Planespotting Shanghai Pudong — ZSPD
Pudong is mainland China's busiest international airport and one of the world's top cargo hubs, built on reclaimed coastal land 30 km east of the city centre. Five north–south runways — two parallel pairs, 16/34 and 17/35, plus 15/33 on the eastern edge — let it run arrivals and departures on separate strips. Shanghai's monsoon climate sets the direction: northerly winds in winter put most traffic onto 34/35, summer southerlies switch it to 16/17. The appeal is volume and freight: China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines widebodies, Juneyao and Spring Airlines, a steady stream of 747-8F and 777F from China Cargo, SF and the global integrators, and COMAC C919 test flights. China is not an easy place to spot: there is no official deck, police patrol the perimeter, and Terminal 3 construction south of the field has wiped out several old locations. This guide lists only places reachable on public roads or as a passenger.
Conditions right now
Runways
- 17L/35R RWY 35R 4,013 × 60 m · 13,166 × 197 ft concrete
- 16R/34R 3,813 × 60 m · 12,510 × 197 ft concrete
- 16L/34L 3,812 × 60 m · 12,507 × 197 ft concrete
- 17R/35L 3,411 × 60 m · 11,191 × 197 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: 08:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody52%
- Widebody28%
- Cargo17%
- Bizjet2%
- Turboprop1%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Haitiansan Road metro station platform (Line 2)
The open-air elevated platform of Haitiansan Road station on Line 2 looks across to the western runways. It is the easiest and least controversial place at Pudong: you are a metro passenger, there are toilets downstairs, and heavies climbing out of 35R and 34L pass in front of you. Trains block the view while they are in the station.
- Getting there
- Metro Line 2 (east extension) to Haitiansan Road, one stop before the airport terminals. Stay on the platform; food from vending machines requires exiting the gates.
- Best time
- Northerly operations: 35R departures from sunrise to noon, 34L departures from noon to sunset.
- Lens
- Up to 400 mm for a 777 at rotation.
Haitian East 2nd Road
A dead-end road in the industrial zone west of the airport, under the approach to 16R/16L. When summer southerlies turn the airport round, Emirates, Qatar and China Eastern widebodies come in low over the warehouses.
- Getting there
- Line 2 to Haitiansan Road, exit Haitian East 3rd Road, cross the river and walk via Dongyuanhang Road to the end of Haitian East 2nd Road (about 15 minutes). No shops — bring water.
- Best time
- Southerly operations (16L/16R arrivals), noon to sunset.
- Lens
- 200–400 mm; widebodies around 280 mm.
Hangquan Road bridge
A road bridge at the corner of Jidi 3rd Road and Hangquan Road, under the approach to 17L. Spotters have used it for years without reported trouble, and it gives a clean afternoon angle on summer arrivals.
- Getting there
- Taxi or Didi is easiest; there is a bus stop north of the bridge but service is limited. Stand on the pavement and watch for traffic. Baidu or Amap maps are more accurate than Google here.
- Best time
- Southerly operations (17L arrivals), noon to sunset. Smog can flatten the light.
- Lens
- 200–300 mm; an A330 is about 220 mm.
Terminal 2 airside gates
The whole airside area of Terminal 2 has single, regularly cleaned glass facing both sides of the terminal and runways 16L/34R and 16R/34L. If you are flying out of PVG, arrive early: it is the most reliable place to photograph China Eastern, Air China and foreign widebodies at the gate and on the taxiway.
- Getting there
- Boarding pass required. Photography from inside the terminal is generally tolerated; Terminal 1 has sloping glass and is much worse.
- Best time
- Afternoon light is better on most of the west-facing gates.
- Lens
- 18–400 mm; a 747 freighter on the taxiway is around 160 mm.
Terminal 2 upper-level driveway
The open ends of the Terminal 2 departures driveway overlook the north-west and south-west aprons, where Spring Airlines, Juneyao, Air China and Hainan park. It works for quick taxi shots before a flight.
- Getting there
- Metro or maglev to the terminals, top floor of T2, walk to either end of the roof. Do not stand in the road; police presence is strong and spotters have been asked for ID here, so keep it brief.
- Best time
- Afternoon.
- Lens
- 150–350 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
China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines dominate with A350s, 777-300ERs, 787s and A320/737 families, alongside Juneyao's 787s, Spring Airlines A320s and every other big Chinese carrier. Internationally you will see Emirates A380s, Qatar, Cathay, Singapore, ANA, JAL, Korean, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM, Finnair and US carriers. Freight is the highlight: China Cargo 777F, SF Airlines, Atlas, Cargolux, FedEx, UPS, DHL and Kalitta, many on 747-400F and 747-8F. COMAC test and delivery flights add C919s and ARJ21s. Autumn and spring have the best air.
FAQ
What's that plane over Shanghai Pudong?
Open Spotterra's live map to see every ADS-B aircraft around Pudong and Hongqiao in real time, with type, registration and route. Note that some foreign tracking apps are restricted in China, so check access before you travel.
Is planespotting legal in China?
Photographing airliners from public roads is not explicitly banned, but anything near military sites or sensitive infrastructure is, and police may check your passport or ask you to delete photos. Avoid fences and ladders, never photograph military aircraft, carry ID, and comply immediately if asked to leave.
Which apps do I need for spotting in Shanghai?
Many Western services are blocked. Spotters rely on Baidu Maps or Amap (Google's street layer is offset in China), Didi for taxis, Alipay for payment and WeChat for translation. An eSIM with roaming data helps.
Which runways are used at PVG?
Mostly 34/35 in winter and 16/17 in summer. The inner runways tend to handle departures, the outer runways arrivals, but the split varies through the day.
Spotterra watches the sky over Shanghai Pudong
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