Planespotting Valencia — LEVC
Valencia's Manises airport, 8 km west of the city between Manises and Quart de Poblet, is less dominated by package holidays than Spain's island airports — a mix of business routes, low-cost bases and Air Nostrum, the Iberia Regional franchise that is headquartered and maintained here. Everything happens on a single 3,215 m runway, 12/30. The seasons decide its direction: in winter runway 30 (arrivals from the south-east over the A-3 motorway) is used almost all the time, while in summer the sea breeze makes runway 12 the norm, with arrivals coming in low over the countryside to the north-west. That summer pattern produces Valencia's most famous shot, aircraft skimming about 30 m above the road at the runway 12 threshold. Add ad-hoc cargo charters, business jets visiting the GA side and a metro line straight to the terminal, and it's a rewarding stop even outside the holiday peak. Most perimeter spots do require a car.
- RAM733M B738 39 000 ft
- BCS56H B752 4 575 ft
- BEL7JV A320
- ANE2392 CRJX
Conditions right now
Runways
- 12/30 3,211 × 45 m · 10,535 × 148 ft asphalt
- 04/22 RWY 04 1,644 × 45 m · 5,394 × 148 ft closed
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
- Narrowbody74%
- Turboprop10%
- Bizjet7%
- Cargo4%
- GA3%
- Widebody1%
- Military1%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Terminal pedestrian walkway (west end of departures)
At the westernmost corner of the departures level a pedestrian ramp leads down to ground level, with views over the regional apron and remote stands. Continue west along the fence to a small shelter for a partial look at the cargo ramp and the taxiway to the terminal. A good place for night shots too.
- Getting there
- Metrovalencia lines 3 and 5 to Aeroport, or park at the terminal and walk. Toilets and food in the terminal. You can shoot through the fence without a ladder.
- Best time
- Mornings (until about noon in summer, a little earlier in winter), and after dark.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm.
Hillock at Polígono El Comtat
A small mound by the industrial estate next to the golf course, just high enough to see over the fence. You get aircraft on taxiway N4 heading for runway 12 departures and arrivals on 12; some runway 30 arrivals vacate right in front of you.
- Getting there
- By car: drive west from the terminal, past the golf course, and turn left into the El Comtat industrial estate. Park at the roadside and climb the mound. A restaurant is about 300 m away.
- Best time
- Summer (runway 12) from morning until noon for runway shots; the taxiway exit works in the evening.
- Lens
- 150–220 mm.
El Collado — runway 12 short final
Valencia's showpiece: arriving aircraft pass roughly 30 metres above you on the last few hundred metres before touchdown on runway 12. Stand on the small hill under the approach for overhead shots, or move about 200 m east to a lay-by for a clean side-on approach view.
- Getting there
- By car only. From the terminal drive through the industrial area by the golf course and turn left onto Vía Camino, following the road along the airport boundary; park at the lay-by. No shade, no facilities.
- Best time
- Runway 12 arrivals — almost always in summer, rare in winter. Noon until sunset.
- Lens
- 55–200 mm; around 70 mm for a 737.
Runway 12 threshold (la Cabecera)
A few hundred metres further east, the corner of the perimeter right at the runway 12 threshold offers arrivals and departures from elevated positions along the fence. Walk further east if you want airport buildings in the background.
- Getting there
- Follow the perimeter road from El Collado to the next junction and park at the corner. A low wall lets you clear the fence; no ladder needed.
- Best time
- Runway 12 operations, noon until sunset.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm.
Repsol petrol station by the A-3 (exit 347)
The winter spot: aircraft on final approach to runway 30 pass close to this petrol station next to a car dealership. Food, drinks and toilets right there make it an easy place to wait for a special arrival.
- Getting there
- From the A-3 towards Valencia use exit 347 and park at the roadside next to the car dealer. On foot, it's reachable from the Manises metro station via the long pedestrian bridge over the A-3.
- Best time
- Runway 30 arrivals (the usual winter direction), from noon until sunset.
- Lens
- 190 mm for a 777, around 280 mm for a regional jet.
Pedestrian bridge over the A-3 (Calle Manuel Vilar)
A modern footbridge gives a raised view of runway 30 arrivals, and with a long lens you can reach aircraft lining up in the distance. Combine it with the petrol station once the sun moves round.
- Getting there
- Park on Calle Manuel Vilar in Manises and walk up, or walk from Manises metro station (lines 3/5). Shops and restaurants on Avenida de Madrid.
- Best time
- Runway 30, mornings only and only from April to September — the rest of the year it is backlit all day.
- Lens
- 100 mm for an E190 on approach, 300 mm for a 737 on the taxiway.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
Ryanair and Vueling are the largest operators, followed by Air Nostrum's CRJ1000s and ATRs on Iberia Regional routes, plus Air Europa, Volotea, Iberia, easyJet, Transavia, Wizz Air and Eurowings. Network carriers such as KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways, Swiss, TAP, Turkish Airlines and Royal Air Maroc keep the business links busy all week. Air Nostrum's maintenance base means aircraft in unusual configurations or stored airframes on the south side. Cargo is irregular but interesting, with feeder freighters and ad-hoc charters that have included Antonov An-12s and Ilyushin Il-76s. Traffic is steadier through the year than at the islands, with a summer peak.
What actually flew over Valencia in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- B738 40 %
- B38M 16 %
- A21N 16 %
- A320 12 %
- GL7T 4 %
- AT76 4 %
- GLEX 4 %
- B789 4 %
FAQ
What's that plane over Valencia?
Open Spotterra's live map and you'll see every aircraft over Valencia right now — airliners on approach to Manises, cargo charters, bizjets — with type, registration and route. Free, in the browser, from ADS-B data.
Which runway does Valencia use?
It depends on the season. In summer the sea breeze puts runway 12 in use almost all the time (arrivals from the north-west over El Collado); in winter runway 30 dominates, with arrivals from the south-east over the A-3.
What's the best spot at Valencia?
In summer, El Collado on short final to runway 12, where jets pass about 30 m overhead. In winter, the Repsol station by the A-3 for runway 30 arrivals. The terminal walkway is the only option without a car apart from the A-3 bridge.
Can I spot the general aviation side?
The GA terminal and maintenance hangars are on the south side, but security doesn't like spotters lingering there. Keep it short and stay on public roads.
Spotterra watches the sky over Valencia
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