Kristiansand Airport Kjevik - Spotting Guide

Kristiansand Airport Kjevik – Spotting Guide

June 19, 2020 - last modified on November 20, 2023

Kristiansand Airport Kjevik (IATA: KRS / ICAO: ENCN)is a small airport located right outside Kristiansand in the south of Norway. It handled just over 1 million passengers in 2018 and serves mostly the Agder county. There are around 40-50 movements per day by five passenger airlines, together with some cargo, general aviation and military flights. The airport has a single runway and a single terminal building. The Norwegian army is also present at the airport, so some military movements can be seen as well if you’re lucky. In addition, there are some general aviation activity. Kristiansand Airport is a very spotter friendly airport, considering it’s a rather small airport with limited amounts of traffic. There are a lot of nice photo opportunities around the airport, and there are good opportunities to catch all movements independent of the wind direction and weather.

Widerøe operates the most flights, and has routes to Stavanger, Bergen, Trondheim, Copenhagen and London-Southend, using it’s Dash 8-300s and -400s. They occasionally deploy the E190-E2 on the Bergen route. SAS and Norwegian operates several daily flights to Oslo using 737s, while KLM operates three daily Amsterdam flights with their Embraer E170s and E190s. Wizz Air flies two times per week to Gdansk, and SAS operates weekly summer flights to Alicante, Malaga and Split. In the summer some other charter airlines operates to and from the airport as well, but this varies from year to year. There’s also a daily freight route to Copenhagen, operated by SprintAir using the Saab 340.

Written by Adrian Leirvik Larsen, regular spotter at KRS (Last Update April 2020)

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
03/21	2,035m (6,677ft) – Asphalt
Terminal	1 passenger terminal
Spotting Information
Ladder	Useful at some spots to get over the fence. Mentioned for each spot where it’s relevant.
Car/Public Transport	A car is recommended, as public transport is limited to and from the airport. Bus 35/36 (to and from Krstiansand town centre) runs past the airport every half hour, but only stops at the terminal every hour. There’s also an airport express bus with 10-15 daily departures to and from the town centre. Apart from that the options are taxis and rental cars, but these options are rather expensive in Norway. Some spots can be reached by foot from the terminal, but there aren’t always side walks along the road.
Restrooms	In the terminal building and next to spot 1.
Drinks/Food	There’s a café/kiosk in the departure hall. Around the airport there are a few supermarkets. At spot 1 there is a petrol station, some nice kiosks and a restaurant.
Hotels	The closest hotels are next to the zoo, a 10 min drive away. There’s a camping site right next to spot 1, which is very nice, at least in the summer.
Season	The spring and summer are best, as the weather is the best and least unstable in these periods. In winter the days are rather short (the sun sets around 15-16), and the weather is unpredictable. You can get lucky and have snowfall followed by some sunny days, but it may very well be raining almost the entire winter. So May to August is the best period, with the best and warmest weather, and most interesting traffic. Having said that, the Norwegian weather is in general rather unpredictable compared to other places.
Runway Usage
03/21	The direction of the traffic is dependent on the wind direction. 03 is used when wind is coming from the north, while 21 when the wind comes from the south. However exceptions may occur in quiet periods when the wind is light.

	Spot #1 – Hamresanden – 03 arrivals & 21 departures
WHERE	Around five minutes after turning off the highway (E18) towards the airport, you’ll see a beach on the left-hand side. Turn left to the camping site when you see a petrol station (YX) on the right and follow the road down to the beach. There’s a large parking area there where parking is free. Walk down to the beach, and you’ll see the approach lights out in the sea. When the weather is nice you may struggle to find a parking spot, especially during the weekends. By public transport, take bus 35 towards Kjevik-Brattvollsheia or 36 towards Tveit-Birkeland, and get off at Hamresanden, right next to the YX petrol station.

WHAT	Very nice spot for 03 arrivals and 21 departures. As you are lower than the runway, you can’t actually see the runway, so only aircraft in the air may be photographed here. You can walk up and down the beach to vary the angle, everything from right underneath the aircraft to side view.

TIME	Mornings until 14-15.

MISC.	Next to the petrol station there’s a supermarket (KIWI) and a fast food restaurant. You also have a restaurant next to the beach. In the summer there are also an ice cream kiosk at the beach, when the weather is nice. There are also some grills, benches and tables which may be used by everyone. It may be rather crowded here during the summer months, but it doesn’t affect the spotting experience in any way.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-200mm should be enough for most aircraft, but it depends on where you stand on the beach. 300mm might be necessary for small GA aircraft. Widerøe: 122mm, KLM E190: 70mm, Norwegian: 135mm, Aegean: 200mm, KLM E170: 200mm, SAS: 200mm.

	Spot #2 – Topdalsveien – 21 arrivals/line-up & 03 departures
WHERE	When crossing a brigde over Topdalselva on the way to the airport, take the first left onto a small gravel road and park on the right. You are right next to the northern end of the runway. You can leave your car here, but don’t walk too far away from it and don’t block the road, as this is the driveway to some houses. By public transport, take bus 35 towards Kjevik-Brattvollsheia or 36 towards Tveit-Birkeland, and get off at Kjevikkrysset or Bøenkrysset. This is right across the road from the spot.

WHAT	This is an excellent spot for 21 arrivals and 21 line-ups, as you are very close to the action. There’s a fence here, so a small ladder might be useful. You can however shoot through the fence if you have a small lens. 03 departures may also be seen from here, but the aircraft are often too high for any good photos (not always though).

TIME	Mornings until 14-15.

MISC.	There’s a supermarket a few hundred meters further up the main road (Coop Prix). Otherwise there’s not much around. The closest facilities are at the terminal or at Hamresanden (spot 1).

FOCAL LENGTH	50-200mm. Cessna: 135, SunExpress: 70mm, Widerøe: 190mm, West Air: 135mm, Wizzair: 200mm, Norwegian; 92mm.

	Spot #3 – North end – 21 arrivals
WHERE	Turn left towards the airport, and take a right immediately after, and park next to the landing lights. By public transport, take bus 35 towards Kjevik-Brattvollsheia or 36 towards Tveit-Birkeland, and get off at Kjevikkrysset or Bøenkrysset.

WHAT	You can get some great head-on shots of aircraft arriving on runway 21. You can walk around to vary the angle slightly, depending on the time of day and what photos you want.

TIME	All day long. The sun will always be in you back, depending on which side of the landing lights you are standing.

MISC.	There’s a supermarket a few hundred meters further up the main road (Coop Prix). Otherwise there’s not much around. The closest facilities are in the terminal or at Hamresanden (spot 1).

FOCAL LENGTH	Pretty much anything will do, dependent on the angle and photographer preferences. KLM: 200mm, Norwegian: 200mm, SAS: 200mm, Wizzair: 500mm, JetTime: 200mm, Widerøe: 185mm.

	Spot #4 – Kjevikveien – 21 arrivals/line-ups & 03 departures
WHERE	After passing the north end of the runway, the road goes parallel with the runway all the way to the terminal building. You can stop next to the road, but make sure you park fully outside of the road and not at any bus stops. Stay close to your car. By public transport, take bus 35 towards Kjevik-Brattvollsheia, and get off at LSK Befalsmesse, LSK idrettsanlegg, or Skolesenteret Kjevik.

WHAT	Apart from a fence, you’ll have an unobstructed view of the entire runway as you drive along the road towards the terminal. A ladder is needed to look over the fence, but it’s possible to get nice pictures through the fence using a smaller lens.

TIME	Afternoons from 15-16.

MISC.	The nearest facilities are in the terminal building. As you drive towards the terminal building, the area on the right-hand side belongs to the military. Don’t take ant pictures of their facilities.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-200mm. 757: 135mm, SAS: 200mm, Rans: 200mm, Wizzair: 130mm, KLM: 98mm, Widerøe: 200mm.

	Spot #5 – Befalsmesse – 21 arrivals/03 departures
WHERE	This spot is rather hard to find. After passing the north end of the runway, take the first right and park at the top of the hill. Then you have to walk straight through a small valley on a track, before going left up a very steep hill without any tracks. At the top you’ll spot the runway through the trees. By public transport, take bus 35 towards Kjevik-Brattvollsheia, and get off at LSK Befalsmesse.

WHAT	From this spot you can get some excellent shots of runway 21 arrivals and 03 departures with a nice backdrop, including the roads, houses and forests around the airport. You can also see some parts of the runway and the aircraft while taxiing.

TIME	Afternoons from 15-16.

MISC.	This is in the middle of a forest, so there’s nothing around. Be careful, as it’s very steep, especially when going back down!

FOCAL LENGTH	150-400mm. Norwegian: 165mm, Widerøe: 190mm, 757: 200mm.

	Spot #6 – Hill – 21 arrivals/departures & 03 departures
WHERE	After passing the north end of the runway, take the second right towards Idrettsanlegg, and park at the top of the hill. From here you will have a very nice overview of the entire runway! By public transport, take bus 35 towards Kjevik-Brattvollsheia, and get off at LSK idrettsanlegg.

WHAT	You will see every movement from here regardless of the traffic direction. 21 arrivals and departures are best for photography, but nice shots of 03 departures can be obtained as well. The only drawback with this location is that there are some light posts obstructing the aircraft when on the runway.

TIME	Afternoons from 15-16.

MISC.	This is right next to the military area, so keep a slightly low profile. I have been asked to leave a couple of times, but usually I haven’t had any issues. Don’t take any pictures of the military buildings. The nearest facilities are in the terminal building.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-300mm. Falcon: 200mm, Widerøe: 98mm, 1st KLM: 125mm, Norwegian: 112mm, 2nd KLM: 102mm, SAS: 195mm.

	Spot #7 – Outside terminal – Apron/Taxiway
WHERE	When passing a large hangar and a parking area to your right when driving towards the terminal, pull over on the left-hand side of the road where there’s a bus stop next to the airport fence. Here you’ll have a nice view of the apron. Stay close to your car. By public transport, take bus 35 towards Kjevik-Brattvollsheia, and get off at Eplehagen. You can also walk from the terminal. Just go to the right when leaving the terminal building. Walk past the international arrival hall along the fence, and you’ll see the spot on your left-hand side.

WHAT	All movements to and from the terminal on taxiway Bravo can be seen from here, as well as the aircraft parked at the international stands. You also have an unobstructed view of the runway, but heat haze may become an issue in the summer. A ladder is needed to get higher than the fence, but it’s possible to get nice photos by shooting through it.

TIME	Afternoons from 15-16.

MISC.	All facilities can be found inside the terminal building.

FOCAL LENGTH	70-200mm. West Air: 190mm, Cessna: 200mm, SAS 738: 160mm, SAS 735: 145mm, Star Alliance: 86mm, Line-up: 200mm.

	Spot #8 – Airport guard – Apron
WHERE	In the roundabout in front of the terminal, take the second exit and drive straight ahead until you see a gate to your left. Park on the left side of the road and walk to the gate. Don’t stay at the gate for too long, just take your pictures and walk back. Don’t block the gate! You can walk from the terminal as well, to the left when you exit the building.

WHAT	You can get pictures of aircraft parked next to the gate, usually some cargo and general aviation aircraft. Not a lot else to see here, so you usually only need a minute to get a few pictures, and then you’re finished at this spot. Don’t use a ladder at the gate, take pictures through it.

TIME	Afternoons from 12-13.

MISC.	Stay away from the area around the gate if there are vehicles driving through it or waiting. All facilities can be found inside the terminal building.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-150mm. Beech: 116mm, Lufthansa: 105mm, Hercules: 62mm.

	Spot #9- Kjevikstranda – 03 arrivals & 21 departures
WHERE	In the roundabout in front of the terminal, take the second exit and drive straight ahead. Keep going past the airport guard and down a gravel road until you get to a small marina and a beach. Park your car at the marina and go up on the hill to your left. You can walk from the terminal as well, to the left when you exit the building.

WHAT	This spot is best for runway 21 departures. You are lower than the runway, and there are some trees obstructing the view, so you won’t get much notice before the aircraft appears in front of you. You can also photograph runway 03 arrivals from here, but the same trees will obstruct the final seconds of the approach path.

TIME	Afternoons from 15-16.

MISC.	It can get rather windy here. All facilities can be found inside the terminal building.

FOCAL LENGTH	150-300mm. Widerøe: 200mm, Wizzair: 190mm, KLM: 150mm, Norwegian 733: 195mm, SAS: 200mm, Norwegian 738: 190mm.