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January 16, 2017
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February 1, 2017Düsseldorf Intl. Airport Spotting Guide
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- last modified on February 1, 2022
Düsseldorf Airport is the third busiest airport in Germany with 25 Mio. passengers in 2019. Also they added various first class carriers during the past years which offer many national and international routes to the biggest metropols of Europe, North America and Asia. If you are looking for variety of airlines and airplanes Düsseldorf is the right place to be. Not only the excellent spotting locations make your trip to this city worth it, but also the city itself. With many connections to the inner and outer districts of the city you can easily discover all the facet of the most beautiful city next to the river rhine.
Eurowings has a big hub Düsseldorf. TUIfly, SunExpress, Corendon and Condor offer a high amount of touristic destinations. Most of the intercontinental services from Asia and America are the very first flights to arrive when operations starts again at the airport (Singapore Airlines, Etihad, Air China, Delta Air Lines). The airport is restricted in its operations from 06:00AM to 23:00PM. Since the 5th of June 2016 Emirates serves their Dubai rotations with A380 twice a day. Singapore Airlines is bringing their brand new flagships of modern airliners to Düsseldorf (A350). ANA is also operating its Boeing 787 Dreamliner into Düsseldorf.
Düsseldorf is one of the spotter friendliest airports in Germany. With many apron tours being offered and a large visitorplatform you will find many chances to get close to action here. Also the spottingpoints around the airport offer clear shots on the airplanes.
Airport authorities are also aware of our hobby, so ladders are not restricted at the periemter fence.
Written by Daniel Kramm (local spotter), Severin Hackenberger (regular visitor) and Marcus (some pictures provided). Regularly Updated.
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| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 05R/23L | 3.000m (9.842ft) asphalt |
| 05L/23R | 2.800m (9.240ft) asphalt |
| Terminals | |
| Terminal A | Star Alliance, Asian-Carriers, Eurowings |
| Terminal B | Schengen |
| Terminal C | Non-Schengen |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Needed especially at the summer evening spots. See descriptions below. |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is needed to get to the summer afternoon positions but almost all positions are within walking distance from the terminal or train station. |
| Restrooms | Only inside the terminal and train station |
| Drinks/Food | McDonald’s, several restaurants and REWE supermarket are located inside the terminal. Around the airport there are some supermarkets, gas stations and another McDonald’s. Only reachable by car. |
| Hotels | Maritim Hotel and a Sheraton are directly at the airport terminal. But there are dozens of other hotels around the airports boundaries. |
| Season | March to October suggested. In winter all nothern positions will be unusable because of backlit |
| Runway Usage | |
| General Info | Düsseldorf is restricted in its operations of both runways. Exact times of operations can not be named. On working days usually both runways are active from early morning to late morning (06:00AM to 12:00AM). Take offs will be on runway 05R/23L and landings on 05L/23R. Runway usage is also similar in the afternoons. Usually between 16:00PM and 18:00PM both runways will be active again. Exceptions confirm the rule, so it’s also possible that only runway 05R/23L will be used on one day. EKs A380 only lands on runway 23L/05R. |
| 05R/23L | arrivals and departures in both directions. |
| 05L/23R | arrivals only from both directions. |
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Observation Deck Terminal B - All runway moments, taxiway, ramp
| WHERE | The observation deck on terminal B is the one and only visitor platform since the closure of the second one at the railway station. Once you are inside the departures hall terminal B follow the stairs up to starbucks next to the piano and cafè. Follow the signs and you will find the entrance at the very end.
+++ The terrace at Düsseldorf Airport remains closed until further notice. We are currently fully focused on resuming air traffic under corona conditions so that all passengers can travel to and from DUS with confidence. +++ |
| WHAT | It’s a great place for spotters and families as you have a great roundview of the apron and you won´t miss a single movement. Every gate on this terminal is viewable and also a few stands on terminal A and C. Best if runways 05 are active for arrivals and departures. 23 arrivals will exit infront of you and most departures on 23L are okay, except the light ones. |
| TIME | You can start shooting the runway from sunrise, but turns backlit from afternoon on. Ramp depends on the angle. |
| MISC. | Access to the platform every day of the week from 09:00 to 20:00 (April to October) and from 10:00 – 19:00 (November to March). There are security checks which can lead to longer queues. Food and water bottles are still allowed. The fee is 2,20€ for adults. Restrooms and a small snack bar (opens only in the summer) is behind the security on the terrace so you don´t have to leave it. An issue are the APUs and engine exhausts wich can lead to a massive heat distortion on your photos, especially on the runway and even on the nearby taxiway. Please check the official website for exact opening times and additional infos. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Depends on the angle but from 20-300 you should be fine |
Carpark P7 - 05R/23L all movements
| WHERE | When you are coming from inside the terminal proceed to the very end of terminal A and follow the signs to carpark P7. Take the elevator to the upper deck, level 8, and walk to the other end of the garage. The barrier is lowered from some point and no ladder is needed. You can also enter the carpark with your car but you have to pay around 25 Euros a day. Please stick to the closure and don’t leave waste since its a rising problem at every position. |
| WHAT | The spot is best for all runway movements on 05R/23L as you are almost in the middle of the runway. Also taxiway photos to and from 23L are possible. Runway 05L/23R is in sight but very far. Furthermore you can photograph the apron where most Eurowings planes are parked. |
| TIME | You can start shooting here from sunrise, but turns backlit from afternoon on. Due to the distance, heat is a serious problem here and we recommend this spot only in the morning hours. During hot and calm summer days its almost impossible to photograph from here without distortion. But in winter you will have less problems. |
| MISC. | Facilities available inside the terminal. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100 – 400 mm |
Skytrain Stairs - taxiway for departures 23L
| WHERE | Follow the Frachtstraße to the very end. You will find a stair next to the skytrain station. You can park your car here if you are only staying for a short time. For longer visits the marked parkspots are recommended. If you are arriving with the skytrain from the terminal take the elevator to the lowest floor. Leave the buildung until you reach the mentioned stairs. With a ladder you can go the perimeter fence aswell. It offers a better view on the runway.
DON’T ENTER THE SPOT THROUGH THE EMERGENCY DOOR AT THE END OF THE SKYTRAIN PLATFORM! |
| WHAT | Great spot in the morning for planes taxiing to runway 23L. Apart from this some aircraft departing runway 05R lowly can be spotted as well. Sometimes you might also be lucky, so you can spot late vacators of runway 05R. Be prepared, that you can’t see any approaching airplanes till touchdown on 23L. This spot is also very attractive for nightshots. Special visitors will be parked just in front of the spot. |
| TIME | You can start shooting here from sunrise, but turns backlit from afternoon on. |
| MISC. | Facilities are available inside the building. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70 – 400 mm |
Pictures are taken from the staircase here:
Tiefenbroicher Weg - 23L arrivals
| WHERE | Park your car as marked on the map on the left at the “Lichtenbroicher Baggersee” directly after the tunnel of the autobahn or enter the footpath from the railway station. Follow the path Tiefenbroicher Weg until you reach t-corner at the perimeter fence. Parking is very limited at the “Lichtenbroicher Baggersee” and permitted for 2h hours. A alternative is, for a fee, the offical parking lot at the railway station. |
| WHAT | Landings on runway 23L only. There are gaps between the trees where you can take the photo, but you will have just 1-2 seconds. |
| TIME | You can start shooting here from sunrise, but turns backlit from afternoon on. |
| MISC. | A 2 step ladder is recommend (especially for heavies) to avoid the fence in your photos but put it on the path and not on the fence, otherwise you will get the airport securities attention. The nearest facilities are inside the railway station. There’s nothing at this spot, bring with you what you need. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 125 mm for A320, 70 mm for B747 |
Tiefenbroicher Weg - 23L arrivals
| WHERE | Same as Spot 4, just follow the perimeter fence until you reach your favorable position on the opposite site. Shortest way with car is from parkspot at the “Kalkumer Schloßallee”. |
| WHAT | Landings on runway 23L only. |
| TIME | In the summer only from afternoon to sunset |
| MISC. | You need a ladder but don’t put it right next to the perimeterfence, otherwise you will get the airport securities attention. Here is absolutely nothing so bring what you need and take it also back with you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 125 mm for an A320, 70 mm for a 747 |
Forrest - 23R arrivals, 05L departures
| WHERE | Park your car at a entrance to the forrest next to the “Kalkumer Schloßallee” Follow the path trough it until you reach the crashgate. Head left to get behind runway 23R. You can place your ladder anywhere along the path. |
| WHAT | You can get head up shots for all 23R arrivals or 05L departures from here. 23L arrivals are also possible with longer focal length (Samples are from 23L!). |
| TIME | In the summer only from afternoon to sunset |
| MISC. | You need a ladder but don’t put it right next to the perimeterfence, otherwise you will get the airport securities attention. Here is absolutely nothing so bring what you need and take it also back with you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50 – 200 mm (samples show 23L arrivals!) |
Forrest - 23R arrivals
| WHERE | Same as Spot #6 but turn right at the crash gate. |
| WHAT | Planes on short final for 23R or during landing can be seen here. 05R/23L arrivals departures can also be seen with longer focal length (see (WOW A321, OS A320 and IA 738). |
| TIME | In the summer only from afternoon to sunset |
| MISC. | You need a ladder but don’t put it right next to the perimeterfence, otherwise you will get the airport securities attention. Here is absolutely nothing so bring what you need and take it also back with you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70 – 500 mm |
Perimeter Fence - 05L/23R arrivals
| WHERE | Follow the path from parking next to a barnyard and cross the bridge until you reach the perimeter fence. The path continues along the whole runway, so make you choice for the best position. You can even walk from spot 6/7 to this position. |
| WHAT | Planes on runway 23R / 05L can be seen here. Departures on the southern runway only with more focal length, too (see TK 330, EW 320 below). |
| TIME | In the summer only from afternoon to sunset |
| MISC. | You need a ladder but don’t put it right next to the perimeterfence, otherwise you will get the airport securities attention. Here is absolutely nothing so bring what you need and take it also back with you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70 – 500 mm |
Perimeter Fence - 05L arrivals
| WHERE | Same as spot #8. But turn right at the crash gate and follow the path until you reach the threshold of runway 05L. |
| WHAT | Planes on short final or during landing for 05L can be seen here. 05R arrivals and line-ups departures can also be seen with longer focal length (see EK 380, LH 320, NH 788). |
| TIME | In the summer only from afternoon to sunset |
| MISC. | You need a ladder but don’t put it right next to the perimeterfence, otherwise you will get the airport securities attention. Here is absolutely nothing so bring what you need and take it also back with you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200 – 500 mm |
Sunnys Corner - 05L arrivals
| WHERE | Coming from Highway B8 and Autobahn A44, exit at Düsseldorf Stockum and follow Niederrheinstraße to Lörick. After you turned onto Niederrheinstraße, follow the street for about 1,5km. Then you should see a Jaguar car dealer on your right. Park your car nearby and choose your favourite position, this depends on the angle you like the most! |
| WHAT | Arrivals on runway 05L only. |
| TIME | In the summer only from afternoon to sunset. |
| MISC. | There is a pizza shop nearby (Sunnys-Corner), where you can find something to eat (toilets of corse, too). |
| FOCAL LENGTH |
70 – 200mm
A319 = 165mm / B737 = 115mm / B767 = 90mm
|
Mound/Dike - 05R lineup and arrivals
| WHERE | As of 2021, it is more difficult to reach this location as a long walk is necessary. There is no parking space available nearby and you cannot access it from the south side anymore due to constructions. We recommend to park in the north at “Kittelbacher Straße” and then walk all the way down until the fence. From there follow it southwards until the mentioned position below the approach path of 05L. |
| WHAT | Arrivals and Line-Ups on runway 05R and head to head landings on runway 23R. You won’t need a ledder here, as a small mound offers enough height to watch over the fence. |
| TIME | Afternoon to sunset (summer), noon to sunset (winter). Heat haze can be an issue if there is less wind. |
| MISC. | If you use a ladder don`t put it right next to the perimeter fence, otherwise you will get the airport securities attention. Here is absolutely nothing so bring what you need and take it also back with you. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100 – 300 mm |
Spielberger Weg - 05L arrivals
| WHERE | This spot is at the end of “Spielberger Weg” and can be reached easily from “Niederrheinstrasse”. Just follow the street till its end, where you’ll see some parking possibilities on your right. Then choose your favourite position, because this spot is no exact position, rather the area round here. Germania A321 was taken from the road end, which can be seen on the overview shot. For the SIA A350 we walked down the path a bit onto the field to get a bit more under the arrivalpath (marked on the map and can be seen at the right side of the overview shot).
You might also take pictures from the Audi and VW Car dealer “Moll Gruppe”, where distnace is a bit higher, but the angler and window to shoot are better. We didn’t expirienced this area for spotting yet, but if you did so, please don’t hesitate to contact us! |
| WHAT | Only arrivals on runway 05L. |
| TIME | You can start shooting here from sunrise, but turns backlit from afternoon on. |
| MISC. | No ladder needed. You can find some supermarkets at this area and a small restaurant as well (Zur alten Töpferei). |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50 – 250 mm |
Ikarusstrasse - 05R arrivals
| WHERE | Coming from Highway B8 and Autobahn A44, exit at Düsseldorf Stockum and follow Niederrheinstraße to Lörick. Turn right into Ikarusstraße. There are a few parkstands here. However, it’s recommended to stay close to your car as they might belong to a local company.
We stood next to a drink storage (or similar) to have a better angle. Exact position marked on map and can be seen on overview shot. |
| WHAT | Only arrivals on runway 05R. |
| TIME | In the summer only and then from late afternoon till sunset. |
| MISC. | No ladder needed. There are no known facilities in the near. You can find some supermarkets at this area and a small restaurant as well (Zur alten Töpferei). |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70 – 250 mm |
Bridge - 05L/R arrivals, 23L departures
| WHERE | Same direction as for spot “05L Mound” but just stay on the bridge over the railroads and the highway. |
| WHAT | All arrivals on runway 05L/R and departures from 23L. |
| TIME | You can start shooting here from sunrise, but turns backlit from afternoon on. |
| MISC. | No ladder needed. There are no known facilities in the near. You can find some supermarkets at this area and restaurants. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 70 – 300 mm
Eurowings A343 = 130mm / flyEgypt B738 = 185mm |
GA Terminal - ramp
| WHERE | Same way like described for the spots before, but this time continue straight ahead after you passed the bridge until you reach the GAT Terminal on your left. |
| WHAT | You can take pictures trough the mesh of planes parking on the General Aviation apron or walk up the stairs as marked below. Nightshots are also possible. |
| TIME | In the summer only from afternoon to sunset |
| MISC. | No ladder needed, but might be useful, if stairs aren’t useable. There are no known facilities nearby – the closest are inside the terminal or over the bridge. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 50 – 300 mm |
Angerbach - 23L arrivals
| WHERE | Besides Spot #4, where the sight is limited, this is a another option to take photos of the 23L approach. To get there by car exit the A52 at “Dreieck Düsseldorf-Nord” and follow the signs to Ratingen. Once inside the city, take the third left into “Im Rott” an drive till the road turns left. Park there on the side and cross the Angerbach (creek) and postion yourself along the farm road infront of the field. The advantage of this spot is the free sight of the aproach and the better parking options. The worse angle and higher distance is the disadvantage. |
| WHAT | Arrivals on 23L only. |
| TIME | You can start shooting here from sunrise, but turns backlit from afternoon on. Due to the distance heat haze may pop up. |
| MISC. | Nothing except some trees spending shadow. There are some Fast Food chains if you continue on the main road. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | A310 = 300mm |
Hi – is the viewing terrace at the airport still open?
No. Unfortunately closed until further notice 🙁
Hey,
The shown parking-field for Spot 4 at Tiefenbroicher Weg (near the fishing lake) is gone since Dez 2021 due to the construction site of the new EUREF campus and it won’t come back.
This only leaves the rather limited (especially on a nice weather weekend) parking slots on the left right after passing the motorway tunnel, which are however limited to a 2 hours stay.
Björn
Thanks for the important notice Björn. I have changed the description.
-Julian
Hey there! It is right that there is a construction sight, but you can still park at the parking lot. I’m pretty sure that they wont shut down the parking lot because there are some fire department facilities for the train station, which they need of course.
Hi Emil. The big parking lot at the train station will remain and become a parking garage. Or which lot are you talking about?
The parking lots at the new EUREF Campus which is still under construction are still usable. Thanks for your answer Julian 😉
Emil, you are talking about something else than I did.
The paid parking at the train station is indeed still operative (even though planned differently prior COVID). Also the dead end right at the stairs and elevator of the station is still there, but was never thought to be a public parking and should not be used as such, it’s indeed thought to be for emergency services and maintenance cars.
The parking spot I mentioned however, that was marked on the map before, is simply within the hole of the construction site now and therefore not available anymore. That’s what I reported, what Julian updated and is correctly shown in the map now.
Is spot #14 alright? Can I get to the bridge from Lohausen station or is there the construction site? So is the bridge open for walking and does it has a view for arrivals?
The foot bridge should be there, at least I heard nothing different. Yes you can photograph the arrivals from there.
-Julian
anyone know when the spotters terrace will be open again?
No hints from the airport so far. 🙁
Hallo,
da die Besucherterrasse ja wohl immer noch gesperrt ist, kommt man noch auf P7 oder ist dort auch das oberste Deck abgesperrt?
Hallo, das Parkhaus ist geöffnet und du kannst von dort aus fotografieren.
-Julian
Danke für die Antwort,
Da lohnt es sich ja meinen Kollegen zum Flughafen zu bringen. Das bringt wieder mal ein paar gute Fotos nach über anderthalb Jahren Pause.
Wie kommt man auf P7? Bereits Feedback und Erfahrung ? LG
Aufs P7 kommt man ganz einfach aus dem Terminal. Wenn man’s gar nicht findet, einfach einen Airport-Mitarbeiter fragen. Im P7 dann in die oberste Etage und bis auf die andere Seite vom Parkdeck laufen. Was Nähe zum Terminal angeht ist es mittlerweile auf jeden Fall der beste Platz, da die Besucherterrasse nach wie vor geschlossen ist, sonst aber eher nur so die Notlösung. Am besten du machst dir selbst ein Bild. Ist ja kein weiter weg bis dahin, hast also nichts zu verlieren, wenn du Mal vorbeischaust 😉.
Die oberen Decks sind zwar für Autos zum Parken gesperrt, aber durch das Treppenhaus kommt man ganz normal hoch.
Spot number 14 (the best spot there was😫) was destroyed by a construction site. The only way to get to spot number 11 and near former spot number 14 is from the north (about 2km walk). However, it is still the area around these two spots that is my favorite spot at the airport and I recommend everyone to check it out.
Detailed route description:
Map:
You start at the Kittelbachstraße (here the green line). From there you walk along the Kittelbach until you come to a bridge over the river, cross the river there and walk under the B8 underpass.
Immediately after the underpass, turn right (there is no real path there) and walk right next to the airport fence.
Almost halfway you will come to a road junction that leads to a gate of the airport (the little bend on the map). Just walk to the left to get level with the road, cross the road and continue along the airport fence until you reach the destination.
Public Transportation Stops:
Kittelbachstraße (U79)
Kaiserpfalz (728, 749, 751, 760) -> Line 760 goes there in 20 minutes from the terminal (after that there is still the 2.2km long walk)
Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Hallo. Ist Ihr Weg zum Spot 11 von Norden aus direkt am Zaun entlang wirklich legal? Denn dort verläuft ja, anders als bei beispielsweise Spot 5 oder 4 kein offizieller Fußweg. Ich frage mich, ob man auf diesem Pfad von der Aufsicht ermahnt wird. Wenn man dort wirklich unbedenklich hergehen kann, wäre das nämlich wirklich ein guter Platz, da dort ja glaube ich kein Deich im Weg ist.
Viele Grüße
Hi Max, das ist eigentlich die einzige Möglichkeit dort hin zu gelangen. Im Süden wurde eine neue Zufahrtsstraße gebaut und wir wissen aktuell nicht ob es möglich ist von dort aus hinzulaufen. Am Zaun entlang laufen sollte aber kein Thema sein und ist nichts illegales.
-Julian
Guten tag
Ich würde Morgen oder die nächsten Tage an Platz 14 oder 11 gerne mal vorbei schauen wollte aber fragen wie viele Menschen da so durchschnittlich sind
Lg Pascal
Dort trifft man nur sehr selten andere Personen und wenn, dann nur sehr wenige. Kannst du also theoretisch problemlos hingehen.
Jetzt kommt aber das große Problem: Durch eine Baustelle, wurde der Weg dorthin und auch der Hügel an der 05R komplett platt gemacht. Der einzige Weg, dorthin zu gelangen, ohne quer über die Baustelle zu laufen, ist von Norden aus (siehe Beschreibung unten) und auch dann kommt man nur bis kurz vor die 05R. Trotzdem ist es noch mein Lieblingsplatz am Airport und ich empfehle jedem, dort mal vorbei zu schauen.
Wegbeschreibung:
Karte:
Man startet an der Kittelbachstraße (hier die grüne Linie). Von dort aus lauft ihr entlang des Kittelbachs, bis ihr zu einer Brücke über den Bach kommt, überquert diesen dort und lauft unter der B8-Unterführung her.
Direkt nach der Unterführung biegt ihr rechts ab (dort ist kein richtiger Weg) und lauft direkt neben dem Flughafen-Zaun entlang.
Auf fast halber Strecke gelangt ihr einmal zu einer Straßen-Einmündung, die zu einem Tor des Flughafens führt (der kleine Knick auf der Karte). Einfach nach links laufen, um auf eine Höhe mit der Straße zu kommen, die Straße überqueren und weiter am Flughafenzaun entlang, bis das Ziel erreicht wurde.
Ich hoffe, ich konnte helfen! 🙂
Hi, I’m Angelo from Italy, do you have any news for when the terrace will be reopened? eventually do you know? Thanks !
Hi Angelo!
No, unluckily there is nothing known yet.
Sorry…
-Severin
Hallo zusammen!
Braucht man an den Positionen im Norden für die 05R und 23L Vollformat oder reicht ein normales 100-400 mm Objektiv?
Vollformatkamera und Objektiv sind ja zwei unterschiedliche Sachen… Aber bei Focal Length findest du jeweils die Millimieterangaben für eine Cropkamera, das sollte eine passende Antwort sein.
-Severin
The parking space at spot number four is gone.
Hi Jan!
Thanks for the update; parking will be extended I heard. Let’s see…
-Severin