Cagliari Elmas Airport - Spotting Guide

Cagliari Elmas Airport – Spotting Guide

September 8, 2021 - last modified on November 19, 2023

Cagliari Elmas Aiport (CAG/LIEE), opened in 1937 , is Sardinia’s busiest airport (even if Olbia is the number one with a greater number of flights and variety of airlines and airplanes in the summer months) and handles ~4,75 million passengers a year. Here you can see most of the big european low cost and legacy airlines, some business jet traffic, HEMS and SAR Helicopters and a limited traffic of small props. All in all, Cagliari is a holiday airport and serves as the gateway to the southern parts of the island. Thus spotting gets quiet boring as the traffic is always the same, you may just be lucky with cargo movements or military charters, latter are very rare though. However, in Cagliari there are based three different military flight departments: Guardia di Finanza (Italian Customs Police), Carabinieri (one of the two main Italian police forces), Aviazione dell’Esercito (Italian Army Aviation). So you may be able to catch some of their aircraft during your stay.

Unfortunately there are only a few spotting points, most of them are good for spotting from the afternoon till the sunset. Due to the water, canals and muddy areas, spotting is difficult here and not possible along the fence! In Sardinia there are no dangerous animals, at least on the pond around of the airport. You may meet some nutria, but they are harmless if they are not provoked.

Written by Severin Hackenberger in cooperation with Carlö Dedöni. Last Update: September 2023

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
14/32	2805m x 45m
Terminals	There is only one terminal handling all operations.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Not allowed at all!
Car/Public Transport	Car definitely needed, otherwise you can screw spotting here.
Drinks/Food	Around the spots you cannot find any restaurants or similar, only a few gas stations.
Hotels	No spotter hotels around at all.
Season	Summer has a more (charter) traffic, but due to bushfires the air can be smoggy then.
Security	Spotting is no problem here in general, but it is strictly forbidden… – to stop the car on the perimeter road (you need to take for spots 3/4) leading around the airport in the north – to approach the fence for spotting. Even at the northern runwayhead, where you may notice a stretch of road closed to traffic, be careful because at that point the police could intervene to drive you away and could even put you a fine.
Runway Usage
14/32	14 is mostly in use normally during the warm months, especially in the afternoon. But unfortunately the prevailing winds in this side of Sardinia are from north/north-west, which is the reason for 32 usage sometimes.

	Spot #1 – Tiscali Campus – 32 Arrivals
WHERE	This spot is very far from the airport, on an island near the “Tiscali campus”. You need to come on SS195 from Cagliari/the east, then turn off onto Localita Sa Illeta and follow the road on the right of the campus. Stop the car at the height of the reinforced concrete tower on your left, from there you can move according to your photographic needs.

WHAT	From here you can see 32 approaches. The planes are still quiet high but it is the only option to get them.

TIME	Early afternoon till sunset.

MISC.	Nothing around, nothing needed. Nearest facility is a gas station along SS195.

FOCAL LENGTH	200-400mm B757 = 135mm

	Spot #2 – Wooden Bridge – 32 Departures
WHERE	Behind a sport complex you will find the next location. Follow the road sign “stadio”, “stadio comunale”, “Campo Comunale” or “calcio” in “Via Santa Caterina” and park the car at the end of the paved road. Then you have to follow the dirt path and underpass the railway bridge, after a few meters, at your right, you’ll find a small wooden bridge, the spot is there.

WHAT	32 takeoffs can be shot from here.

TIME	Only in the morning till early noon.

MISC.	Nothing around.

FOCAL LENGTH	100-300mm A319 = 200mm

	Spot #3 – Northern Dam – 14 Arrivals
WHERE	Follow the perimeter road of Cagliari airport following the signs for “Aeroporto Militare”, go around the runway and, moving southbound you will notice that the road widens to your right in a concrete clearing. Stop the car and you’ll see the access to a dirt road between the bushes. Now you have to follow the dirt road by foot almost to the end (~1,5km), there you will have reached a clearing which is exactly to the left of the runway head. You can move along the path here and thus use different points of this spot according to your photographic needs.

WHAT	This spot allows good views onto 14 arrivals.

TIME	Early afternoon till sunset.

MISC.	Strongly suggest to enter the road by foot, because the road conditions are quite bad and if you have a new or rented car you risk scratching the bodywork with bushes or touching some mechanical part on the bottom. These places are quite remote and very quiet, so obviously there are no services of any kind, take what you need with you.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-250mm B772 = 65mm

	Spot #4 – Southern Dam – 32 Departures
WHERE	Same direction as above but follow the dirt road by foot northbound for only ~750m meters, then you will have reached the position. But you can move along the path here and thus use different points of this spot according to your photographic needs.

WHAT	From this point you can get aircraft departing runway 32. You need to try various positions along the Dam for the different aircraft: Bizzer, E190, B738, … Sometimes it is also a really good position for SAR helicopters departures, but they fly how they want.

TIME	Early afternoon till sunset.

MISC.	Strongly suggest to enter the road by foot, because the road conditions are quite bad and if you have a new or rented car you risk scratching the bodywork with bushes or touching some mechanical part on the bottom. These places are quite remote and very quiet, so obviously there are no services of any kind, take what you need with you.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-250mm B738 = 95mm