Stuttgart Airport (STR/EDDS) is the 8th largest airport in Germany and in 2018 the airport handled more than 11.8 million passengers. Due to its single runway its pretty easy to catch all movements. It is a base for the german carriers Condor, Eurowings and TUIfly.

National Flights are served by Eurowings and  Lufthansa and the European network carriers Aegean, Air Baltic, Air France, Air Serbia, Austrian, British Airways, KLM, LOT, SAS, Swiss, Turkish Airlines and Twinjet (AF Codeshare). The Airport has also a few lowcost carriers:  Ryanair and Vueling.

Charter Flights to Europe and North African are operated by Air Cairo, European Air Charter, Condor, Corendon, Freebird, Pegasus, SunExpress, Tailwind, TUI.

The Airport ist also Served by DHL (A300/B757) and Fedex (ATR 72) as freight carriers and sometimes smaller Charter Freight planes like Swift Air or ASL. There are also often US Army, Airforce, Marines, etc. flights because of the American Army Air Field at Stuttgart Airport.

Written by Patrick Weis. Thanks to Sascha Neuffer and Lutz Lehmann to provide some of the pics. Last change: March 2022

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
07/25	3.345 m (10.974ft)
Terminals	One huge building, splitted into four terminal parts.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Only necessary if you’re stand directly at the fence, then a minimum of 6 steps
Car/Public Transport	Car is not neccesary, but makes it easier. Most of the spots can be reached by public transport
Restrooms	In the Terminal and at the southern spots the Kaufland market with a public toilet.
Drinks/Food	As shown on the Map. Huge Kaufland supermarket and fast food chains at the southern side
Hotels	The are a few Hotels arround the Airport but no one with airport view. Closest to the terminals are the Mövenpick and Wyndham.
Season	The best month to travel are during the summer as there is not that much rain.
Runway Usage
07/25	Nothing special or prefered direction. Used in both ways.

	Spot #1 – Kaufland
WHERE	This spot is located in front of the Supermarket Kaufland in Filderstadt in a seperated parking bay. Parking is free of charge at the supermarket. Its pretty easy to get there as you just have to follow the cargo signs from the airport.
WHAT	Best spot for 07 arrivals and take offs. Even 25 movements are possible. Arrivals sometimes use the full runway length to taxi to the terminal at the end of 07. Departures usually roate in front of you except biz jets, props and some regional aircafts/flights.
TIME	Best light conditions are from 08:30 -15:30 in the summer. Heat haze is an issue for aircraft on the ground on hot days.
MISC.	Sometimes the grass is has not been cut and parts of the wheels are covert. A Chinese Restaurant, Supermarket and toilet are inside of the buildking. Also free Wifi is avialible there. Heat haze is a BIG problem, even in the winter.
FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm

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	Spot #2 – 07 evening arrival
WHERE	This spot is located near the ILS of the airport. Park your car as shown on the map in Echterdingen and walk up the farm track to the angle you like.
WHAT	This spot is good for Aircrafts arriving into Runway 07 in the evening hours
TIME	Best light conditions are in summer from 18:00 till sunset
MISC.	There are no facilitys there.
FOCAL LENGTH	70-400mm (depends where you stay for you shots on the farm track

	Spot #3 – Farm track
WHERE	This spot is on a field road in front of the tower. You can park your car at the Kaufland supermarket, spot #1. You can choose there where you stand for different angles. But only a few places clear the fence. More spots are availible if you use a ladder (at least 3 steps).
WHAT	From this spot you can take all plane movements on both runway directions
TIME	Best light conditions are from 08:30 -15:30 in the summer. Heat haze is an issue for aircraft on the ground, even in the winter.
MISC.	Sometimes the grass is has not been cut and parts of the wheels are covert. The next facility with restrooms and snacks are the bakery shop (open on sunday too) or the Kaufland Market.
FOCAL LENGTH	50-300mm

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	Spot #4 – Spotterhill
WHERE	This spot is located at the touchdown zone of runway 25. But it’s a far walk and they often change the runway directions verry fast. You have to walk a long way to get here(about 3 km), as there is only a farm track. It’s forbidden to drive up here. A Bycle is good to get there fast to the spot. Clim up the hill there is a platform to take pictures, which is elevated enough to clear the fence.
WHAT	From this spot you can take pictures of all Runway 25 movements. Also heavy 07 takeoffs can be spotted from here
TIME	Best light conditions are from 08:00-16:00
MISC.	Some benchens and a bin is availible
FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm

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	Spot #5 – 25 arrivals
WHERE	This spot is located near the runway on a farm track. You can park your car as shown on the map.
WHAT	From this spot you can shoot all plane movements on arrival to runway 25
TIME	Best light conditions in summer are from 08:00-16:00
MISC.	No facilities! Please not block the farm track!
FOCAL LENGTH	A343=120mm; CS300=220mm

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	Spot #6 25 Line up and 25 evening arrival
WHERE	This spot is located near the runway on a farm track. You can park your car as shown on the map. Please not block the farm track!
WHAT	From this spot you can shoot all plane movements on arrival to runway 25 in the early morning and late evening. Also you can take line up shots in the morning
TIME	Best light conditions in summer are from sunrise till 10:00 for line up and 17:30 till sunset for arrivals
MISC.	No facilitys
FOCAL LENGTH	24-300mm

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	Spot #7 – Autobahn hill
WHERE	This spot is located on a hill next to the village “Plieningen” and parallel to the Autobahn A8. You can Park the car at the side of the farm track here and climb up the hill.
WHAT	From this spot you can shoot all plane movements on arrival to runway 25 in the early morning and in the evening hours. 07 depatures are also possible in the early morning hours. You can also shoot aircraft taxi to the runway
TIME	Best light conditions in summer are from sunrise till 7:00 and 17:30-sunset for 25. During hot summer months there can be heat haze due to the autobahn between the hill and the runway.
MISC.	There is a supermarket and gas station next in Plieningen.
FOCAL LENGTH	70-400mm

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	Spot #8 – General Aviation Termial
WHERE	This spot is located at the fence of the General Aviation Terminal. Park your car at the (30 min free, than 2,50€/h) car park and walk up to the fence. You can shoot through the fence
WHAT	From this spot you can shoot all movements in the evening. The best light is for aircraft that landed on runway 07 and taxi to the terminal.
TIME	Best light conditions are in summer from 17:30-sunset
MISC.	Toilets are in the General Aviation Terminal
FOCAL LENGTH	18-300mm

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	Spot #9 – Observation deck
WHERE	This spot is located on the roof of the terminal. There are signs showing you the way to the entrence Terminal 3, level 5. Parking at P0 is the cheapest way if you use your car. (First hour in P0 free). There is a fence but the gaps are wide enought to put the camera through.
WHAT	From this spot you can shoot the most plane movements of the airport. 07 arrivals in the distance. Also Nightshots are possible, depends on the opening hours.
TIME	Best light conditions are in summer from 17:30-sunset. But that depends on what you shoot.
MISC.	Toilets and Rubish bins on the deck. There are many opertunities to buy food in the terminal (Edeka, McDonald’s, BK). April till September  8.00 bis 21;00 , October to March von 9.00 bis 19.00 Uhr. Entrance for Free
FOCAL LENGTH	40-400mm

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	Spot #10 – Walkway
WHERE	This spot is located on a walkway next to “L1208A” and the entrance to the “Stuttgart Army Airfield”. Honestly, this spot is no exact position, rather the area along the walkway, depending on your favourite angle. In the summer months you can park your car at the parking of the aspargusdigs on the opposite site of the “L1208A”. In winter months the digs is gone and the place is a farm track again, that’s why parking in winter months is easier in the parking bays of the nearby Burger King.
WHAT	Arrivals on runway 07 only.
TIME	Best light conditions are almost always from sunrise (in june shortly after sunrise) till 17:30 in summer months or sunset in winter months.
MISC.	Parking is difficult here – more information can be found in “Where”. No ladder needed. Restrooms and food can be found in the nearby (marked) Burger King store.
FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm