Sevilla Airport - Spotting Guide

Sevilla Airport – Spotting Guide

August 13, 2020 - last modified on November 29, 2023

Sevilla Airport (IATA: SVQ / ICAO: LEZL) was built in 1945 as a stopover place for transoceanic flights. From the early ’50s until 1973 it was used by the United States Air Force as a supplies, support and logistics installation. Some B-47 and Kc135 were based at Sevilla by that time, before they moved to Morón AFB.

Currently the airport is home of the Airbus Defence & Space Final Assembly Line for the A400M & C295 as well as a maintenance facility for the CN235/C295. Airbus Beluga flights are also quite common at Sevilla. Airbus commercial prototypes use Sevilla from time to time for flight testing as well. Military traffic from countries such as Egypt, France, Canada, Spain and Morocco are quite common.

Ryanair hosts a MRO hangar at the airport. Both Ryanair and Vueling are the biggest operators at the airport although there’s some other European carriers flying regularly as well like Transavia, Wizz, Lufthansa, Iberia, TAP…etc. Daily cargo flights are operated by DHL (A300), FedEx (ASL B734) and UPS (CargoAir B734, sometimes Star Air/West Atlantic B762). The airport reached 7+ million passengers in 2019 and began a complete rework of the Terminal Area which is expected to be completed by 2021.

Written by Santiago Blanquez (local spotter). Last update June 2020.

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
09/27	3,360m (11,024ft) – Concrete
Terminals	All domestic & intentional flights.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Not required.
Car/Public Transport	Airport bus available. Bus available for spot 1. Spots 2 and 3 can be reached by Uber or taxi from the terminal.
Restrooms	Available at the Terminal building. Also at the entrance to Spot 1.
Drinks/Food	Available at the Terminal building. Many shops, restaurants & supermarkets available outside the park at spot 1.
Hotels	Many around the city. Hotel Ibis Sevilla is just 5 mins away by bus from the airport.
Season	All year, slight traffic increase during spring season but be careful for heat haze.
Runway Usage
General Info
09/27	Runways 09-27 for arrivals and departures depending of the wind forecast. Preference is 27.

	Spot #1 – Parque Tamarguillo – 09 Arrivals and departures
WHERE	Located at the northern end of the Parque Tamarguillo, on the right side of the runway 09 threshold. Follow the indications to Calle Taiwan. Park your car outside the park. enter the park and walk straight ahead for 5 minutes. You will have to cross 2 pedestrian bridges before you reach the elevated position with a perfect sight over the fence. If arriving by public transport, take the Bus line B4 or 28, and step out at Calle Emilia Barral. The park entrance will be in front of you. take the same walk as if you had arrived by car.

WHAT	Runway 09 actions.

TIME	From October to March – All day. From April to September – Early morning untill 17.00. Heat Haze might be a problem during summer months (roughly 40ºC)

MISC.	Restrooms available at the park entrance. Many shops and restaurants available outside the park.

FOCAL LENGTH	A330 = 90mm, 747 = 80mm, A320 = 110mm

	Spot #2 – Canal de Bajo Guadalquivir – 27 Arrivals (all day)
WHERE	Located before the runway 27 Threshold. From the Terminal building follow the indications to Airbus Defence facility. once you get to a roundabout, take the first exit and continue driving until yo see a stand. take the gravel road and you are there. You can also reach the spot by Taxi or Uber.

WHAT	Runway 27 arrivals. Side and face to face shots. Postion yourself all around the area to find your preferred angle.

TIME	All day during all seasons.

MISC.	No restrooms neither food places available. you will have to come back to the terminal building.

FOCAL LENGTH	A320 = 55mm, A330 18mm, B747 = 18mm (keep in mind that you can walk away from the spot to get a bit far away from the airplanes)

	Spot #3 – Canal de Bajo Guadalquivir – 27 departures
WHERE	Same place as Spot 2. cross the bridge below spot 2 and walk to the fence in front of the taxiway. You will see some holes to get the lenses through it.

WHAT	Runway 27 departures and face to face taxi shots.

TIME	Early morning until noon.

MISC.	The closest to aircraft spot. If they line up via HP4 an A320 is something around 60mm. 747 _= 10mm

FOCAL LENGTH	A320 = 50mm, A340 80mm, 747 = 18mm

	Spot #4 – Roundabout – Apron Overview
WHERE	From the arrival level walk to the rightful a few minutes until you get to a roundabout. Stay here and make the pics through the fence.

WHAT	Apron overview. Gate 5, Heavy stands

TIME	Very early morning and late afternoon.

MISC.	Restrooms and food available at the terminal building. Caution with the Ryanairs parked right behind the fence, as they could cut your view. If they are running on the APU better to wait until they turn it off to avoid heat haze

FOCAL LENGTH	Aircraft on the fingers (A320, B737, F100… Etc) = 50-100mm other gates (A300, 767, A310… Etc) = 200-400mm

	Spot #5 – Pedestrian Bridge – 09 afternoon arrivals/departures & 27 departures
WHERE	From the terminal building – Departures, walk to the left until you see a bridge. walk on the bridge via the pedestrian way until you see the general aviation apron in front of you.

WHAT	General Aviation apron. Runway 09 touchdown zone. Runway 27 departures airborne shots.

TIME	Summer only – Late afternoon.

MISC.	Restrooms and food available at the Terminal building.

FOCAL LENGTH	general aviation parked = 80-100mm B737 on taxiway A =200mm, Airborne B737 = 290mm, B767 =220mm