Planespotting Copenhagen — EKCH
Kastrup is SAS's main base and Scandinavia's busiest airport, and it has one of Europe's most likeable spotting cultures — the Flyvergrillen burger stand by the runway is an institution among locals and visitors alike. Two parallel runways, 04L/22R and 04R/22L, carry almost all traffic; in the usual south-westerly flow 22L is the main landing runway and 22R the departure runway, and the roles reverse with 04 in use. The cross runway 12/30 is used only occasionally, mainly for landings on 30 in strong north-easterly wind. The spots are scattered around Amager island and parking is restricted in the villages, so a bike is the smart choice: cycle paths ring the airport and rental bikes stand outside the terminals. Beyond SAS and Norwegian, the reason to come is the North Atlantic flavour — Air Greenland, Atlantic Airways from the Faroes — plus Asian and Gulf long-haul.
- NSZ2BL B738 4 325 ft RWY 22L
- SAS2987 CRJ9 575 ft RWY 04L
- —
- B38M
- B789
- TXLU03
- TXLU02
- —
Conditions right now
Runways
- 04L/22R 3,600 × 45 m · 11,811 × 148 ft asphalt
- 04R/22L 3,297 × 45 m · 10,817 × 148 ft asphalt
- 12/30 2,792 × 45 m · 9,160 × 148 ft asphalt
Ask the sky
What flew over this morning? Where was that loud one heading? Ask in plain words — the answer comes from real recorded traffic.
Airport profile
Typical traffic by hour
Relative intensity by local hour — a typical day, not live data.Peak: 07:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody60%
- Widebody15%
- Turboprop10%
- Bizjet8%
- Cargo6%
- Military1%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Long-term car parks P15 and P17
On the north side of the airport the two long-stay car parks sit under the approach to 22L, the main landing runway in westerly weather. They are signposted, easy to reach without a car and usable for most of the day — P17 for the morning and early afternoon, P15 for the evening. Widebodies fill the frame at short focal lengths.
- Getting there
- Free yellow car-park shuttle from T2/T3 (every 10 minutes, first stop P17/19, then P15), about 10 minutes by rental bike or 30 minutes on foot east along the airport road. No toilets or shops; the nearest are at the petrol station.
- Best time
- 22L arrivals: P17 in the morning and early afternoon, P15 in the evening.
- Lens
- 60–160 mm; an A320 is about 120 mm.
Flyvergrillen, Amager Landevej 290
The legendary burger stand on the west side of the field with tables outside and a wooden viewing platform. From here you shoot 22R departures and aircraft taxiing between the runways, and with long glass the heavies turning off 22L. A high fence has narrowed the window for 22R line-ups, but the platform clears it.
- Getting there
- Bus 35 from the airport, or by car to Amager Landevej 290, 2770 Kastrup, with parking on site. Food, drinks and toilets at the grill.
- Best time
- Evenings, when the sun is in the west behind you. With 04 in use, late-evening 04R departures and close-up 04L arrivals on the taxiway work too.
- Lens
- 20–300 mm; about 140 mm for a 737 on the runway.
Tømmerupvej, Ullerup (04L arrivals)
In the farmland south-west of the airport, the lanes around the hamlet of Ullerup sit beneath the final approach to 04L. Different stretches of Tømmerupvej give a morning and an evening position, both with clean side views of arrivals.
- Getting there
- By car, bike or ride-hail; buses run only every one to two hours. Parking is tightly controlled: in the morning use the small grass strip by the no-parking sign (room for 3–4 cars), in the evening park on Nøragersmindevej or Tillburg Allé and walk to the bus stop by the stables. Stay on the road edge — the land around is private. Nothing to buy nearby.
- Best time
- Easterly flow (04 in use). Morning position for sunrise to midday; the evening position by the bus stop for late light.
- Lens
- 85–180 mm; about 180 mm for an A320.
Dortheasmindevej horse farm (22R departures)
A quiet lane west of the airport, past a horse farm, that looks at heavy departures climbing out of 22R. You can watch the aircraft start their roll in the distance, which gives you time to get ready — useful for the morning Air Greenland A330neo departure to Greenland.
- Getting there
- From Flyvergrillen follow the road for about 600 m and turn left into Dortheasmindevej, then about 300 m to the farm. Park considerately by the road; no facilities.
- Best time
- 22R departures from sunrise until midday.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm; about 280 mm for an A330.
Store Magleby fence path (04R line-ups)
From the paved path along the fence near Store Magleby and the Amager Museum you photograph aircraft lining up on 04R from the last taxiway — mostly heavies and long-range flights, since many smaller jets enter the runway earlier. Rare 22L departures can be caught here too; step back towards the museum to avoid belly shots.
- Getting there
- Bus 35 from the terminal or 250S from Amagerbro to Store Magleby, then about 8 minutes on foot. By car, park by the fence at the end of the road in Magleby and walk the path — driving along it is not allowed. A two- to three-step ladder helps over the 2.2 m fence.
- Best time
- 04R runway shots from sunrise to early afternoon; line-ups from late morning to afternoon. Heat haze is strong on calm summer days.
- Lens
- 75–150 mm; about 150 mm for a 737.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
SAS dominates with A320neos and the regional fleet, and A330s and A350s on long-haul to North America and Asia; Norwegian's 737s are the second force. North Atlantic carriers add flavour: Air Greenland's A330-800neo, Atlantic Airways A320neos from the Faroes, and DAT turboprops. Long-haul includes Emirates (A380), Qatar Airways, Thai, Singapore Airlines, United and Delta. All the European low-cost and flag carriers appear, as do business jets and express freighters. May to September brings the most sun and the longest light.
What actually flew over Copenhagen in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- A20N 34 %
- B738 17.7 %
- B38M 11.2 %
- CRJ9 11.2 %
- A320 8 %
- AT76 7.5 %
- A319 5.5 %
- E195 5 %
FAQ
What's that plane over Copenhagen?
Open Spotterra's live map and tap the aircraft — you'll get type, registration, airline and route for every ADS-B-equipped flight around Copenhagen and Øresund, free in the browser.
Is Flyvergrillen still worth it?
Yes — it remains the social heart of Copenhagen spotting. A newer wooden platform restored the view after a tall fence went up, and it's best in the evening for 22R departures and taxiing traffic.
Which runway is in use at EKCH?
In westerly wind, landings on 22L and departures on 22R; in easterly wind, landings on 04L and departures on 04R. Runway 12/30 is used only in strong north-easterlies. Spotterra predicts the active runway from the METAR.
Do I need a car?
Not necessarily. The car parks, Flyvergrillen and Store Magleby are reachable by bus 35 or the free car-park shuttle, and a rental bike along the cycle paths is often quicker than a car with Amager's parking restrictions.
Spotterra watches the sky over Copenhagen
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