INN-Spot1
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January 10, 2013
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February 1, 2013Innsbruck Airport Spotting Guide
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- last modified on January 15, 2022
With almost 1,2 Mio passengers in 2019, Innsbruck in Tirol is the third biggest airport in Austria. Usually its not worth to visit this airport as the traffic movements are very low. But in the winter season, many ski-charter flights, mainly from the UK by TUI, Easyjet, Jet2, British Airways and from Scandinavia by SAS, Finnair, DAT, Atlantic Airways taking place on Saturdays and Sundays. S7 is the only Russian carrier that serves Innsbrucks mo-fr + su in winter. Eurowings is serving Hamburg as sole destination. Austrian offers many charter flights on these days using their narrowbody aircraft like the whole A320 family and Embraer 195. Transavia serves the airport on a regular basis too with almost daily flights to Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Rotterdam and Brussels. In summer Trade Air is offering leisure flights with a Fokker F-100. General Aviation traffic (mostly Diamond and aquilla aircraft) is another main pillar for the airport, especially in summer.
In Winter days, the ramp is crowded with single aisle aircraft, from the E195 up to the Airbus A321neo, which is currently the largest aircraft regularly operating at INN im the winter. The high number of movements and the beautiful scenery with the mountains in the back makes it worth to visit Innsbruck on these winter days. You will be getting unique shots which you can rarely get in Europe.
You can always check the actual traffic/situation on the WEBCAM.
Written by Julian Mittnacht / Updated by Severin Hackenberger, Patrick Weis and Christoph Plank (local). Last Update November 2019
| Rating (winter season only) | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety | |
| Photo Locations |  |
| Weather |  |
| Visitor Rating How was your trip? Rate this airport! |
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| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 08/26 | 2.000 m (6.562 ft) |
| Terminals | Single Terminal for all operations |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Not needed. Partially photo holes in the fence. |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is not really needed as the public transport is also quite good due to the airport’s nearness to the university. If you are good by foot you can walk from the terminal to the southern locations. |
| Restrooms | Inside the Terminal. |
| Drinks/Food | Inside the Terminal and the supermarket, which is tagged on the map. |
| Hotels | Hotel Penz is next to the Terminal. |
| Season | Only recommended between December and March on Saturday & Sundays (Winter Charters). Check the airport website for a winter timetable in PDF format or the actual flight information. Off season there are only a handful of schedule flights a day! |
| Runway Usage | |
| 08/26 | The runway is used in all directions and they mix it pretty often when the ramp is full. |
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Spot #1 – Visitor Terrace – 08/26 departures&arrivals, apron |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This is the official visitor terrace at the terminal. Just follow the signs (“Besucherterrasse”) to the upper level. Its next to the one and only restaurant inside the terminal. |
| WHAT | You will find a great overview of almost the whole apron as well as the runway. There isn’t a glass wall and you have a distinct view of the action. For the runway movements a higher focal length is needed. You won’t miss a single plane at this place as there isn’t a real taxiway parallel to the runway. |
| TIME | A great place for the whole day in the winter. |
| MISC. | The terrace is sheltered and toilets are just behind the entrance. No security checks and no admission fees. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-400 mm |
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Spot #2 – Hotel Penz Parking – 08 departures, 26 arrivals and departures |
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| WHERE | Walk out of the terminal and follow the road back to the city. Until 5 minutes you will see the Hotel Penz on the right side. On the left there is the hotel parking. Cross this area until you will reach a dirt road. Stay along at this road. Arriving by car park on the Hotel Penz Parking lot or along the ‘Fürstenstreet’ where parking is free of charge during the weekend. |
| WHAT | You will get 26 arrivals and departures as well as the 08 departures without a ladder directly from the parking. For the 26 departures walk to the perimeter fence just in front of you to the turning point. You can shot over the fence if you have a live view mode on your camera or trough the fence with a small lense. Otherwise you need a 2 step ladder. The airport is to the left and you will see whats going on on the ramp. |
| TIME | In the winter its a good spot for the whole day. |
| MISC. | Walk back to the terminal for the facilities you need. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-300 mm |
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Spot #3 – Photo holes – All movements |
|---|---|
| WHERE | You have plenty of different photo positions at this location. Follow the road signs to Garmisch/Zirl on the 171. The road is parallel to the runway. After you have crossed a roundabout you will see a parking lot after 500 meters. Park your car here (you have to pay a fee now) and walk for around 5-10 minutes along the river Inn to get on the other side of the airport (footpath tagged on the map in green. Usually there is snow where you can easily walk on). Now continue along the perimeter fence for another 5-10 minutes to the corner of the taxiway where you find plenty of photo holes.
You can also walk form the terminal along some farm tracks to the location. But parking is much more expensive there. MAR 2019: Some spotters have been asked by the local farmers to please don’t cross the fields. So take care when going to the holes and please just pass the field’s edges as the farmer is really annoyed that some spotters destroy his fields and plants! Show respect, behave friendly and keep a low profile – thanks! |
| WHAT | All movements. For 26 arrivals use the eastern point because most planes exit the runway earlier and don´t use the turning point. There are plenty of opportunities and holes in the fence so just find your preferred position! |
| TIME | In the winter its a good spot for the whole day. Both are accessible from mid-September to the end of May. In June, July and mostly August, you can expect the western spot to be relatively overgrown with stinging nettels and other weeds. Getting into the spot is also not easy, because the corncobs are growing very high and crowded at that time. |
| MISC. | The fee for parking is very cheap, it costs € 2,- only without time limit. When you are driving in the area the barrier goes up automatically, when you leave put in the coin of € 2,- into the slot and the barrier open up.Its just a promenade along the Inn, so you will not find much here. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-300 mm |
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- Parking and way to the spot.
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- Western location
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- Eastern location
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Spot #4 – Container – 08/26 departures & arrivals |
|---|---|
| WHERE | The spot is located at the runway’s northern side and can be reached from “Kranebitter Allee” (also known as “Bundesstrasse 171”), which runs north of the spot and airport fence. There is a sign at the beginning of the unnamed road, which connects the above mentioned busy road and the spot/fence, which says that it’s only permitted to use the street and enter the following area, if you are a visitor of the gliding club next to the spot. But nobody cares about this sign and you can easily pass this point, without any worries normally. So follow this unnamed street till you have reached the fence and then just park your infront of the fence or at the parking of the nearby building.
Then you have different options for your exact photo position at this location as there are a hand full of photoholes in the fence as well as a container and kinda big “ladder”, which is normally used by spotters, on the parkingarea infront of the fence. |
| WHAT | From here you can see all activities on the runway (although you can’t see the whole runway; western end is covered by objects) and on the apron on the runway’s southern side. Apart from this, you’ll be able to see some taxiways from here. |
| TIME | Only useable on early summer mornings or late summer evenings as well as during the night or on grey days. In winter unuseable. |
| MISC. | Ladder nort really needed as there are photoholes and a ladder nearby , so you don’t need any object to get over the fence. Therefore there are no facilities with food/drinks/restrooms directly at the spot, but a nearby supermarket is tagged on the map. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300 mm A321 on runway (90 degree-shot) = 75mm / CL600 on runway = 140mm |
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Spot #5 – Bridge – 08/26 departures & arrivals evening movements |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This location is for the longer summer months just where you park for spots 3 and 6. You can either stay on the bridge or go further down to the river. Follow the road signs to Garmisch/Zirl on the 171. The road is parallel to the runway. After you have crossed a roundabout you will see a parking lot after 500 meters. Park your car here (you have to pay a fee now). |
| WHAT | Runway 08 arrivals and departures. 26 departures as well. |
| TIME | Only useable on early summer mornings or late summer evenings as well as during the night. In winter not useable. |
| MISC. | Easier with ladder to clear the fence for taxiing aircrafts if you are down at the river. The fee for parking is very cheap, it costs € 2,- only without time limit. When you are driving in the area the barrier goes up automatically, when you leave put in the coin of € 2,- into the slot and the barrier open up.Its just a promenade along the Inn, so you will not find much here. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-250 mm |
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Spot #6 – Bootshaus – 08 arrivals and departures, 26 departures |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Use the same direction as for #3 and #5. The spot is located on top of the small boat building at the Inn river. During the summer you can go to the sand banks at the Inn River for a different angle. There is a crash gate with two holes just next to it, so you can catch the 08 departures too as the turning point for the aircraft is in front of you or climb up a small concreted building (approximate 1,70m high) just next to the holes to photograph over the fence. Otherwise use a 2-3 steps ladder to clear the fence. |
| WHAT | All 08 arrivals and departures. For 26 departures I would walk a little bit to the spot 3 point as the planes rotating earlier. You can shot over the fence. |
| TIME | From 08:00-16:00 during the summer in the winter all day. During the Summer you can go to the Sand Banks as well. In Winter this is flooded |
| MISC. | Nothing at this spot. Some benches near the Bootshaus. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-250 mm |
From the Bootshaus
From the Sand Banks:
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Spot #7 – Tyrolia Verlag – 26 arrivals |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is located on the car park of the Tyrolia Verlag, which is located in the Exlgasse. You can park on the car park or on the parking spots at the street. Spot from the car park. The train station “Innsbruck Hötting” is just around the corner. |
| WHAT | All arrivals on runway 26 |
| TIME | All day in Winter. In summer from 08:00-16:00 |
| MISC. | Mc Donald´s is not far away. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-300 mm |
18 Comments
Hello, are there in Deco also flight on Monday to Friday or are all flights scheduled on Saturday and Sunday?
I mean December
In Winter the main traffic is SAT/SUN but there are schedule flight of HV, OS, EZY on all other days too. Pls ck the airport webpage for flights in the next 3 days.
On the picture for spot 3, with the holes, there is a green container or something like that. Can you go up there and shoot over the fence?
Hi Theo,
I’m there often and the green container seems to be a blockhouse for boats of the water rescue on the river “Inn”. To go up on the roof there is actually a little wood piece for help, but you also shouldn’t be a little as well as no heavy and unsporting man. The hight of the platform is about 170 cm. When you will be up there I promise you to shoot the best pictures of your visit at Innsbruck airport.
Regards Günter
Hi Theo, Günter already answered your question. I just added a photo to the guide so you can see how the view from the small building is.
-Julian
HI,
WHAT TIME DOES THE VIEWING TERRACE OPEN? AND WHEN DOES IT CLOSE? THANK YOU.
GRAHAM
Hi Graham, there are no official opening hours for the terrace. Its open when the airport has opened its main entrance. You can go there very early and stay till the last flight has left.
-Julian
MANY THANKS.
Hello.I wish to visit INN at around the Christmas.Is there any public transport from Innsbruck Hbf to the airport in the early morning?
Best wishes.
Hi,yes there is a bus service. From their website:
“Innsbruck Airport is easily accessed by train or bus. Bus route F connects Innsbruck main station with the airport main building. The journey takes about 20 minutes.”
-Julian
Is it possible to walk from the city centre to the airport?
Hi, yes thats absolutely no problem but you have to walk a few kilometers. You can use the public transport too.
-Julian
I was last there in 1988! Good to see the viewing deck is still there. Lot more movements now of course!
Paul in NZ
*Penz*
[…] In 10 Minuten mit dem Bus am Flughafen und in weiteren 10 eingecheckt und am Gate? Läuft bei uns in Innsbruck. Zwar nicht, wenn gerade Urlauberwechsel ist, ansonsten schiebt man am Innsbrucker Flughafen eher eine ruhige Kugel. Gratis WLAN gibt’s auch, ebenso wie in den Bussen der IVB. Auch Planespotting (der Sport des leidenschaftlichen Beobachtens und Fotografierens von Flugzeugen) ist in Innsbruck ein Kinderspiel und heiß begehrt laut berichten des Spotter Guides. […]
Olympic Air returning to Athens after maintenance at INN a/p
OA3003 INN-ATH DH4 SX-BIT ETD 0930 UTC
best regards
Spiros Kastamonitis
Olympic Air / Aegean Airlines CLC
Athens International Airport
e-mail: s.kastamonitis@outlook.com
Hi Spyros!
Thanks for this information. Stay tuned for new Greece guides!
Cheers
Marlin