Summary
The end of summer often means retreating to our homes and putting off spotting trips until the warmth returns next year.
But there are still some great airports to visit where the sunlight and warmth remain and the aircraft you can see are worth seeing!
Plus, with the school holidays now over, airlines reduce their fares dramatically.
Here are 10 European airports for plane spotting where it’s still warm and sunny in autumn.
Palma de Mallorca
Ryanair subsidiary Lauda has a base at Palma. Photo (c)
The busiest airport in the airports in the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca remains fairly busy year-round with leisure and low-cost traffic from Northern Europe, as well as domestic flights linking to the Spanish mainland.
A dirt mound is situated alongside runway 06R/24L at roughly the midway point. To reach it drive along the Ma-19A road to Manacor, pass the industrial estate and rental car offices, then turn down the dirt road at the first roundabout.
Try the Hotel AluaSoul Palma for views of aircraft on the ground or approaching.
Malta
A hub for various airlines which keep the island airport busy even after the summer months. You will also see regular flights from Italy and North African countries.
The airport has two runways and a Lufthansa Technik base which often sees unusual visitors.
Try the viewing terrace in the terminal, or the spotters platform on the southern side of the road tunnel passing under the runway.
Tenerife South
Built to serve the tourist resorts on the south of the island, Tenerife South is the busier of the island’s airports and used by many of the charter and low-cost airlines from Europe, and a fair number of scheduled flights from the mainland.
The winter months are still fairly busy given the year-round warm climate, and the prevalence of low-cost flights. The airport has a single runway and terminal.
Head west from the terminal on the motorway and take exit 62 following signs for the TF-65 towards Los Abrigos. Once in the village, take the first left onto Calle la Gaviota and at the end you can turn up the rough track on your left which leads to the end of runway 07.
Larnaca
Cyprus Airways at Larnaca. Photo (c) Aero Icarus
Larnaca is the busiest airport in Cyprus, handling both scheduled and holiday flights throughout the year. It has some unusual and interesting movements from airlines of the Middle East and, most importantly, a good climate year-round.
The most popular spotting location, particularly if runway 22 is in use, is Mackenzie Beach. It is a good place to relax with good opportunities to photography of landing aircraft.
Faro
Faro Airport. Photo (c) Spencer Bennett
Serving the popular Algarve region on Portugal’s south coast, Faro is a holiday airport served primarily by European charter and low-cost operators.
Faro has a single terminal building, upgraded recently, and a single runway 10/28. There are no official viewing locations, but photographers will love the opportunities alongside the runway, especially given the year-round sun is always behind you. One of the better locations along the track is at the end of Runway 10.
[Read: Plane Spotting in Faro – Our Guide]
Antalya
Antalya is a busy and very popular holiday airport in Turkey. It has featured on the radar of enthusiasts in recent years for its combination of good weather and interesting tourist flights from across Europe and, in particular, Middle East, Russia and the CIS.
Many spotters choose to base themselves at the Lara Hotel which is good for monitoring all movements and even taking photographs.
Just outside Terminal 2 is an area used by buses at the departures level. You have a view across to the eastern runway and taxiways from here, and photography is good in the late afternoon and evening.
Funchal Madeira
Photo (c) Frank Kovalchek
Chances are you will have seen some stunning photographs and videos of aircraft operations here. The airport is built on the side of a hill overlooking the sea, and with much of the runway built on stilts. The approach to the airport from the south involves a turn shortly before landing, and aircraft are often affected by swirling winds on short final.
An observation deck atop the terminal is great for watching and photographing aircraft at close quarters.
For the famous views often seen from this airport, the hill overlooking the airport off Rua Santa Catarina is a great vantage point.
[Read: A Close Look at Madeira Airport and its Operations]
Lanzarote
One of the main airports in the Canary Islands. Lanzarote handles mainly holiday traffic, mixed with inter-island commuters and links to the mainland with Iberia, Vueling etc. Ryanair operates a base here.
Most spotters use the beach and road at the end of runway 03 since the majority of aircraft approach from this direction and good photographs are possible.
The Hotel Beatriz Playa is also a good base, with views of the end of runway 03 from both the rooms and pool area.
Catania
Catania Airport with Mt Etna erupting in the background. Photo (c) jbdodane
Catania is the busiest airport on the island of Sicily; its location close to Mt Etna can make for some stunning backdrops to your photographs. The airport has a lot of low cost and charter flights from across Europe. Throughout the year there is a steady stream of domestic routes to other parts of Italy.
To the east of the airport is the long beach which is a great place to relax and to watch arrivals over the sea. Viale Presidente Kennedy runs behind the beach past the end of the runway and is also a good spot to watch from. You may get Etna in the background from this area.
Nice Cote d’Azur
This is the busiest airport in France outside Paris, catering for the busy Côte d’Azur which is a magnet for tourism year-round, and enjoys a decent climate. The airport has direct long-haul links, as well as domestic and European low-cost flights.
The proximity of the airport and its two parallel runways to the city means aircraft often make a spectacular curved departure to avoid overflying the beach which lies at the northern end of the airport.
High floor rooms facing the airport at the Hotel Premiere Classe look down over the biz jet parking apron and the runways 22L/R thresholds, so you can see most movements easily.
Where is your go-to spot for some late summer and autumn spotting in Europe? Have you got any trips planned before the end of the year? Leave a comment below.
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