Planespotting Zurich — LSZH
Zurich is one of the most spotter-friendly hubs anywhere: the airport itself publishes a spotter map, runs a public observation deck and marks out official viewing points on every side of the field. Three runways form a tight triangle — 16/34, 14/32 and 10/28 — and they are used in a fixed daily rhythm driven by noise rules rather than just wind. From about 07:00 on weekdays (09:00 at weekends) until 21:00 almost everything lands on 14 and departs from 16 (heavies) and 28. Early mornings bring landings on 34, and in the evening arrivals switch to 28. A night curfew covers roughly 23:30 to 06:00. With Swiss's long-haul fleet, a steady stream of foreign widebodies, Alpine scenery on clear days and the World Economic Forum in Davos every January, Zurich rewards a long weekend.
- EZS1274 A320 25 325 ft
- SWR1ZM A320 13 625 ft
- SWR8T A343 5 725 ft
- SWR160 B77W 5 725 ft
- NJE832Y CL35 3 750 ft RWY 14
- SWR72 A333 3 175 ft
- RGARX A109 2 550 ft RWY 10
- DLH4HJ A319
Conditions right now
Runways
- 16/34 RWY 34 3,724 × 60 m · 12,218 × 197 ft concrete
- 14/32 3,307 × 60 m · 10,850 × 197 ft concrete
- 10/28 2,506 × 57 m · 8,222 × 187 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: 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
Observation Deck B
The airport's landside viewing terrace looks straight onto runway 16/34 and the Alpha and Bravo stands. Departures on 16 pass in front of you, you can watch turnarounds at close range, and bizjets taxi to the Whiskey stands across the runway.
- Getting there
- From the Airport Centre follow signs to Terminal B and the observation deck; Zürich Flughafen station is underneath, with trains to Zurich HB in about 10 minutes. Small entrance fee (free with a Zürich Card). Open 10:00–18:00 in summer and 10:00–17:00 in winter — check the airport website for current hours.
- Best time
- Mornings: from around noon you shoot into the sun for runway movements.
- Lens
- 20–400 mm.
Spotterpunkt 1, Oberglatt (runway 16/34 side)
An official point in the north-west beside runway 16/34. You get 14 arrivals, plus line-ups and departures on 16, and sometimes the rarer 32 departures on the far runway. The nearby spotters' hill is inside a nature reserve; police have moved people on there, so stick to the official point.
- Getting there
- Through the village of Oberglatt; park at the official car park at the Spotterpunkte 2–4 area and walk along the fence. Don't park on the farm tracks or meadows.
- Best time
- Afternoon and evening, when the sun is in the south-west behind you; widebodies use 16 until about 16:00.
- Lens
- 100–400 mm.
Spotterpunkte 2–4, northern end of runways 14 and 16
The busiest public spotting area at Zurich, where every daytime arrival from the north passes on short final to 14. On clear days you can see both 16/34 and 14/32 end to end. There are plenty of parking spaces and, on many days, snack stands.
- Getting there
- Off Bülachstrasse north of the field; follow the signs and the crowd. Free parking for a limited time with a parking disc. Bus links from Oberglatt and Bülach, but a car or bike makes switching sides easier.
- Best time
- Runway 14 arrivals, 07:00–21:00. Mornings work from the eastern side of the approach, afternoons from the western car park. On late winter afternoons the snowy Alps line up behind the touchdown zone.
- Lens
- 55–300 mm; under 120 mm for side-on widebodies.
Spotterpunkt 5, runway 28 threshold
On the eastern edge of the airport by Bimenzältenstrasse. Arrivals on 28 cross directly over the approach lights above you, and during a Bise (north-east wind) runway 10 becomes the departure runway, giving head-on take-off shots. The business-aviation ramps, including Rega's, are nearby.
- Getting there
- From the Schaffhauserstrasse turn in by the Lidl and use the paid P1 car park; don't use the supermarket's car park. Construction work has limited the view in places since 2025.
- Best time
- Evening landings on 28 (after 21:00 in summer) and Bise days; early morning for 28 line-ups.
- Lens
- 24–400 mm.
Spotterpunkt 6, south end of runway 16
Head-on views of aircraft departing 16, with landings on 34 in the morning and evening. It also looks onto the SR Technics maintenance stands (Tango), where heavy-check visitors and occasional VIP aircraft park.
- Getting there
- On the south side of the field, by the SR Technics apron. Park at the roadside spaces; a small ladder helps for the maintenance stands.
- Best time
- Afternoon for the stands and 16 departures; morning and evening for 34 arrivals.
- Lens
- 80–300 mm.
Parking garage P6, top floors
The top deck of the multi-storey P6 by the terminal looks over the northern part of the airport. The floor below gives the best view of the 28 line-up, shooting between metal bars. It works in any weather and needs no car.
- Getting there
- Walk east from the terminal to P6 and take the lift to the 10th or 11th floor. Restrooms on the ground floor.
- Best time
- Runway 28 movements. In summer 09:30–16:30 straight across, line-ups from 10:30 to sunset; all day in winter.
- Lens
- 100–300 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
Swiss dominates with A220s, A320neos, A330s, A340-300s and 777-300ERs, alongside Edelweiss and Helvetic's Embraer E2s. Long-haul visitors include Singapore Airlines and Emirates A380s, plus United, American, Delta, Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, Qatar and Etihad. Cargo is mostly carried in passenger bellies, with occasional freighters. Rega's ambulance jets and helicopters fly daily. Business jets peak during WEF week in late January, when government and head-of-state aircraft fill the remote stands.
What actually flew over Zurich in the last 30 days
Measured from our own ADS-B data — not a schedule, but what really passed overhead.
- A320 27.4 %
- BCS3 22.9 %
- A20N 13.9 %
- A21N 11.7 %
- B738 6.6 %
- A321 6.1 %
- A319 5.7 %
- EMER 5.6 %
FAQ
What's that plane over Zurich?
Check Spotterra's live map: every ADS-B aircraft around Zurich in real time, with type, registration and route — handy for telling whether the widebody turning onto final for 14 is a Swiss 777 or a visitor.
Which runway is in use at ZRH right now?
It follows a timetable more than the wind: landings on 34 early in the morning, on 14 for most of the day and on 28 in the evening, with departures mainly from 16 and 28. Bise or strong westerlies change the pattern; Spotterra estimates the active runway from the current METAR.
What happened to the spotter hill and Heli-Grill at Rümlang?
The viewing platform on the west side was removed for new aircraft stands. You can still park there and shoot through the fence onto the runway intersection, but there is no hill and no grill any more.
Can I get onto the apron during WEF?
Yes — during WEF week in January there are dedicated photo bus tours of the apron, booked through aero-terminal.com. Outside WEF the airport runs photo walks and ramp tours; see its spotter page.
Spotterra watches the sky over Zurich
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.
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