Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport - Spotting Guide

Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport – Spotting Guide

January 17, 2021 - last modified on November 21, 2023

Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport (LJU/LJLJ) is the biggest airport in the country of Slovenia and serves both – the most passengers (1,7 million in 2019) and most international routes. The airport is located 24km north of the Slovenian capital Ljubljana and just at the foot of the Kamnik-Savinja Alps, which is maybe the main attraction as thus the airport has spots with breathtaking background to offer.

This airfield was opened in 1963 and back then replaced Ljubljana’s old airport, which was already run for 20 years back then and was too close to the city. First regular services flown outta LJU where operated in January of 1964 and had a peaceful history till 1991, when the Yugoslavian civil war also hit the airfield with bombings and similar. Luckily, only some aircraft where damaged (although quite bad), till the airport gained back peace and rest 11 days after the first war actions on the 7th of July, 1991. The airport first handled more than one million passengers in 2004, was renamed to today’s official title after the Slovenian politican and dissident Jože Pučnik in 2007 and modernized/reconstructed in order to be able to handle Schengen and Non-Schengen flights, which occured after Slovenia joined the EU in 2004.

Written by Severin Hackenberger in cooperation with Milan Korbar. Last Update: Winter 2020

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
12/30	3300m / 10827ft – Asphalt
Terminals
Terminal 1	Handles all the PAX operations.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Recommended as you will need it at most spots, but a small (2-3 steps) is aabsolutely fine and also recommended!
Car/Public Transport	Definitely needed as actually all spots are hard to reach by public transport.
Restrooms	Actually, only inside the airport terminal.
Drinks/Food	The airport is surrounded by several villages where you may grab some food in addition to the terminal.
Hotels	No direct spotter hotels around here.
Season	Summer is better for catching the cargo aircraft arriving here around 6/7 in the morning, which are a main attraction at LJU. Therefore summer also has lots of haze of course, but winter traffic is very poor to be honest.
Security	Spotting is no problem here at all as long as you respect the fence and parking rules. Do not use very high ladders!
Runway Usage
General Info
12/30	LJU is mostly running 30 operations, but due to the little amount of traffic, this can easily be changed quickly.

	Spot #1 – Treestand – 30 Arrivals
WHERE	This spot is quite tricky to find as it is a little wodden treestand in the forest just southwest of the airport. There is suppossed to be a little highstand just next to the little street somwhere at the forest frontline. Once you have arrived, just carefully climb it, if there is nobody on there already only!

WHAT	From here you can nicely see all Arrivals on runway 30. The runway itsself and thus line-up are blocked/covered by the fence from here.

TIME	From later morning/early noon till sunset actually.

MISC.	The treestand is hidden in the forest and quite tricky to find. So plan some extra time in order to search it around our spot mark on the map Furthermore, it is just strong enough for at most three people at once, but it is better to be only one. So avoid this highstand with a group of spotters. Nothing around apart from it here. THIS IS NOT OUR PROPERTY! Keep it clean and behave respectful, so we do not loose the spot!

FOCAL LENGTH	70-250mm IL96 = 110mm

	Spot #2 – Forestedge Southeast – 30 Arrivals
WHERE	This spot is very easy to find and actually no exact position. It is rather just the little dirty street running along the forest and between the airport and you there should be a row of fields. Just leave your car somewhere there and shoot from this street here.

WHAT	From here you can nicely see all Arrivals on runway 30. The runway itsself and thus line-up are blocked/covered by the fence from here.

TIME	From later morning/early noon till sunset actually.

MISC.	Nothing around, no ladder needed – that is the biggest advantage in addition to the bigger distance, so you do not have to use almost wide-angle lenses for heavies. You can leave your car by the roadside here directly.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-250mm B77W = 95mm

	Spot #3 – Threshold 30 – 30 Arrivals + Line-Ups
WHERE	This spot is then directly located at the fence, but very easy to reach by car as you can just approach the fence directly and leave your car by the fence. Actually, this spot is no exact position neither, it is rather just located somewhere around the runway 30’s southern end close to apron accessgate 5 along the fence: choose your favourite position depending on your favourite angle/subject…

WHAT	From here you can nicely see all Arrivals on runway 30 as well as Line-Ups onto the runway.

TIME	From later morning/early noon till sunset actually, although Line-Ups should be fine from shortly after sunrise as they have to line-up with nice sunlight when passing the threshold.

MISC.	Nothing around, but a ladder is needed here in order to avoid shooting thru the fencemesh.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-250mm A345 = 95mm

	Spot #4 – Taxiway F – All runway movements + GA apron behind
WHERE	Yet again, this is no exact position, just make your way by car to the fence and position yourself just on the height of where taxiway F bumps into the runway. Then just search your exact favourite position somewhere around here, whereever you exactly wanna stand (depends on your favourite angle/subject)…

WHAT	This spot offers a view over the literally whole runway so you can shoot any movements on runway 12/30 here. You can also see the GA apron and taxiway behind the runway nicely from here.

TIME	From later morning/early noon till sunset actually.

MISC.	Nothing around, but a ladder is needed here in order to avoid shooting thru the fencemesh. Heat haze is an issue on the taxiway and apron behind the runway in summer especially.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-250mm A319 = 105mm

	Spot #5 – Intersection G – All runway movements + GA apron behind
WHERE	This spot is as well just roughly an area: just on the opposite site of LJU’s military apron, where intersection G meets the rnuway. Just drive here by car and then just search your exact favourite position somewhere around here, whereever you exactly wanna stand (depends on your favourite angle/subject)…

WHAT	This spot offers a view over the literally whole runway so you can shoot any movements on runway 12/30 here. You can also see the GA apron and taxiway behind the runway nicely from here.

TIME	From later morning/early noon till sunset actually.

MISC.	Nothing around, but a ladder is needed here in order to avoid shooting thru the fencemesh. Heat haze is an issue on the taxiway and apron behind the runway in summer especially.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-250mm

	Spot #6 – Monument – 12 Arrivals + Line-Ups + storage apron behind
WHERE	When driving on the “Sencur” street south of the airport, turn off to the northeast at the motorcross track. Pass this sport area and make your way to the airport’s fence, which you can approach directly and easily by car. Leave it by the roadside there and search your favourite position around here…

WHAT	This spot offers a view onto the runway 12’s touchdown zone and in addition you can also shoot the storage area behind the runway nicely from here.

TIME	From later morning/early noon till sunset actually.

MISC.	Ladder??? Heat haze is an issue on the storage apron behind the runway in summer especially.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-400mm

	Spot #7 – Threshold 12 – 12 Arrivals + Line-Ups
WHERE	For this spot, you have to continue some meters to the northwest along the fence till you reach the runway’s end on your right. Then just position yourself somewhere around here as this spot is no exact position neither, just choose your favourite position depending on your favourite angle/subject…

WHAT	This spot offers a view onto the runway 12’s threshold (so you can see 12 Arrivals and Line-Ups) ???? and in addition you can also shoot the storage area behind the runway nicely from here. ???

TIME	From later morning/early noon till sunset actually, although Line-Ups should be fine from shortly after sunrise as they have to line-up with nice sunlight when passing the threshold.

MISC.	Nothing around, but a ladder is needed here in order to avoid shooting thru the fencemesh. Heat haze is an issue on the storage apron behind the runway in summer especially.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-250mm ATR75 on runway = 145mm

	Spot #8 – Closed road – 12 Arrivals + Line-Ups + storage and cargo apron
WHERE	This spot can be found northwest of the airport facilities on a closed road. It is located just between cargo terminal and the highway 104, which runs along the airport’s northern fence. You cannot access this street by car anymore, you have to park somewhere nearby and after getting rid of your car, walk here by foot and search your faovurite position along the street at the fence here.

WHAT	This spot offers a nice view onto the runway 12’s threshold (so you can see 12 Arrivals and Line-Ups) and in addition you can also shoot the storage area and taxiway in front of the runway nicely from here.

TIME	This spot can only be used in summer well as winter has bad light here almost from sunrise on. But in summer from sunrise till late morning is good here.

MISC.	Nothing around, a ladder is not needed here as there is a little hill?????? from where you can easily shoot over the fence. Keep a low profile as security/cargo operators may get suspicious!

FOCAL LENGTH	18-250mm

	Spot #9 – Radarball 30 – 30 Arrivals
WHERE	This spot can be found in the southeast of the airport. Make your way to the village of “Spodnji Brnik” in the east and then at the big roundabout, take the street to the southeast, which you shortly afterwards leave again in small road between some houses on the right. Follow this road, pass a farm on your right, plenty of fields, but once you will reach a little forest. Park your car at its southern end by the roadside without blocking the farmroad and then walk to the fence. You can check if you are right by looking out for the apron gate 9 and a big radarball just in front behind the fence.

WHAT	This spot offers a nice view onto runway 30 arrivals.

TIME	This spot can only be used in summer well as winter has bad light here almost from sunrise on. But in summer from sunrise till late morning is good here.

MISC.	As you can not shoot from the fence directly here??? a ladder is useless as the fence will be in the bottom of your shots anyway.

FOCAL LENGTH	200-400mm IL62 = 275mm