC. | |
| FOCAL LENGTH | |
Terminal 1 Departure Area – 25L Arrivals & 07R Departures
| WHERE | The spot is located outside Terminal 1 on the drop-off level. Leave T1 next to check-in area B and move a few meters where the smoking area can be seen. You will be in the shadow, you can take a seat and you can even smoke a cigarette (if needed…) |
| WHAT | Heavy departures on 07R. Small aircraft will be already far too high. Some cargo flights will land on 25L, but these are rare. |
| TIME | You are facing the sun until noon in summer, but in the afternoon pictures will be fine. In winter the spot can only be used on cloudy days. |
| MISC. | All facilities in the terminal. Food, drinks, supermarkets, restrooms. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Ca. 250 mm for departing heavy. |
Bridge East Coast Rd - 07R departures, 25L arrivals
| WHERE | This is an alternative for shade to the locations 2 and 3 as your are closer to the 07R departures. The spot itself is on a sidewalk of a bridge that runs over the airport road. It is next to the CAD and Cathy Dragon buildings. The Catering Road bus stop is best for this spot. Bus S64 from Tung Chung Station (or Airport Terminal) stops here and is the best option. If coming from Tung Chung, the S64 stop is pretty much next to the S1. The E22 and a few other buses serving the city also stop here, Its is not possible to walk there through all the highways to and from the terminal! |
| WHAT | From the road you can get aircraft departing 07R and arrivals on 25L (but we recommend #17 for that). 25R departures are visible from there but hard to photograph because of heat haze and disturbing objects (see sample photo of the CX 777). From the alternative yon can get the 07L departures and 25L landing but it is not ideal. 25R departures are not possible. |
| TIME | Morning until afternoon. |
| MISC. | Nothing close to this spot. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200mm for most heavies. |
Sight from the footbridge below the road.
S Perimeter Rd - 25L departures
| WHERE | Take the bus S52 from “Tung Chung MTR” bus station in the direction “Aircraft Maintenance Area” (buses will come every 20 mins). And then exit at terminus “Government Flying Service” (On the south perimeter road). After exiting the bus continue walking in the same direction that the bus was going, and walk for around 10 minutes. You want to keep walking until there are no buildings/poles in the way (You can move around in this area to find the best spot possible (for 777’s you may want to walk further down as they become airborne further down the runway than A320’s will)). Best to find a spot on the grassy banks where trees don’t cover the view above you. |
| WHAT | 25L Departures can be seen just after rotation from here, but that is all you will see. All taxiways/runways are blocked by a fence. |
| TIME | Best from sunrise to noon during any month of the year. |
| MISC. | No facilities on site, so you will need to go to the terminal for food/toilets. Surrounded by trees so there is always shade, the sun/heat is not a big problem. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 300mm max. But any smaller lens will still work very well at this site. Even phones can work. |
Sha Lo Wan Ferrry Pier - 25L departures
| WHERE | The ferry pier is a good alternative if you don`t wanna walk all the way up to the hills for 25L departures. Take the ferry from Tung Chung to Sha Lo Wan (the first stop after Tung Chung). When you have disembarked the boat you are there. Ferry Timetable |
| WHAT | Only 25L departures. The sight is not that great as from the hills but you are closer and faster at this spot. |
| TIME | Best from sunrise to noon during any month of the year. |
| MISC. | You have the village of Sha Lo Wan nearby and the ferry that brings you to Tung Chung in less than 20 mins. But it’s a long hike (2h plus) to get back to civilisation if you miss the last one. Some shade can be provided through the Macau bridge that runs overhead but isn’t a problem for spotting there. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | You are a bit further away but a 300mm for an A320, a 160mm for the A380, 150mm for an A330 and for a B737 that had an early V1 a 400mm will work just fine. |
The Rocks - 07R arrivals
| WHERE | The locations is at the end of the runway of 07R on the side of the road on the dike rocks. Take the same bus line as for spot #4, S52 from Tung Chung, go to the terminus (Aircraft Maintenance Area), follow the road till you are under the ALS poles (its quite a hike, approx 1.5km, the terrain is flat but there is absolutely zero shade). When you have passed under the poles head for the rocks. |
| WHAT | Landings on 07R, take off from 25L are also visible but spot 14 is more appropriate. |
| TIME | Best from sunrise to noon during any month of the year. |
| MISC. | There is nothing there, not even shade, in summer it can be very hard to stay there. So bring plenty of water and sunscreen a hat… Keep in mind that the next bus stops are at least a km away. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 40-50mm for A350/A330 |
Civil Aviation Department - 25L arrivals
| WHERE | The spot is on behind the Civial Aviation Department on a footpath. Take the bus S1 from Tung Chung, exit at the Headquarters on Tung Fai Road (third stop). When you leave the bus take a left, cross the road, walk a few metres and you are there. |
| WHAT | Best for arrivals on 25L. 07R departures are possible but don`t have the best angle. Go to spot 13 instead. |
| TIME | Best from sunrise to noon during any month of the year. |
| MISC. | There is nothing there but shade and benches can be found. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | For 25L landing, depending on the angle you want to shoot between 100-200mm for heavies, for private jets 400mm. For a 07R departures at least 350mm for narrow bodies and for heavies, 200mm will be fine. |
Hello All,
For spot 13, I think bus E22 to Catering Road appears to be the better choice as bus S1 to CAD requires a longer walk that would require walking in a big circle .. just checked on Google maps. The E22 bus stop appears to be right in front of the stairway that takes you up to the road.
Can anyone help confirm this (if you’ve been recently)
Thank you
Yes. The Catering Road bus stop is best for Spot 13. Bus S64 from Tung Chung Station (or Airport Terminal) stops here and is the best option. If coming from Tung Chung, the S64 stop is pretty much next to the S1. The E22 and a few other buses serving the city also stop here, as you mentioned.
Thank you Dennis 👊🏽
Hello, I would like to ask if it is possible to set up a tripod for shooting point 8？
Yes, it is. Do be aware though the spot is infested with bugs, bees, spiders and snakes.
Point 5 has been blocked off by Sha Lo Wan villagers yet again.
Hi Timmy. Is there a reason that the spot is blocked? Hope this will change soon!
-Julian
Sha Lo Wan used to be very popular with hikers and plane spotters, but the local villagers were tired of having to deal with visitors so they (illegally) blocked access to the village. This has been going on for quite a while, at an on and off interval. They reopened the village during September and early October this year, but access has since been blocked once again. The other Sha Lo Wan spot remains accessible since it doesn’t require entry to the village.
Hello , any recommendations for 25L landings? Anyone tried shooting from gate house number 2 which is near car park 1…? Thanks in advance ….
Spot 12 or 13 will be a good one for 25L landings. I haven’t tried to spot from Gate House but I have tried to shoot from a small path next to 25L, and that’s work pretty well too. Wish that work for you as well!