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November 16, 2016Vienna Schwechat Airport Spotting Guide
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- last modified on August 24, 2020
Vienna International Airport / Flughafen Wien-Schwechat (VIE/LOWW) is the Gateway to Austria located on the far east of Austria, close to the borders of Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Vienna handled in 2017 24.4 Mio. passengers and 290000 tons of freight. The Airport is a HUB for Austrian Airlines and the newly founded Eurowings Europe.
The Airport is served by most of the European Carriers. From Africa: Air Algerie, Air Cairo, Egypt Air, Ethiopian, Nouvelair and Tunis Air. From Asia: Air China, Air India, China Airlines, Emirates (only A380 service), ElAl, Eva Air, Georgian Airways, Iran Air, Korean Air, Thai, Qatar and Royal Jordanian. America is only served by Austrian Airlines.
The Airport is also a destination for many business jets. Also Cargo aircraft serve VIE including Asiana Cargo (74F), ASL Airlines Belgium, Cargolux (74F), Fedex, Korean Air Cargo (daily B77F/B74F), Silk Way Airlines (B74F), Turkish Cargo and UPS.
Spotting at VIE is not that easy as you have to walk long distances on farm tracks. Don’t drive up the tracks around the airport it is forbidden. The Police is controlling this and you get fined for using them!
For actual specials at VIE have a look on: https://slovakaviation.sk/vie
Written by Patrick Weis, Julian Mittnacht, Konstanty Dobrzyński, Viktor and Bas Velders (major update April 2018)
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety | |
| Photo Locations | |
| Weather |  |
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| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 11/29 | 3,500m Asphalt |
| 16/34 | 3.600m Asphalt |
| Terminals | |
| Terminal 1 | One World, Skyteam, Emirates, Qatar, Air China, China Airlines, EVA Air, Thaiand no Alliance Airlines |
| Terminal 2 | Curently closed due to constructions |
| Terminal 3 | Austrian and European Star Alliance carriers + Air India |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Not necessary at most spots. There are even new installed photo holes at some points. If you need one: 4 steps to get a good shots at the most spots. |
| Car/Public Transport | The easiest way to get around as the ways are long. There are dirt roads/pathways available basically all around the airport fence but which you can´t drive on. A bike can be very helpful! |
| Restrooms | Only in the terminal building. Nothiing next to the locations. |
| Drinks/Food | There are many restaurants in the terminal including MC Donald’s etc but nothing next to the outer locations. |
| Hotels | Next to the terminals there are two big hotels and some taverns around the airport. |
| Season | All Year. But chance for sunshine is higher in summer. November to March can get grey, cold and rainy. |
| Runway Usage | |
| General Info | Depends on the wind. Until 7:00 aircraft are forced to land RWY29. Until 8:00 the aircraft are not allowed to land from the city side, RWY11. |
| 11/29 | Used in all directions but mainly for departures. |
| 16/34 | Used in all directions but mainly for arrivals. |
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Hunters Lookout - taxiway and 29 departures
| WHERE | Continue from #16 but at the intersection of dirt roads, turn to the right and follow it until it ends at a hedge. Follow the hedge to your left until you reach the fence. At this spot, you WILL need a ladder to shot over the fence. The hunters lookout has been demolished in summer 2020 and is no longer available. |
| WHAT | With a ladder (five steps to avoid the fence), you can take shots of all kinds of taxiing movements along rwy 11/29, also smaller aircraft rotating on rwy 29, while the widebodies do rotate later down the runway – but then you can take pictures of them from behind. |
| TIME | Most of the day. 9/10-18/19 (depending on the sun and lenght of the day) |
| MISC. | Quite a walk from anything that would be easy to get to with public transport. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Qatar B787: 70mm; Austrian A321: 120mm; MNG Cargo: 150mm; China Airlines A340: 70mm; Asiana Cargo B747: 200mm; Emirates A380: 240mm |
Airport Fence - Landing and line-up 29
| WHERE | Near a gate in the fence. The gate enables you to take pictures with easy through the fence. You may get there by walking from spots 4 and 5 on the road that goes beside the fence of the airport. Park your car as marked on the road (next to #6). Don’t drive on the farm tracks otherwise you will be fined by the police! |
| WHAT | Aircraft landing and lining-up ar runway 29 |
| TIME | Most of the day. 9/10-18/19 (depending on the sun and lenght of the day) |
| MISC. | Quite a walk from anything that would be easy to get to with public transport. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100+ [Austrian at 195mm, Pegasus at 250mm, Niki at 300mm, SunExpress at 170mm, Luxair at 270mm, Turkish at 240mm] |
Airport Fence – 29/34 arrivals, parallel taxiway to 16/34
| WHERE | At the curvature of the fence, where you have to shoot through, near runway 29 threshold. Easy to get to on foot. Simply walk north from spots 4 and 5 on the road which is located just beside the fence of the airport at a crash gate you have to walk on the side of the field. Otherwise use the path to spot 2 and then along the perimeter. Park as marked on the map (next to #6). Don’t drive up the farm tracks! |
| WHAT | Aircraft landing on runway 29, those taxiing after arrival on runway 34 and those taxiing for departure from runway 34 and some departing 34 as well. |
| TIME | Most of the day, more or less after 10 should be fine. |
| MISC. | Quite a walk from anything that would be easy to get to with public transport. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 767 at 220mm, Q400 at 300mm, Austrian 319 at 300mm, Qatar at 300mm, 737 at 300mm, Royal Jordanian at 300mm |
Airport Fence (Holes) - Arrivals and Departures runway 34
| WHERE | Park as marked on the map at the end of Schwadorf (next to #6) and walk up the farm track as marked. Do not drive up the farm tracks as the Police will fine you. There are new installed holes at the fence so a ladder is no longer needed. |
| WHAT | All Runway 34 movements. As you shot planes on the ground heat haze can become a problem in the summer. |
| TIME | From late noon until sunset all year round. |
| MISC. | There’s nothing at this spot, bring with you what you need. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50-300mm [767 at 100mm, Sun Express at 240mm, Austrian 737 at 240mm, 777 at 240mm, Embraer at 260mm, Falcon at 300mm] |
Farm Track - Final Runway 34
| WHERE | Park as marked on the map (next to #6) at the end of Schwadorf and walk up the farm track as marked. Do not drive up the farm tracks as the Police will fine you. You don’t need a step ladder for this spot as you can shot arrivals only. |
| WHAT | You can take shots of aircraft arriving on Runway 34 and line-ups on Runway 34 if they use the last intersection |
| TIME | From late noon until sunset all year round. |
| MISC. | There’s nothing at this spot, bring with you what you need. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-400mm [A319 at 185mm, Qatar at 230mm, Rossiya at 185mm] |
Cicleway - Landings runway 34
| WHERE | There is a cicleway along the road that runs under the approach path and to the morning spots. Park your car in a small industrial zone at the end of the village of Schwadorf (also for spots #2-5). From parking cross the road to the side where the airport’s fence begins and walk back 100-150m to the south, until you reach a lone house with garden. This is the best spot for approach pics onto rwy 34 and can be used from around afternoon until sunset. For morning just walk into the opposite direction. |
| WHAT | Aircraft approaching runway 34. |
| TIME | Almost all day long in except noon. Just switch your position when the sun turns over. |
| MISC. | There is nothing there. You can even use the hedge and the trees around that house as protection against wind and sun. Be careful though: you are standing on a cycle lane, so be respectful and don’t block the cyclists’ way! |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-250mm MORNING: Rossiya A319 – 170mm; Austrian Fokker 70 – 200mm; ASL B737 – 210mm; Korean Cargo B747F – 90mm; Brussels A320 – 200mm; Donavia A319 – 230mm AFTERNOON: Emirates A380 – 155mm; Swiss A340 – 100mm; Private Wings Do328 – 240mm; Royal Jordanian A320 – 190mm; Air China A330 – 125mm; Air India B787 – 160mm |
Morning:
Afternoon:
Airport Fence (holes) - Final runway 34 morning
| WHERE | Just at the fence between spot 6 and 9 so start and park your car. There is a little road going side to side of the fence, easy to find. You can either walk there from spot 9 or spot 6. The road is in rather good condition and goes all the way beside the airport fence. |
| WHAT | Morning movements from runway 34. Departures and arrivals. Line-up runway 34 |
| TIME | From sunrise until ~10:00 all year round. |
| MISC. | The fence is nice to spot from, big holes, plenty of room. There are more photo holes between position 7 and 8. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70+ [A321 arr at 125mm, CRJ at 300mm, Fokker and Transavia at 195mm, Air Berlin at 155mm, Niki at 135mm] |
Touchdown zone - Runway 34
| WHERE | Just at the fence. There is a little road going side to side of the fence, easy to find. You can either walk there from spot 9 or spot 6. The road is in rather good condition and goes all the way beside the airport fence. |
| WHAT | Aircraft touching down on runway 34 |
| TIME | From sunrise until ~10:00 all year round. |
| MISC. | The fence is nice to spot from, big holes, plenty of room. You are slightly above the runway. There are more photo holes between position 7 and 8. If you want to try different angles before touchdown zone you’ll need a 2 step ladder or similar |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70+ [Fokker at 170mm, Lufthansa at 140mm, Austrian at 230mm, 747 at 120mm, Tarom at 210mm, Niki at 120mm] |
Spotting Hill - Runway 16/34 Movements
| WHERE | This Spot is the Official Spotter Hill of the Airport. Here you have a clear view of the runway without a stepladder. Park your car as marked on the map and walk for 15 minutes up to the spot. |
| WHAT | All Runway Movements on Runway 16 and 34. As you shot planes on the ground heat haze can become a problem in the summer. |
| TIME | From sunrise until ~10:00 all year round. |
| MISC. | Nothing here except of a rubbish bin and a table. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70-300mm [A330 at 120mm, ATR72 at 220mm] |
Parking for the hill as marked on the map at/as “P” – take the way on the right by foot then to get to the hill:
Hill from the ground:
View from the hill’s top:
Rubbish Hill - RWY16 departures and arrivals
| WHERE | Best to park next to spot #11 and walk for 15 minutes to the hill. Its almost the as same as spot #11 but continue for a couple of minutes along the perimeter until you reach a big hill to your left. Now you have a great overlook of the runway and eastern part of the airport. |
| WHAT | All arrivals and departures on RWY16. Departures on RWY34 too but can be already pretty high. As you shot planes on the ground heat haze can become a problem in the summer. |
| TIME | From sunrise until ~10:00 all year round. |
| MISC. | Absolutely nothing here. The road can be muddy and dirty so be prepared. This spot is not really legally accessible anymore: there is a fence, preventing spotters from climb onto the “Rubbish Hill”. However, the fence is quite damaged at several parts, so if you want to cross it, it won’t be difficult. Do it at your own risk though: in theory, it is illegal. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 16 Arr/Dep: 100-250mm [CRJ at 230mm, 767 at 160mm) 34 Departure: 70+ [Fokker at 180mm, 767 at 100mm, 737 at 230mm] |
Stone Bricks - RWY16 approach
| WHERE | Coming from the airport drive on the 9 to Fischamend. After you have passed the approach path of RWY16 you see a small industrial area. Turn right, drive trough and turn right once you have leave the area. Now follow this road until you reach the marked parking spot. Leave your car hear and walk over the bridge, follow the dirt path along the perimeter fence until the first intersection. There you are. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on RWY16 only. There are some stones to climb up so you can watch over the fence. |
| TIME | From sunrise until ~10:00 all year round. |
| MISC. | Absolutely nothing here. The road can be muddy and dirty so be prepared. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Brennweiten: 80-220mm EVA Air A330 – 90mm; Luxair DHC-8: 210mm; China Airlines A350 – 170mm; Qatar B787 – 105mm; El Al B737 – 160mm; Austrian B777 – 85mm |
Parking for the spot – take the bridge on your left (not on the picture here):
Grass Field - RWY16 approach
| WHERE | Park your car as described above for #11 but then instead of crossing the bridge, simply walk ahead towards the airport fence. You can even go up the grass field to your right. Compared to #11 you have no disturbing objects and a clear background at your photos. No ladder needed, you can spot here. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on RWY16 only. |
| TIME | From sunrise until ~10:00 all year round. |
| MISC. | Absolutely nothing here. The road can be muddy and dirty so be prepared. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Rossiya A319: 190mm; Alitalia A320: 170mm; Ukraine B737-500: 230mm |
Same parking again, but now take the street at the front here:
Parking P4 - Ramp, 16 arrivals
| WHERE | This spot is on the top level of P4 parking. Just follow the signs. |
| WHAT | A very nice view on the apron between the new Skylink, Terminal three and the cargo apron. Also RWY16 arrivals but a long lense is needed! |
| TIME | Depends on the angle but perfect for night shots. Shots on RWY16 in the afternoon. |
| MISC. | It’s a regular parking, easy to get to and from the terminal. Just go to the corner of the top level. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50+ [A320 at 120mm, Retro at 140mm, 320 closeup at 300mm, 777 at 170mm, A330 at 250m, overview at 75mm] |
Viewing terrace - Tarmac
| WHERE | The entrance to the terrace is from the terminal building. Rather easy to find. You need to pass through a security check before entering. It also costs a couple of euro (not much but be prepared). |
| WHAT | Best for aircraft on the tarmac. You can also “photograph” landings on RWY 16 but they are very very far (400mm for 767, see sample). |
| TIME | The sun is usually on the other side so its not the best photo location. |
| MISC. | The entrance costs 4€ for a day for one adult, and 2€ for a child (2-16yo). The terrace is outside and there is no glass between you and the tarmac. Unfortunately the apron is situated in the same direction as the sun is most of the day so it’s a fun place to sit at, but for pictures definitely better when the weather is poor. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18+ [767 at 155mm, Aeroflot at 125mm, 777 at 195mm] |
Parking P3 - Apron
| WHERE | This spot is on the top level of P3 parking. Just follow the signs. |
| WHAT | Some aircraft standing on the apron. |
| TIME | Depends on the angle but perfect for night shots. |
| MISC. | It’s a regular parking, easy to get to and from the terminal. Just go to the the top level and find a spot that suits you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70+ [Niki at 230mm, BA at 300mm, Emirates at 240mm, Luxair at 270mm, Turkish at 300mm, Germanwings at 300mm] |
Roadside - 29 departures and 11 arrivals
| WHERE | This spot is located right at the side of the road that runs between Schwechat and the airport. It is no exact position, rather the area along/around here. You have just find a spot, where you can leave your cark (there are some lay bays on the south side of the street) and then just search your favourite position around here. |
| WHAT | You can see 29 departures and 11 arrivals from here. |
| TIME | Best for in the early summer mornings for 11 arrivals. Rest of the day backlit. |
| MISC. | Nothing right here, but in the nearby town Schwechat you’ll find restrooms, shops and hotels. Parking is very difficult here due to some restrictions at some parts of the streetside. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200 – 350mm B777 = 200mm / CRJ7 = 330mm |
Dirt Road - 29 departures and 11 arrivals
| WHERE | Basically in the middle of a field and a long walk as its not allowed to drive on the dirt roads as the police checks this regulary. Park your car as marked on the map and don’t block the road and walk up the farm track. You won’t find much around. Go along the concrete road until you reach the third column of trees to your left. There you turn left to the dirt road and follow it until the next intersection. You can also get there from the Mannswörth train station. |
| WHAT | You can get nice pics of departing aircraft “doing the 29 curve” (turning to the left as they climb out from rwy 29). For arrivals on 11 just go to spot #18 to the fence for being closer, although they can also be seen from here (see example pictures). |
| TIME | In winter almost all day long – in summer from morning hours on till later afternoon. |
| MISC. | It’s a field so take everything you need with you, no shops, no lavatories, no benches. Heat haze can be a problem very fast in the summer. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Iran Government B707: 230mm / Ed Force One (B747-400): 160mm / Easyjet A319: 260mm / Austrian A320 Retro: 300mm |
Crash Gate - 11 Arrivals and Line-Ups
| WHERE | This spot is located right at the fence near Gate “W 02”. To get to this spot, just park like you’d do for spot #17 and also got to spot #17 afterwards. But then keep walking till the fence until you rech it and the mentioned gate. Then search your favourite position along this area as this spot is no exact position here. |
| WHAT | Arrivals and Line-Ups onto runway 11. |
| TIME | In winter almost all day long – in summer from morning hours on till later afternoon. |
| MISC. | Ladder might be very useful to spot from here, although you can also shot through the gate-/fenceholes – some pictures will have dark corners then. Nothing around here, so take everything with you. Heat haze can be a problem. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70 – 250mm B767 = 100mm / E175 = 180mm |
38 Comments
Hi guys, thanks for the great guide. Can anyone tell me if the viewing deck is open?
Didn’t know if COVID had affected that. I’ve tried the website but have been unable to find any info.
Any help would be appreciated
Regards
Tug
Regarding the website, the viewing deck ist reopened since the 06.06.2020. I was there in June and currently it must also be open. Of course you have to wear a mask in the entire Airport.
Thank you
Hi Guys,
does somebody know where to find the aircraft registrations for Austrian CARGO ? (ALG Austrian Lufthansa Cargo GmbH). I can find online only those for Austrian passengers aircrafts, or those for Lufthansa Cargo.
Thx
Francesco
Hi, Austrian Airlines has no cargo planes like LH Cargo. They only use the belly of their pax planes for cargo.
-Julian
Thanks for the reply, I was struggling to find out which AUA aircrafts were involved, then I finally found this info on Monday already and also suggested FR24 to post something about the 2 planes en route to VIE…. https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/1242067171775262739
btw I live in Vienna, my parents in Southtyrol, the local authorities got those equipment yesterday thanks to the Austrain Bundesheer
Hi guys, at spot 10 is it possible to put the ladder near the fence? If yes, how high should the ladder be to shot over the fence? Thanks much!
Hi Emmi!
Should be possible – probably 3-4 steps as well.
-Severin
Hi Julian, do you know where this photo is taken from: https://www.instagram.com/p/B8qisH0BXIm/?igshid=1bcr6ocyp1gs3 ?
Thanks much!
Hi Emmi!
Looks like a picture taken at the southern end of runway 34. Maybe ask the guy, if he can provide some details and info?
Would be nice to know, interesting spot.
Severin
Hello,
i would like to come to Vienna airport for one day just for plane spotting. I want to ask if it is allowed to take a walk from point 13 to point 12 (points from the map above) alongside the road?
Also if someone can tell me about the visitors deck / terrace, do i need to be passenger to get there or can i be just an airport visitor?
Thank you
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