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August 2, 2025La Paz El Alto Intl. Airport – Spotting Guide
- last modified on July 20, 2025
The airport of La Paz is located in El Alto and at 4061 meters above sea level. It is the highest international airport in the world. Due to the high altitude, it mainly sees domestic flights operated by Boliviana de Aviación, EcoJet and TAMep. The only international airlines serving La Paz are Avianca and LATAM both using their A320s. Because the city has only one airport, general aviation traffic can also be spotted frequently. Additionally, the Bolivian Air Force has a major base in La Paz and some of their Hercules are flying almost every day.
Written by Sebastian Arndt. Last Update: June 2025
| Rating | |
| Movements | |
| Airline Variety | |
| Photo Locations | |
| Weather | |
| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 10R/28L | 4000m asphalt |
| 10L/28R | 2050m grass |
| Terminals | One terminal for all flights |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Not needed and best avoided, because it would attract too much attention. |
| Car/Public Transport | All spots can be reached by public transport, however taxis (especially Uber and InDrive) are recommended. |
| Drinks/Food | Everything can be found inside the terminal. |
| Hotels | No airport hotel, but a lot of accomodation can be found near the airport. |
| Season | The dry season lasts from April to October and is the preferred time for planespotting. |
| Security | El Alto is the most dangerous area in Bolivia. Always be attentive. Spots 1-4 are generally safe, because police is present all the time. Spot 5 is best reached by taxi and should be totally avoided on Thursdays and Sundays when there is the market. |
| Runway Usage | |
| General Info | Due to noise abatement overhead the city of La Paz, runway 10R is mainly used for arrivals, while runway 28L is usually used for departures. |
| Spot #1 – Car Park | |
|---|---|
| WHERE | From the arrivals area in the terminal, turn right and enter the car park. Continue to the end of the car park. It is a public car park and you can park your car there as well. There are roofs, which provide shelter from the sun. |
| WHAT | Best for taxiway shoots. Runway can be spotted in the distance but its very far. |
| TIME | All day for the runway. Sunrise until 3 pm for the taxiway. |
| MISC. | Heat haze is a major problem here for runway photos. The grass next to the taxiway can block out the gear. The fence is very high and you can only shoot through the holes in the fence. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-300 mm Taxiway 738 = 120mm |
| Spot #2 – Cargo Area | |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Leave the terminal from the check in area and turn left. Head towards the cargo area, where there is a gate to the cargo area with a view onto the apron and runway. |
| WHAT | Best for apron/taxiway shoots. Runway can be spotted in the distance but its very far. |
| TIME | All day. |
| MISC. | Heat haze is a major problem here for runway photos. There is a limited view and you have to keep the camera ready since you will not be able to see the traffic approaching. It is possible that security will send you away from this spot. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400 mm Beech1900 = 150 mm |
| Spot #3 – Toll Station | |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is located along the main access road for the airport between the terminal and the toll station. Several old aircraft are stored at the airport and can be spotted from that road. |
| WHAT | Old stored aircraft. Arrivals for runway 28L and 10R departures can be spotted here as well. |
| TIME | All day depending on the aircraft. |
| MISC. | Heat haze may be a problem. Once you walk behind the toll station, there will be no police around anymore and it is recommended to be careful in that area. A couple of concrete decorations (1-2 meters high) can be easily climbed and from up there, you can shoot over the fence. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 100-400 mm |
| Spot #4 – Terminal | |
|---|---|
| WHERE | This spot is located airside near gate N3 and can only be accessed with a valid boarding pass, either domestic or international. |
| WHAT | Apron, taxiway and runway. |
| TIME | All day depending on the angle. |
| MISC. | The windows are tinted. All facilities are nearby since you are inside the terminal. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 15-400 mm |
| Spot #5 – Museo Aeroespacial de la Fuerza Aérea Boliviana | |
|---|---|
| WHERE | Just search for the museum on google maps. All taxi drivers know this place and will happily take you there. |
| WHAT | The museum houses several former aircraft of the Bolivian Air Force. |
| TIME | All day depending on the angle. |
| MISC. | The museum is open Monday to Friday 09 am until 12:30 pm and 02:30 pm until 06:30 pm. More information can be found on their website https://museoaeroespacialfab.wixsite.com/oficial. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 15-50 mm |
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