Planespotting Toulouse — LFBO
Toulouse–Blagnac is the one airport in Europe where the airliners on the ramp are often more interesting than the ones on the timetable. Airbus builds the A350 and A330 here, and since 2023 the old A380 hall (Jean-Luc Lagardère) houses two A320-family lines turning out A321neos; ATR assembles its turboprops on the same field. Two parallel runways run NW–SE: 14R/32L on the western, Airbus side carries the test, acceptance and delivery flights, while airline traffic from the terminal mostly uses 14L/32R. That split decides where you stand — the best spots line Avenue Latécoère and the north end, facing the factory runway. Weekdays are what you come for: fresh frames in primer or customer colours flying with F-W test registrations, BelugaXL shuttles bringing sections in from Hamburg, Spain and Saint-Nazaire, and new deliveries departing for every continent. Sundays and the August shutdown are quiet.
- CARE01 A400 1 275 ft
- DLH83C A21N 34 000 ft
- AIB36BZ A21N 7 375 ft
- FWZFJ A359
- N534DN
Conditions right now
Runways
- 14R/32L 3,504 × 49 m · 11,496 × 161 ft asphalt
- 14L/32R 3,033 × 49 m · 9,951 × 161 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: 09:00
Typical traffic mix
- Narrowbody38%
- Widebody37%
- Bizjet10%
- Turboprop10%
- Military5%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Spotting hill, Avenue Latécoère
The classic Blagnac viewpoint on the west side, looking across the 14R/32L test runway towards the delivery centre and the A350 area. You get arrivals on the Airbus runway, line-ups on the far runway and aircraft towed between the paint shop and the assembly line passing right below. When 14 is in use, test aircraft taxi directly in front of you.
- Getting there
- Off Avenue Latécoère between the delivery centre and the 14R threshold. The hill was reworked into a car park in autumn 2025, so you can now park at the spot — visitors report the barrier opening around 10:00, check on arrival. No useful public transport; a hire car is the realistic option.
- Best time
- Noon to sunset, when the sun swings round behind you in the south-west and west. Mornings are backlit. Heat shimmer over the long grass can soften long-lens shots on summer afternoons.
- Lens
- 70–400 mm; 100–500 mm if you want tight shots of aircraft parked at the delivery centre.
Delivery centre lay-by, Avenue Latécoère
A short pull-in on Avenue Latécoère right beside the Airbus delivery centre, where finished aircraft in customer livery wait for their handover flight. Good for close portraits of parked and towed airframes rather than flying shots.
- Getting there
- On Avenue Latécoère just below the spotting hill. Stopping briefly is tolerated, parking is not — leave the car on the hill and walk down.
- Best time
- Afternoon into sunset, with the light from the west on the parked aircraft.
- Lens
- 18–200 mm is enough; aircraft are close.
Avenue Latécoère roadside — 14R short final
Further north along the same road, closer to the 14R threshold. Useful when the hill is too far for smaller types — ATR test aircraft and bizjets fill the frame here, and the haze over the airfield matters less at this distance.
- Getting there
- Roadside of Avenue Latécoère north of the hill; pull fully off the carriageway. Supermarkets and fuel stations nearby.
- Best time
- Arrivals on 14R, from midday to sunset.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm.
Route de Toulouse (D1) lay-by — 14R line-up
A former taxiway now used as a lay-by on the D1 between the 14R threshold and the Lagardère/A380 area. Every 14R movement passes here, including Airbus and ATR test departures lining up. A new, higher metal fence went up along the north side in 2025, so shooting through it is no longer possible.
- Getting there
- Drive the D1 Route de Toulouse north of the airfield from the terminal side; the lay-by is on the airport side. You now need a tall ladder to clear the new fence and its top wire.
- Best time
- Runway 14 departures, sunrise to late morning while the sun is still in the east and south-east.
- Lens
- 18–300 mm.
Route de Bayonne meadow — 32L arrivals
A patch of grass beside the Route de Bayonne roundabout just before the A624, under the approach to 32L. Most Airbus landings come in this way when the wind is from the north-west, so this is the place for flying shots of test aircraft on final.
- Getting there
- Park by the entrance to the dog park next to the roundabout and cross over to the grass. A Carrefour hypermarket and fast food are right behind you.
- Best time
- Runway 32 arrivals, morning to around noon. Trees cast some shade on parts of the meadow.
- Lens
- 100–300 mm (an A320 fills the frame at about 190 mm).
Aeroscopia museum and Ailes Anciennes, Blagnac
On the north side next to the Lagardère hall. Aeroscopia holds two Concordes, the A300B, a Super Guppy, an A400M you can board and, outside, A380 MSN002 and the first A320. In June 2026 Beluga ST F-GSTD joined the collection as the first Beluga on public display. The volunteer Ailes Anciennes collection sits next door.
- Getting there
- 1 Allée André Turcat, 31700 Blagnac. Tram T1 serves the Aéroconstellation/MEETT area nearby; on-site parking for cars. Airbus factory tours (Let's Visit Airbus) start here — book ahead, photography is not allowed on the tours.
- Best time
- Any time; usually open 09:30–19:00, longer in school holidays — check the museum website before going.
- Lens
- Wide angle (16–35 mm) for the halls and the outdoor ramp.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
Airline traffic is mid-sized: Air France shuttles to Paris and Amsterdam, easyJet, Ryanair, Volotea and Transavia, plus a strong North African mix (Air Algérie, Royal Air Maroc, Tunisair, Nouvelair) and seasonal Air Canada and Air Transat to Montréal. Night cargo comes from DHL, UPS, Swiftair and FedEx feeders. The real draw is the manufacturer side: A350-900/-1000s, A330neos and Toulouse-built A321neos on test with F-W registrations, ATR 42/72s, delivery flights, BelugaXL section shuttles (the A300-600ST fleet is being retired) and A400Ms visiting. Weekdays only for Airbus; Sundays and early August are dead.
What actually flew over Toulouse in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- A20N 21.6 %
- B738 19.8 %
- A320 17.2 %
- A332 12.1 %
- A359 9.5 %
- A21N 7.8 %
- A319 6.9 %
- A35K 5.2 %
FAQ
What's that plane over Toulouse?
Spotterra's live map shows every ADS-B-equipped aircraft over Toulouse with its type, registration and track — including Airbus test flights flying circuits or long test profiles with F-W registrations. Free in the browser, nothing to install.
Which runway do the Airbus test flights use?
Test, acceptance and delivery flights use 14R/32L, the western runway next to the factory. Airline traffic from the terminal mostly uses 14L/32R. Stand on the Avenue Latécoère side for Airbus.
When is the best time to see test flights at LFBO?
Monday to Friday, from mid-morning to late afternoon. Saturdays are thin and Sundays usually empty. Airbus shuts down for part of August and on public holidays, when only the Belugas keep flying.
Can I photograph inside the Airbus site?
No. The Let's Visit Airbus tours from Aeroscopia go past the ramps and assembly halls, but cameras stay away — bring binoculars and a notebook for test registrations and MSNs instead.
Spotterra watches the sky over Toulouse
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