Planespotting Paris Orly — LFPO
Orly is the compact counterpart to CDG and in many ways the easier airport to photograph. The traffic is steady all day under a strict cap of 250,000 slots a year and a night curfew from late evening until about 06:00, and most spots let you log nearly everything without moving. Two runways do the work: in westerly flow aircraft land on 25 and depart from 24; when the wind turns east, arrivals switch to 06 and departures to 07. The cross runway 02/20 is effectively unused. What sets Orly apart is the long-haul mix: it is the Paris base for French overseas carriers flying to the Caribbean, Réunion and the Pacific, so A350s and A330neos in liveries you rarely see elsewhere in Europe taxi past suburban streets. North African carriers sometimes bring widebodies on their Orly rotations too. As at CDG, police expect spotters on the perimeter to hold a photo permit.
- ANE314G CRJX 35 000 ft
- TVF34NU A20N 17 725 ft
- HOP88SQ E190 14 975 ft
- TVF8230 A20N 3 550 ft RWY 08
- VOE7KT A320 2 725 ft RWY 02
Conditions right now
Runways
- 06/24 3,646 × 45 m · 11,962 × 148 ft asphalt
- 08/26 RWY 08 3,315 × 45 m · 10,876 × 148 ft asphalt
- 02/20 2,400 × 60 m · 7,874 × 197 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
- Narrowbody55%
- Widebody22%
- Cargo8%
- Bizjet7%
- Turboprop5%
- Military3%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Rue du Jacana by the D118 — runway 25 arrivals
A quiet dead-end road off the D118 at the eastern end of the airport, under the approach to 25. Aircraft are still above the fence here, so no ladder is needed, and with westerly flow you get practically every arrival.
- Getting there
- Park in Rue Lindbergh or elsewhere in the industrial estate, walk back to the D118, cross and follow the dead end to the perimeter. RER C serves the area from central Paris.
- Best time
- Westerly operations (25 arrivals), from sunrise until late afternoon.
- Lens
- 100–150 mm (about 100 mm for an A330, 140 mm for a 737).
Rue du Berger dike — runway 06 arrivals and 24 departures
On the western side, a raised dike along the cycle path off Rue du Berger looks over the fence at aircraft touching down on 06. A meadow across the road and a dead end at the next roundabout give angles on heavy and light departures from 24.
- Getting there
- Park along Rue des Mares Juliennes. By public transport take RER B to Antony, then bus 297 to Vieille Remise and walk about 15 minutes. The old parking spot at the barrier further along is now an emergency gate — don't stop there.
- Best time
- Sunrise to about 15:00, with the morning sun from the east behind you.
- Lens
- 120–300 mm.
Rue des Mares Juliennes (D167) — 06 finals and line-ups
A roadside stretch with a clear view over the fence, close to the dike. Good for 06 arrivals in the morning and for aircraft lining up on 06 later in the day.
- Getting there
- Pull over on the side of the road; concrete blocks along the verge help, or bring a short step. Bus 297 to Vieille Remise, then about 10 minutes on foot.
- Best time
- Arrivals from sunrise to 15:00; line-ups in the afternoon towards sunset. Heat haze builds quickly on warm days.
- Lens
- 120–210 mm.
Voie des Édouets — runway 24 departures
A dead-end street in the industrial zone north of runway 24. Most departures are already high enough to clear the fence by the time they pass, and you can catch 06 arrivals from the same place.
- Getting there
- Drive into the industrial area and park at the end of the street.
- Best time
- Late afternoon and evening in summer, when the sun is in the west-northwest.
- Lens
- 100–160 mm.
D5 pavement, Villeneuve-le-Roi — runway 25 finals
A long pavement beside the D5 at the threshold of 25, where you can walk along the fence to choose your angle. Every westerly arrival passes here, although a true side-on shot isn't possible.
- Getting there
- Park at the Lidl nearby and walk, or take RER C to Orly Ville and walk about 30 minutes (10 by bike).
- Best time
- Westerly operations; mornings, and in summer into the afternoon.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm.
Orly 4 panoramic terrace
A landside viewing deck on top of Orly 4, the only official place to watch aircraft at Orly. It works better for watching than for photography: you shoot through glass and face the sun for most of the day, but it is dry and close to the nearest taxiway.
- Getting there
- Enter Orly 4 by door 47d, take the stairs or escalator to level 1 and follow signs to the 'Terrasse panoramique'. Before security, free. Opening hours change, so check before you go.
- Best time
- Late afternoon and evening, or overcast days when backlight is less of a problem.
- Lens
- 50–120 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
Transavia France is the dominant airline after taking over Air France's Orly flying, with easyJet and Vueling close behind. The long-haul highlights are French bee A350-900s and -1000s, Air Caraïbes A350s and Corsair A330neos to the Antilles, Réunion and beyond. Air Algérie, Royal Air Maroc and Tunisair keep up a busy North African schedule, occasionally with widebodies. There is very little cargo and no night traffic because of the curfew. Long-haul runs year-round, with more charter and leisure flights in summer.
What actually flew over Paris Orly in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- A320 23.6 %
- B738 23.3 %
- BCS3 16.7 %
- A20N 14.8 %
- E190 6.8 %
- A21N 5.5 %
- B38M 5.2 %
- B77W 4.1 %
FAQ
What's that plane over Paris Orly?
Open Spotterra's live map to see every aircraft around Orly in real time, with type, registration and route — useful for spotting a French bee or Air Caraïbes A350 on approach before it reaches the threshold.
Which runways does Orly use?
In westerly flow, landings on 25 and departures from 24. In easterly flow, landings on 06 and departures from 07. Runway 02/20 is practically never used.
Do I need a spotting permit at Orly?
Yes, the Paris airports expect a photo permit from the border police for perimeter spotting. Request it by email with an ID copy and your dates. Recent visitors report replies within days and multi-year validity, but allow time and carry the email with you.
Is there a night curfew at Orly?
Yes. Take-offs stop at 23:15 and landings at 23:30; departures resume at 06:00 and arrivals at about 06:15, so the first wave of the day starts shortly after six.
Spotterra watches the sky over Paris Orly
A live ADS-B map of your area and smart alerts on military transports, warbirds and rare types — with 10–30 minutes lead on long-haul arrivals. Free forever, no card.
Start spotting freeMore in France & Switzerland: Paris Charles de Gaulle · Toulouse · Zurich · Geneva · Basel-Mulhouse · Lyon · All 204 airports →