Planespotting Dusseldorf — EDDL
Düsseldorf is North Rhine-Westphalia's biggest airport, and it has one of the densest mixes of holiday carriers in Germany: Eurowings has a major base here, while Condor, TUI, SunExpress and Corendon send aircraft to the Mediterranean and Turkey all day in summer. There are two parallel runways. The southern 05R/23L does almost all the work for arrivals and departures; the shorter northern 05L/23R is only opened at certain times under a capacity agreement with the neighbouring towns, so check NOTAMs or an app such as Airport CDM before planning around it. With westerly winds you get 23L arrivals over Ratingen and the A52; with east winds, 05 arrivals come in over the Rhine near Lörick. Things have become less easy than they were: the visitor terrace has been closed for years, and the fence carries detectors. Night restrictions run from 23:00 to 06:00. The good news is that most positions are walkable from the airport station.
- EWG33F A320 8 650 ft
- EWG31W A319 6 800 ft
- EWG66F A320 3 975 ft RWY 05L
- SEH590 A20N 1 800 ft RWY 05L
- DEFXS P28A 1 500 ft RWY 05L
- DKBUS SF25 875 ft
- DEIMZ C172 750 ft
- EWG1WF A321
Conditions right now
Runways
- 05R/23L RWY 05R 2,994 × 45 m · 9,823 × 148 ft concrete
- 05L/23R 2,702 × 45 m · 8,865 × 148 ft concrete
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
- Narrowbody78%
- Widebody8%
- Bizjet6%
- Turboprop4%
- Cargo2%
- Military2%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Car park P7, top deck (level 8)
The default spot now that the terrace is shut. You are roughly opposite the middle of 05R/23L, with every movement on the main runway, the taxiways to the 23L threshold and the Eurowings apron below you. The northern runway is visible but distant.
- Getting there
- From the end of Terminal A, follow signs to P7, take the lift to level 8 and walk to the far end of the deck. Parking costs about €25 a day; on foot from the terminal it is free. It is a private APCOA car park — leave no litter and do not climb the barrier.
- Best time
- From sunrise to around midday. Heat haze over the long distance ruins summer afternoons; it is better in winter.
- Lens
- 100–400 mm.
Frachtstraße at the police helicopter hangar
On the cargo side by the SkyTrain station, a fence position facing 23L arrivals, late runway exits and aircraft taxiing to both 23 thresholds. Visiting aircraft are often parked nearby. Do not use the emergency staircase next to the SkyTrain platform: spotters report being sent away by security.
- Getting there
- Take the SkyTrain to Düsseldorf Flughafen station, leave at ground level, then walk about 200 m along Frachtstraße to the gap in the bushes by the police hangar. Short-stay parking is at the end of Frachtstraße; use the station car park for longer visits. A two-step ladder helps — keep it clear of the fence.
- Best time
- Morning to early afternoon on westerly operations; usable most of the day in winter.
- Lens
- About 160 mm for a 777 landing on 23L, about 190 mm for a 737 taxiing.
Tiefenbroicher Weg by the Lichtenbroicher Baggersee
A footpath to the perimeter fence under the final approach to 23L. Gaps in the trees give a brief, close window on arrivals — one or two seconds, so be ready before you hear the aircraft.
- Getting there
- Walk from the airport station along Tiefenbroicher Weg, or park by the lake just past the motorway tunnel. There is free 24-hour parking marked along Tiefenbroicher Weg beside the office buildings; it fills up on weekdays. No facilities.
- Best time
- 23L arrivals, from sunrise to early afternoon.
- Lens
- About 125 mm for an A320, 70 mm for a widebody.
Kalkumer Schloßallee forest path (23 approaches, north side)
A path through the woods from Kalkumer Schloßallee leads to a crash gate and a gravel track towards the railway, with a low mound that lifts you over the fence. It gives good side views of 23L arrivals and head-on shots of aircraft landing on 23R when the northern runway is open.
- Getting there
- Park at one of the few forest entrances along Kalkumer Schloßallee (spaces are limited), cross the bridge and turn left at the crash gate. There is nothing out here — bring water.
- Best time
- Summer afternoons to sunset, when the sun is in the north-west.
- Lens
- 50–200 mm.
Spielberger Weg and Ikarusstraße, Lörick — 05 arrivals
On easterly days, aircraft cross the Rhine and pass over Lörick on short final for 05. The end of Spielberger Weg and the commercial area along Ikarusstraße give clean views of 05L arrivals without a ladder, and the Ikarusstraße side also catches 05R arrivals on summer evenings.
- Getting there
- Leave the B8/A44 at Düsseldorf-Stockum and follow Niederrheinstraße into Lörick. There is parking at the end of Spielberger Weg; spaces on Ikarusstraße may belong to businesses, so stay near your car. There are small supermarkets and a restaurant nearby.
- Best time
- 05L arrivals at Spielberger Weg from sunrise to early afternoon; 05R arrivals at Ikarusstraße late on summer afternoons.
- Lens
- 50–250 mm.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
Eurowings provides the bulk of the traffic with A319s and A320s, joined by Condor, TUI, SunExpress, Corendon and Pegasus on Mediterranean and Turkish leisure routes — summer is noticeably busier. Lufthansa feeds Frankfurt and Munich, and most major European carriers fly in. Long-haul is a handful of daily highlights rather than banks: Emirates (including the A380), Etihad, Qatar Airways, Turkish widebodies on some rotations, and Asian or transatlantic services that change by season. Freighters are rare. Business jets use the GAT on the east side, and occasional government or military visitors are worth a radius alert.
What actually flew over Dusseldorf in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- A320 28.6 %
- B738 18.9 %
- A319 12.9 %
- A21N 9.7 %
- A20N 8.8 %
- A321 7.6 %
- C152 6.8 %
- B38M 6.6 %
FAQ
What's that plane over Dusseldorf?
Open Spotterra's live map to identify any aircraft over Düsseldorf or the wider Rhine-Ruhr area — type, registration, origin and destination update in real time from ADS-B receivers.
Is the Düsseldorf visitor terrace open?
No. The terrace has been closed for several years while the airport decides on safety upgrades, and no reopening date has been announced. Check the airport website before you go; in the meantime, the P7 top deck is the best substitute.
Is the northern runway in use?
Only at certain times. Most traffic uses the southern runway 05R/23L, and the northern 05L/23R opens in time windows published via NOTAM. Spots facing 23R or 05L are only worth the walk when it is open.
Can I use a ladder at Düsseldorf?
Ladders are tolerated, but keep them away from the fence and never lean on it — the perimeter has sensors and security will turn up.
Spotterra watches the sky over Dusseldorf
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