Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport - Spotting Guide

Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport – Spotting Guide

April 20, 2020 - last modified on November 20, 2023

Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport (GDN/EPGD) is one of Poland’s busiest airports with its ~5,5 million passengers per year (ranking GDN as 3rd busiest Polish airport in 2019). It is located roughly 12km northwest of city centre of Gdansk and was opened in 1974 after its former little brother – an airfield in Langfuhr, which was used for the first time back in 1919 – had come to its limits. Reason for its opening was that Gdansk needed a new and bigger airport in the 1970s, which was built here close to the village of Rębiechowo. The airport then got its today’s name (Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport) back in 2004 to honor the former Polish president Lech Wałęsa.

The airport was reconstructed and modernized for the last time just before EURO championship in 2012 (as Gdansk also held some games) and broke a personal milestone by breaking 3 million passengers in 2014 for the first time. Lately, the airport was growing pretty fast as Gdansk and greater area was recently discovered as tourist region european wide and thereby the airport and region is experiencing a decreasing interest leading to an increase of passenger numbers of about 8-15% a year.
Thanks to this, the airport is now serving more than 50 different destiantions and serves plenty various airlines (from LCC to high class) as well as several regular cargo flights. In addition, GDN airport also handles military charters sometimes that’s why this airport is always good for a surprise.

Written by Severin Hackenberger in cooperation with Markus Mainka, Antoni Saridis and Marco M. Last Update: March 2022

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
11/29	2.800m / 9.186ft Asphalt/Concrete
Terminals	Terminal map
Terminal 1	As T1 only offers boarding by feet, this one is rather the LCC terminal mainly used by Ryanair.
Terminal 2	Most carriers use T2, which offers jetways – like Wizz, LOT, Lufthansa, KLM and some more.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Not needed thanks to the great observatory hills.
Car/Public Transport	Not absolutely needed as the public transport around the airport is not that bad thanks to some bus lines running around the airfield.
Restrooms	Only in the terminal and maybe nearby hotel/gas station – nothing really special to mention here.
Drinks/Food	Close to the terminal are some gas stations, where you can buy food easily (and cheaply).
Hotels	There is a Hampton next to the terminal and some around the area but none offer spectacular “spotterviews”.
Season	Summer is definitely better thanks to more traffic and better weather. In addition you may be able to catch the early/late cargo services in summer, which are not too uninteresting and can’t be shot in winter.
Runway Usage
11/29	Runway 29 is the common direction at Gdansk as the airport mostly experiences western winds. So you’ll barely see runway 11 in usage.

	Spot #1 – Kosmonautów – 29 runway movements
WHERE	This spot can be found south of the airport’s only runway at the roadside of “Kosmonautów”. Pictures can be taken from the hill/outlook there, which can also be found on Gmaps as “Stanowisko spotterskie”. Spot can be reached easily by car (parking area right next to the hill) and bus: therefore we recommend to take bus 126 and exit at “Rakietowa”, from where you can walk to the hill within 5 minutes (marked on the map).

WHAT	Mainly 29 activities, 11 departures may be too high and 11 arrivals may already left the runway here.

TIME	In summer from midday/late morning till sunset; in winter all day.

MISC.	Nothing nearby, no ladder needed. Parking possible, heat haze may occure problems during hot summer days.

FOCAL LENGTH	100-300mm Taxiing on TWY Alpha (B738 Focal Length: 180mm) RWY 29 Line-up via TWY Charlie (B738 Focal Length: 190mm) RWY 29 Line-up via TWY Alpha (A321 Focal Length: 300mm) RWY 29 Takeoff (Back view) (DH8D Focal Length: 170mm)

	Spot #2 – Bysewo hill – All runway movements
WHERE	This spot can be found just south of the runway and offers a great overview as you can see the whole airfield including all aprons. You can get here easily by car as it’s just off the mainstreet “Nomatorów” to the north, where it intersects “Budowlanych” street just in the middle of the runway, and offers plenty of parking possibilities. In addition, you can also reach this spot by bus as the bus stop “Bysewo” is very close and this is being surved by some lines regularly.

WHAT	All runway movements as well as some parts of the apron closer and some farer away as well as few taxiways.

TIME	In summer from midday/late morning till sunset; in winter all day.

MISC.	Heat haze is a problem here in summer. The spot offers enough parking spaces normally, but unluckily no accomodations such as restaurants or supermarkets, so nothing really nearby.

FOCAL LENGTH	100-300mm RWY 29 Takeoff (DH8D Focal Length: 130mm, B738 Focal Length: 130mm) RWY 29 Landing (B38M Focal Length: 135mm) Vacating RWY 29 via TWY Echo (B738 Focal Length: 145mm) Pushback onto TWY Romeo (B738 Focal Length: 240mm) Taxiing on TWY Alpha (A321 Focal Length: 170mm)

The spot itsself looks like THIS

	Spot #3 – Szybowcowa hill – 29 runway movements
WHERE	This spot is situated east of most airport facilities and can be reached easily by car, but not so much by public transport. Plenty parking possibilities around and you can either get here from the west (the airport facilities) on “Szybowcowa” street or on the same street from the east (Matarnia village). However, the train, which runs between the city and the airport, also stops at Matarnia (stop is marked on the map) so you may get to this spot by foot from the station there.

WHAT	From here you can see movements onto runway 29 best as well as the nearby taxiways. In addition also arrivals on runway, if they don’t vacate too early, and departures from runway 11, if they aren’t too high already. Apart from this, the military/cargo parking apron west of this spot can also be seen nicely as THIS picture proves.

TIME	Early morning or late evening. Hardly useable in winter, best in summer.

MISC.	No ladder needed. Nothing around here. Heat haze may be an issue on hot days on the runway.

FOCAL LENGTH	30-250mm A321 on runway = 150mm / B757 on taxiway sideshot = 50mm / ATR72 on taxiway sideshot = 90mm