Planespotting Vancouver — CYVR
Vancouver International fills most of Sea Island at the mouth of the Fraser River, and it is Canada's gateway to Asia and the Pacific. That gives it a widebody mix few North American airports can match: Cathay Pacific, EVA, China Airlines, Korean, ANA, JAL, Philippine, Qantas, Air New Zealand, Fiji and several mainland Chinese carriers, plus Air Canada's own 787s and 777s heading for Asia and Australia. Two long parallel runways, 08L/26R on the north and 08R/26L on the south, carry most traffic, with crosswind runway 13/31 used occasionally. Westerly operations onto the 26 runways are the norm. What makes YVR special is the scenery and the small stuff: snow-capped North Shore mountains behind the approaches, and on the Fraser River's Middle Arm a busy floatplane base where Harbour Air's Beavers, Otters and electric-conversion projects share the water with Seair and other operators. The Canada Line SkyTrain reaches the airport from downtown in about 25 minutes.
- FLE825 B38M 5 250 ft
- DLH492 B789 3 350 ft
- CFGUR C172 1 775 ft RWY 26A
- UAL2421 B738 1 725 ft
- CGIGO C208 1 600 ft
- N560AB C82T 1 225 ft RWY 13
- CFODH DH3T 800 ft
- PBR675 BE20 750 ft RWY 26A
Conditions right now
Runways
- 08R/26L 3,499 × 60 m · 11,480 × 197 ft concrete
- 08L/26R 3,025 × 60 m · 9,925 × 197 ft concrete
- 13/31 RWY 13 2,224 × 60 m · 7,297 × 197 ft concrete
- XX/26A 1,066 × 22 m · 3,497 × 72 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
- Narrowbody50%
- Widebody18%
- Turboprop16%
- Cargo6%
- Bizjet5%
- GA4%
- Military1%
Spotter score
Our editorial rating (0–100).Best time of year
When the interesting traffic peaks.Where to spot
Larry Berg Flight Path Park
The airport's own spotting park, on the east side of Sea Island under the approach to the 26 runways, with a runway-shaped path, picnic tables and information boards. Widebodies from Asia pass low overhead on final, with the city and mountains as a backdrop on clear days.
- Getting there
- Off Grant McConachie Way on Sea Island, a short walk from the Templeton Canada Line station area — check the map before you go. Free parking lot on site.
- Best time
- West flow (landings on 26L/26R), afternoon to evening when the sun is in the west behind you as you look toward the incoming aircraft. Mornings are backlit.
- Lens
- 24–105 mm overhead, 100–400 mm for long final.
Iona Beach Regional Park
A Metro Vancouver park on the north-west tip of Sea Island, beyond the western end of the north runway. Departures off 26R climb out over the jetty and the Strait of Georgia, and in east flow arrivals on 08L come in over the water.
- Getting there
- Drive north on Templeton Street and follow Ferguson Road to the park; free parking. No transit service to the park itself. The long jetty walk is exposed — bring layers.
- Best time
- Morning to midday, while the sun is east and south. Late afternoon puts the sun over the strait in front of you.
- Lens
- 100–400 mm for departures; wide angle for jetty-and-mountain scenes.
McDonald Beach Park
A small riverside park on the north side of Sea Island beside the Fraser's North Arm, looking across the north runway. A quieter alternative with views of departures and arrivals on 08L/26R and river traffic in the foreground.
- Getting there
- At the end of McDonald Road on Sea Island; free parking. Car or bike recommended.
- Best time
- Early morning and evening in summer, when the low sun comes from the side; at midday you face into the southern sun.
- Lens
- 100–400 mm.
Airport South floatplane facility (Middle Arm)
Next to the South Terminal, Harbour Air, Seair and other float operators fly scheduled seaplane services from the Fraser River's Middle Arm. Watch de Havilland Beavers and Otters taxi, take off and land on the water — Vancouver's most distinctive aviation sight.
- Getting there
- Follow signs to the South Terminal on Inglis Drive, Sea Island; paid parking. The Richmond side of the Middle Arm, along the riverside dyke trails, gives a view back across the water.
- Best time
- Morning to early afternoon for operations, which are busiest in summer. From the Richmond dyke the sun stays behind you through midday.
- Lens
- 70–300 mm for take-offs and landings on the water.
Fairmont Vancouver Airport hotel
The hotel built into the main terminal has rooms facing the international pier and the runways. Ideal for a rainy-season stay — log Asian widebodies at the gate through soundproofed windows.
- Getting there
- Inside the terminal above US departures; Canada Line YVR-Airport station is steps away. Request an airside-facing room when you book.
- Best time
- The morning trans-Pacific arrival bank and the late-evening departures to Asia.
- Lens
- 70–200 mm through the glass; a rubber hood cuts reflections.
Respect private property, signage and the airport security perimeter. Spotterra predicts the active runway from live weather on the dashboard.
What you'll see
Air Canada and WestJet run hubs with A220s, A320s, 737s, 787s and 777s, Air Canada Express Dash 8s and Encore turboprops feed British Columbia, and Flair and Porter add low-cost and E195-E2 flying. Long-haul variety is the headline: Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, China Airlines, Korean Air, ANA, JAL, Zipair, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Air New Zealand and Fiji Airways cross the Pacific, joined by Lufthansa, British Airways, KLM, Air France, Turkish, Icelandair and seasonal Condor and Edelweiss from Europe. Cargojet, Air Canada Cargo and Asian freighters fly at night, and Pacific Coastal plus the floatplane operators keep the South Terminal busy.
FAQ
What's that plane over Vancouver?
Open Spotterra's live map: aircraft over Vancouver, Richmond and the Strait of Georgia show with type, registration and route as they fly. Free, in the browser, no app needed.
Where is the best plane spotting spot at YVR?
Larry Berg Flight Path Park for afternoon arrivals in west flow, Iona Beach for morning departures, and the Middle Arm for floatplanes. Spotterra shows which runways are active.
When do the Asian widebodies arrive?
Most trans-Pacific flights land in a morning-to-midday bank and depart around midnight. Exact times shift with the season; a Spotterra widebody alert tells you when they're inbound.
Can I photograph the floatplanes?
Yes — the Airport South floatplane facility on the Middle Arm operates scheduled seaplane flights all day, busiest in summer. Harbour Air also flies from Coal Harbour downtown.
Spotterra watches the sky over Vancouver
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