Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport - Spotting Guide

Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport – Spotting Guide

July 9, 2017 - last modified on August 14, 2024

The Budapest Liszt Ferenc Airport (BUD/LHBP) is the biggest Airport in Hungary and located 15km south-east of the downtown. The airport was opened in 1950 and named after the hungarian composer Liszt Ferenc in 2011. In 2023 14,7 million passengers flew via BUD.

The Airport was the Hub of the hungarian national carrier Malév, but in 2012 they went bankrupt. Today the Airfield is being used by LCC Airlines and some europaen Airlines which connect Budapest to other important Cities in Europe. At the moment there are some intercontinental flights served by Emirates or Qatar Airways. But there are also plenty cargo operations by ASL, Cargolux, UPS, FedEx, Qatar Airways Cargo, MNG Cargo or Turkish Cargo can often been seen at the most important airport in Hungary, too. In addition, BUD gets some pretty nice business and governmental planes as it is Hungary’s biggest airport.

Airport can be reached easily from Kalvin tér or Deak Ferenc tér (both right in the city center) with the busline “100E” in only ~30 minutes for 2200 HUF.

Written by Severin Hackenberger in cooperation with Daniel Nagy and Zoltan Péter Pásztor. Last change: August 2024 – Spot 12 updated

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
13R/31L	3010m × 45m concrete
13L/31R	3707m × 45m concrete
Terminals
Terminal 2A	Sky Team and Star Alliance Flights and almost all “Schengen-flights”
Terminal 2B	One World Flights, “Non-Schengen-flights” and Low-Cost-Carrier (e.g. FR, W6, DY)
Spotting Information
Ladder	Needed at some points, but there is always an alternative spot where you do not need one.
Car/Public Transport	Car is necessary as public transport is quite poor except to the terminal.
Restrooms	Available in the terminals and the mentioned restaurants (or gas stations).
Drinks/Food	There are a few shops inside the aiport and some inside the nearby villages, but around most spots there won’t be any within ~10 minutes walkingtime.
Hotels	A few around the airport. A brand new Ibis hotel opened in 2018 just next to the terminal.
Season	In summer there are some extra flights, but there aren’t enough to determine main- or off-season. Just some more flights to Egypt. However, winter has terrible weather…
Runway Usage
13R/31L	31 usage: 31L departures / 13 usage: 13R arrivals
13L/31R	31 usage: 31R arrivals/ 13 usage: 13L departures Most bizzer and a few freighter will use this runway all the time; doesn’t matters, which direction and activity are here normally.

Farm mound - Arrivals 13R and 31L departures

WHERE	If coming from the city, drive on “Bélatelepi út” and turn left with the 90° curve into “Baross u.”. After a short time, turn right into “Felsöbabád u.” again and drive till you see the path shown below on your right with the “Don’t drive in sign”. Get rid of your car here by the roadside as we did and take the dirt road for about 400m till the marked kink in the path on the map. Turn a bit right and after another 50m you’ll see a little gate on your left. Enter and walk till the gate. Maybe you will be forced to climb over the small fence on your way then, if the gate doesn’t work. The spot is accessible by public transport, too: take bus 98 from Kőbánya-Kispest metro station and disembark at “Orgoványi utca” stop. Then just walk down “Felsöbabád u.” for about 500m and then turn right into an unnamed road which is supposed to be private, but normally nobody cares. After about 400m on this dirtrack you will get to the fence and see the mound there. Exact spot (where the mound is) is hard to find. Mark on the map is exactly set there! It might be needed to climb a small fence on your way to the mound, but normally there’s a gate; situation changes all the time!

WHAT	13R arrivals and departures 31L.

TIME	Light from sunrise till late morning in the summer and in the winter almost unuseable, just a few hours after sunrise.

MISC.	There is nothing nearby, so bring what you need. A ladder is not needed on the mound here although the perimeter fence is relatively tall. However, you can make it without a ladder since there is a hummock, or you can shoot through the fence. If doing so, make sure that you do not touch the fence. This activates the alarm system of the airport security team. Also, please note that part of this spot is located on private property. The owner of the farm is friendly with the spotters, so please do not litter or do any harm. If you are visiting in the summer season, please do not smoke at the spot, or make sure that you blow out the cigarette stub because it may cause a fire. Be aware of wild dogs or cats around here. Normally no problem, but might be strange. Heat haze can cause problems, especially on hot summer days.

FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm

View from main street – take this path:

Once at the fence, take this gate and go to the marked mound:

View from the mound’s top:

Baross utca crashgate - Arrivals 13R

WHERE	Just north of the former spot a small forest will begin. In there you will find a little crash gate at the end of Baross utca. You can leave your car nearby and then just walk along the fence to your favourite position. Nearby is also the bus stop “Baross utca” thus you can come here by public transport nicely.

WHAT	13R Arrivals only.

TIME	Early summer mornings only.

MISC.	Ladder needed. Haze may be an issue on really hot days/later mornings. Nothing around.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm

Cargohill - Arrivals/Departures 13R + Departures 31L + late vacators Arrival 31L

WHERE	This spot can be reached with public transport from “Köbanya Kispest” metrostation. Take the Airport Bus 200E and disembark at the 3rd stop called “Szemeretelep vasutallomas”. Then, cross under the overhead highway towards “Igló utca”, and it’s ~5 minutes walk straight to the hill, just follow the road as it turns right all the way next to Hungarocontrol’s building. After some time you’ll see some roadtraingates, then jsut climb the hill on your right. If you want to drive there by car from the terminal, just take the Ferihegy highway into city direction. Be sure to take the lower level (drive right) just a few houndred meter after you passed the old Terminal 1 on your right. After around 500m you have to turn right into the “Igló utca” and follow this road until you didn’t get to a control gate. Just park your car on the right and climb up the dome.

WHAT	Arrivals and Departures on RWY 13R and Departures on RWY 31L, but most of them are already pretty high. You can also get some late vacators from RWY 31L after arrival. You can also take nice night shots from here – EXAMPLE.

TIME	In summer from late morning till sunset and in the winter from around shortly after sunrise till sunset.

MISC.	No ladder needed. For little drinks/snacks (and maybe restrooms, we don’t know) you can visit the gas station which is next to the Ferihegy highway into city direction (from here).

FOCAL LENGTH	30-300mm Departure A321 = 155mm / ERJ170 Arrival = 240mm / B789 Arrival = 85mm

Former Wizz HQ - 31L Departures

WHERE	Turn off highway 4 to the old BUD Terminal 1 on the west side of the airport. Then make the turn on the driveway and afterwards keep right towards cargo gate. Just then turn off left again, pass thru a parking lot until you reach an abandoned house with a round stair in front. This is the former Wizz HQ, where you can leave your car just somewhere nearby and shoot from the stairs here. Way here sounds hard, but is marked on the map.

WHAT	Light aircraft departing runway 31L are still lower here than at the spotterdomb, so we recommend this spot for those movements. However, 787/747 are still too low!

TIME	Early noon till sunset.

MISC.	Keep a low profile here. Spotting is hard due to poles in between.

FOCAL LENGTH	200-500mm A319 = 270mm

Gas station meadow - 31L Arrivals

WHERE	This spot can be found on the meadow located north of the Shell gas station which is just along the highway from the city to the aiport. At the last junction, you have to turn off to the south towards a shopping mall and there you will find the Shell on your left. Just west of this facility is a little dead end road, drive to its end and park your car there. Then continue by foot onto the meadow for another 5 minutes.

WHAT	From here you can spot 31L Arrivals.

TIME	Early noon till sunset.

MISC.	You can get food/drinks in the gas station just next to the parking spot.

FOCAL LENGTH	100-400 Sabb 340 = 290mm

Holiday Parking - Foreginers Non-Schengen-Apron + 31L arrivals

WHERE	This spot is located inside the Holiday parking southwest of the terminal. You can park your car close by a bit southwest for roughly 2,5 Euro for an hour and come here or even reach the airport normally by public transport and walk here. The spot is no exact location rather the area along the fence

WHAT	Aicraft using the foregin part of the non-schengen finger (e.g. Aeroflot, AlMasria, EgyptAir, Emirates, Shanghai Airlines, Qatar,…) and arrivals on 31L, which are rare though.

TIME	Light from sunrise till early midday in the summer and in the winter almost unuseable, just a few hours after sunrise.

MISC.	No ladder useful in order to avoid problems like dark corners – especially while using wide lenses. But also possible without ladder as our example shows. Everything needed inside the terminal facilities, which are very close for sure. Heat haze can be a problem for arrivals, especially on hot summer days.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-300mm Tu154 = 90mm

Terminaldriveway - Foreginers Non-Schengen-Apron + 31L arrivals

WHERE	This spot can be found by the roadside of the terminaldriveway and is pretty easy to find. Honestly, it’s no exact position rather the area along the driveway. Just come to the southwestern end of the terminal and walk along/climb the dirt hill, which offers a narrow path at the top, where you can spot from.

WHAT	Aicraft using the foregin part of the non-schengen finger (e.g. Aeroflot, AlMasria, EgyptAir, Emirates, Shanghai Airlines, Qatar,…) and arrivals on 31L, which are rare though.

TIME	Light from sunrise till late morning in the summer and in the winter almost unuseable, just a few hours after sunrise.

MISC.	No ladder needed as it’s useless and very dangerous here. Everything needed inside the terminal facilities, which are very close for sure. Heat haze can be a problem for arrivals, especially on hot summer days.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm A223 (side shot) = 90mm

Smoking terrace - Terminal 2A Schengenapron + nearby taxiways + 31R departures + 13L Arrivals

WHERE	This smoking terrace is inside BUD Terminal 2A and can be reached only AFTER the SECURITY CHECK WITH AN VALID BOARDING PASS. After passing the security, head to the upper floor – the foodcourt. Then walk to the floors north-western end, pass the “leroy Bistro” on your left and follow the signs to the smoking terrace. Just after passing the electronical doors, turn left to glassfront, where we took our example pictures from. This corner is quite quit and not that smoky, that’s why we stood here. We marked on the map, where you can take pictures from once you arrived on the terrace. Quite important, as subjects and angle of view can change along this “route”.

WHAT	From here you can see parts of the apron infront of Terminal 2A as well as parts of the nearby taxiways. 13L Arrivals and late 31R departures are okay as well.

TIME	Depends on what you want to take a picture of! The RWY 13L/31R has light from late morning till sunset in summer and in the winter from around shortly after sunrise till sunset. On the other RWY 13R/31L you will have backlit and distance is too high for good shots. On the apron it depends on the angle and position of the aircraft, but almost unuseable from late afternoon on as you’ll have backlit from this timepoint on for the most activities.

MISC.	No ladder needed as it’s useless here. Everything needed inside the terminal facilities, which are very close for sure. Heat haze is a problem here. If you don’t like or bear smoking smell, you should avoid this spot.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-400mm A321 = 185mm / B789 on runway = 250mm / A320 pushback = 70mm

Example overview along the glassfront – this one was taken next to the mentioned door:

Visitor terrace - Terminal 2A Schengenapron + nearby taxiways + 31R departures + 13L Arrivals

WHERE	The visitor terrace is landside on the top of BUD Terminal 2A. Just follow the signs inside the terminal(s) and you will get to the small terrace which is fully glazed. This spot is located BEFORE the SECURITY CHECK and can be entered without one. We marked on the map, where you can take pictures from once you arrived on the terrace – subjects and angle of view can change along this “route”.

WHAT	From here you can see parts of the apron infront of Terminal 2A as well as parts of the nearby taxiways. 13L Arrivals and late 31R departures are sort of okay as well.

TIME	Depends on what you want to take a picture of! The RWY 13L/31R has light from late morning till sunset in summer and in the winter from around shortly after sunrise till sunset. On the other RWY 13R/31L you will have backlit and distance is too high for good shots. On the apron it depends on the angle and position of the aircraft, but almost unuseable from late afternoon on as you’ll have backlit from this timepoint on for the most activities.

MISC.	No ladder needed as it’s useless here. But you can stand on the benches and try to shoot thru the free space between glass and net as the glass is often dirty! Everything needed inside the terminal facilities, which are very close for sure. Heat haze is a problem here.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm A350 on far away taxiway = 120mm / B738 on ramp in front = 110mm

View to the east:

View to the northwest:

Example overview along the glassfront:

Mound Cargo City - Taxiway L

WHERE	This spot is located just between the fence and street leading to the new cargo city. You can only get here from the Terminal 2 driveway, then just park your car a bit west of the main buildings/right off the street leading there on a gravel road by the roadside. Now you can go up to the mound mentioned earlier to take your pictures. The bus also serves the cargo city thus the spot is reachable by public transport, too.

WHAT	All aircraft parked on taxiway L plus the ones passing by on the surrounding taxiways. You CANNOT see the runway itsself!

TIME	Best around noon.

MISC.	Ladder recmomended to avoid the fence in your pictures. Heat haze is an issue in summer especially if the grass is not cut (often the case). Keep a low profile, security/olice may come around and check ID, especially if Israeli airplanes are about to move.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-200mm A332 = 80mm

Cargo City - Cargo apron + 13L/31R

WHERE	Cargo City (CC) is the new cargo terminal of Budapest Airport (opened in 2020), located next to RWY13L/31R between TWY X and Y having 2 stands (C1 and C2) for serving even two 747s at the same time. It’s used by most of the cargo airlines (Cargolux, Qatar Cargo, Turkish Cargo, Korean Cargo and ad hoc cargo services). Daily cargo flights (UPS, DHL, TNT, FedEx) are still using the T1 terminal. Simply take the official way to Cargo City and park again on the dirt part and walk up to the fence or walk here from the upcoming location “Spottertree”. So this spot is either right at the fence or on the nearby mounds – depending on what you wanna shoot exactly…

WHAT	The cargo apron as well as the runway 13L/31R: best here are 13L departures and 31R arrivals.

TIME	Cargo City is on the afternoon side of the airport but it is possible to have good light conditions in the morning when the aircraft is entering/leaving the apron. But in general, evening is the best.

MISC.	Nothing around. There are some small holes in the perimeter fence, so ladder is not needed, but you will have more opportunities if you have one.

FOCAL LENGTH	15-300mm 15-105mm for cargo apron / 70-300mm for landing aircrafts

Former Spottertree - 13L/31R Movements

WHERE	Follow the M4, heading Szolnok, until you have the possibilty to exit for Vecses/Ecser, so exit the M4 there. Turn left onto the “Uj Ecseri” ut and follow this road for about 500m – then turn right onto the road “400”. After about 2km turn right again onto “Ecseri ut”. Follow this road and park your car after you crossed the M4.Then start walking and keep left ~~towards a big, lonely tree on a meadow just a few meters away from the airport fence. From there you have a beautiful view onto the runway…~~ Update August 2024: the tree has been cut down and is no longer there. View of the runway/ground is no longer possible. Just 13L heavy departures are fine.

WHAT	~~From here you can nicely spot all movements on runway 31R.~~ Heavy 13L ~~arrivals or~~ departures only.

TIME	Early noon till sunset.

MISC.	Heat haze is an issue, especially once the grass is not freshly cut. Nothing around here. We recommend proper shoes once you think about going here as the field can be bumpy and climbing a bit tricky… ~~Be aware that the tree can fit 5-6 people at once regarding the space, but it is not clear how stable the whole construction is.~~

FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm

Spotterdomb - 31R arrivals + late 31R Line-Ups

WHERE	Follow the M4, heading Szolnok, until you have the possibilty to exit for Vecses/Ecser, so exit the M4 there. Turn left onto the “Uj Ecseri” ut and follow this road for about 500m – then turn right onto the road “400”. After about 2km turn right again onto “Ecseri ut”. Follow this road and park your car after you crossed the M4. Now just walk for ~5 minutes following the signs towards the location along the dirty path – we marked the route on our map as well – then you will reach the official hill: option a. A few meters to the right/southeast you find another little hill where arriving airplanes are just in front of a little gap in the treerow – option b.

WHAT	Departures, if the planes take the last taxiway to enter the runway, and arrivals on runway 31R.

TIME	In summer from late morning till sunset and in the winter from around shortly after sunrise till sunset.

MISC.	There is nothing nearby, so bring with you what you need. The “Spotterdomb” is well known by the general public, so it can be a bit crowded in the weekends. Heat haze is a BIG problem here.

FOCAL LENGTH	30-300mm B767 on taxiway = ~45mm / A321 on arrival = 230mm

Option A:

Option B:

Dirtroad - Arrivals 31R

WHERE	Follow the M4, heading Szolnok, until you have the possibilty to exit for Vecses/Ecser, so exit the M4 there. Turn right onto the Uj Ecseri ut and follow this road for about 800m – then exit the roundabout at the 3rd exit onto a dirty pathroad. After you passed some trees to your right and left you have to turn left and just 10m after the first crossing right again. Now follow this path until you want and just park your car there. It depens on the perspective you like the most!

WHAT	Arrivals on runway 31R only.

TIME	In summer from late morning till sunset and in the winter from around shortly after sunrise till sunset.

MISC.	There is nothing nearby, so bring with you what you need. If it is rainy it can be dangerous to drive on the path, because your car may get stuck. If so, just park your car next to the roundabout and walk to the spot.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm B747 = 125mm / A320 = 200mm

Example overview somewhere along the dirtroad on the field – position and thus angle can be different:

Fieldarrivals - Arrivals 31R

WHERE	Follow the M4, heading Szolnok, until you have the possibilty to exit for Vecses/Ecser, so exit the M4 there. Turn right onto the “Uj Ecseri ut” and follow this road for about 800m – then exit the roundabout at the 3rd exit onto a dirty pathroad. Follow this path until you get to the arrival lights, then turn right, drive until you want and just park your car there. It depens on the perspective you like the most!

WHAT	Arrivals on runway 31R only.

TIME	In summer from sunrise till early midday/late morning and in winter almost unuseable.

MISC.	There is nothing nearby, so bring with you what you need. If it is rainy it can be dangerous to drive on the path, because your car may get stuck. If so, just park your car next to the roundabout and walk to the spot.

FOCAL LENGTH	100-300mm A320 = 180mm

Spotterhill - Arrivals 31R

WHERE	Continue from the former spot on this bumpy dirt road to the northwest and after a while keep left towards the fence and bushline. There you will find a little mound after some more meters (marked on the map exactly) from where you have a nice view.

WHAT	31R Arrivals only.

TIME	On early summer mornings only.

MISC.	This is a little mound, so no ladder needed. But nothing around. Way in here can be bumpy, especiall after heavy rainfalls.

FOCAL LENGTH	Should be 70-300mm

Pictures taken from here look like THIS.

Meadow East - Arrivals 31R + Departures 13L

WHERE	Continue by car on the dirt road along the fence/treeline until you reach the position marked on the map roughly at the second taxiway onto the runway. Then you can just park your car on the meadow here and go stand by the fence now.

WHAT	31R Arrivals and 13L Departures.

TIME	On early summer mornings only.

MISC.	A ladder is needed. But nothing around. Way in here can be bumpy, especiall after heavy rainfalls.

FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm B757 = 160mm

Thanks to Szabolcs Papp for the pictures:

Eastern runway fenceside - 13L/31R Movements

WHERE	Yet again, just continue on the dirt toad, but first this will lead you away from the fence a bit. However, try to keep left and head towards the fencefront again as soon as possible. Then you can just stand somewhere along the front on the meadow at any of the options listed below: A, B or C.

WHAT	All movements on runway 13L/31R.

TIME	Only useable on early summer mornings.

MISC.	Heat haze is an issue, especially once the grass is not freshly cut. Nothing around, but a ladder needed. The road in here is a horror after lots of rain and already tough/bumpy on dry days.

FOCAL LENGTH	100-400mm

18A:

18B:

18C:
No examples yet, but spot looks like THIS.

Vörösmarty utca - Arrivals 13L

WHERE	This spot is located in the suburb of Rákoshegy. Just turn off Ferihegyi út to the west into a small road called “Vörösmarty utca”. You can leave your car by the roadside on grass pits there and directly photograph from here.

WHAT	13L Arrivals only.

TIME	Early summer mornings only.

MISC.	Nothing around, keep a low profile.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm B737 = 230mm

Storage hall - Arrivals 13L

WHERE	This spot is quiet far away from the terminal and can´t be reached with public transport. If you want to drive there by car from the terminal, just take the Ferihegy highway into city direction. Be sure to take the lower level (drive right) just a few houndred meter after you passed the old Terminal 1 on your right. After around 2km you should see a gas station on your right. turn right just after the Petrol gas station onto the Csévéző ut. Follow this road for about 1,5km until you can see the Lőrinci út on your left. After 800m you have to turn right into the Bocskai István ut and after 650m you can park the car and search for your favourite spot and perspective you like the most!

WHAT	13L Arrivals only.

TIME	In summer from late morning till sunset and in the winter from around shortly after sunrise till sunset.

MISC.	No ladder needed and no restrooms near to this spot. For little drinks/snacks you can visit the gas sattion which is next to the crossing of Ferihegy highway and Csévéző ut.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm ERJ170 = 135mm / Cessna 650 = 175mm

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Roland

4 months ago

The Spottertree (spot 12) was cut down.

ugur

Reply to Roland

4 months ago

🙁

Julian

Admin

Reply to Roland

4 months ago

Thats not nice 🙁
-Julian

Gary

5 months ago

Just returned from a city break in Budapest. Can any of the local spotters provide me with the identity of the derelict aircraft by the fire station visible from the terminals at Liszt Ferenc Airport. It had a white fuselage and dark blue tail. My photograph does not match either HA-LHB or P4-RMB previously quoted in various sources so would appreciate any help. Many thanks

Luci

7 months ago

Hi! If I have some 4-5 hours between flights, can I go on foot from Liszt Ferenc Airport 2 to the Spotterdomb (location 13) or to the nearby location 11? I don’t mind walking 2 or 3 kilometers, but I’d like to know if you are allowed to walk from the main terminal building towards Cargo city or if it is a cars-only road.

ugur

Reply to Luci

7 months ago

Hi,
The road next to cargo city closed to vehicle traffic, but you can cross by walk.

Luci

Reply to ugur

6 months ago

@ugur Thank you for your reply! Best regards!

Tudor Avgeek

1 year ago

If there is rain, what spots have a roof or something to prevent me from wetting my clothes?

ugur

Reply to Tudor Avgeek

11 months ago

You can get wet at all spotter points.

John Millar

2 years ago

I am staying at the airport next week, what spots can be reached on foot?

Emmi

3 years ago

Hi, can you please tell me how is the cargo traffic during the weekends? Thanks!

Julian

Admin

Reply to Emmi

3 years ago

Hi, there is no regular cargo traffic but you may see some Aerotrans services there these days on weekends.
-Julian

Emmi

Reply to Julian

3 years ago

Thanks so much!
Also, do you have any idea if Spot 13 is reachable after rainy days?
Thanks!!

ugur

Reply to Emmi

2 years ago

Yes, you can reach there even slowly days 🙂

Krisztian

Reply to Emmi

3 years ago

Sunday, very good.
-korean csrgo
-Qatar cargo

ugur

Reply to Emmi

2 years ago

Nowadays you can see Korean Air Cargo’s 747 on Sunday. Flight radar says 777 but it will be 747 🙂

Tony

3 years ago

Hi local spotters. I am trying to find out if any wizzair flights departed Budapest airport on 29/06/2020. I booked this flight but could not travel because of covid. The airline assures me this flight did leave. They won’t refund my money.

Thanks if you can help.

Gulyás Krisztián

3 years ago

Hi! I know another spotting place here. It is called the “Spotter-Tree”. If you zoom in and look between 9 and 13 you’ll see a quite big tree. You can climb on it and take photos when RWY 13L/31R is in use.

Have a nice day, Krisztián.

Greg Browne

4 years ago

Hello good morning I recently visited BUD on Cargo work and was trying to find out the Aircraft Registration of the stored EMB120 Brasilia white no engines.

Thanks Greg