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January 16, 2017Brisbane Intl. Airport – Spotting Guide
- last modified on November 4, 2024
Brisbane International Airport (IATA: BNE / ICAO: YBBN) is the third busiest Australian airport by aircraft movements with roughly 24 million passengers in 2019. Brisbane is a major hub for Virgin Australia and a secondary hub for both Qantas and its low cost Jetstar. The airport has international and domestic flights, a cargo, a general aviation terminal and three runways.
Why visiting Brisbane? You will have the chance to shots exotics airlines like (Air Niugini, Air Calin, Fiji Airways, Nauru Airlines, Solomon Airlines). As almost main Australian airport, you will find also, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Southern Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, EVA Air, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways.
Written by James Baxter (Local spotter), Jeremy Denton, Harry, Jan Seba, Eli Parker and Martin Rogosz. Last change: October 2024 – Spot 16 added
| Rating | |
| Movements |  |
| Airline Variety |  |
| Photo Locations | |
| Weather | |
| Airport Information | |
| Runways | |
| 01L/19R | 3,300 m (10.827 ft) – Asphalt |
| 01R/19L | 3,560 m (11,680 ft) – Asphalt |
| Terminals | |
| Terminal 1 | Domestic flights |
| Terminal 2 | International flights |
| Spotting Information | |
| Ladder | Essential for various locations. Please note that the Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) enforce and police the policy of all ladders being approximately 3 metres behind perimeter fencing. |
| Car/Public Transport | Car is required. The terminal spots 2-3 can be reached by the air train from the city center. |
| Restrooms | Available at publicly accessible locations on the east and south districts of the airport such as the International and Domestic Terminal, Skygate Shopping Complex and the BNE Service Centre. |
| Drinks/Food | Numerous fast food and sit-down dining options at the Domestic Terminal (BLD, Hungry Jacks, Krispy Krème, Red Rooster, Wok On Air and additional bars and café’s), Skygate Shopping Complex (Baker’s Club, Magical Rice, Woolworths and The Coffee Club), BNE Service Centre (Shell Coles Express, McDonald’s, Hungry Jack’s, KFC, The Coffee Club, Subway, Sushi Mi and Airport Kebabs) as well as the nearby Centro Toombul Shopping Centre. |
| Hotels | There are only a few hotels in the vicinity of the airport. These include the Novotel Brisbane Airport and Hotel Ibis Budget Brisbane Airport. The Novotel offers a view of the 01L approach. |
| Season | Queensland is regarded as Australia’s sunshine state and with Brisbane being its capital, spotting is usually unaffected throughout the cooler months (March-October). However, throughout the warmer months (November – February), temperatures can exceed 35 degree celcius with severe thunderstorms rolling over the city and airport some afternoons / evenings. It is to be noted that heat haze can be an issue at some spotting locations. |
| Runway Usage | |
| 01R/19L | Major runway with mixed traffic (from general aviation to super-heavies). Used in both directions. |
| 01L/19R | Open since July 2020 |
The Loop - 19L arrivals, 01R departures, taxiway alpha/bravo
| WHERE | Located past both the International and Domestic Terminals, the Acacia Street Spotting Loop is positioned just south of the General Aviation (GA) apron. The location can be accessed via Moreton Drive (the outbound road [towards airport] to the Domestic Terminal) by following the signed ‘General Aviation’ directions. For when the Loop is unfortunately closed, the Toll Carpark adds another location which has similar viewing to the Loop itself. |
| WHAT | RWY19L arrivals, RWY01R departures, Bravo and Alpha taxiway operations. |
| TIME | The Loop is operated by the Brisbane Airport Cooperation (BAC) and is functional between 0600-1800 (AEST). Whilst the morning offers a close up view of numerous heavy international movements, the optimum photography time is after midday. |
| MISC. | Heat haze can become an issue during the summer months. Green ants and mosquitoes can cause discomfort. And signposted SNAKE WARNINGS need to be taken into account as well; although, if you stick to the concrete slab, you should have no issues. Using a 3 step ladder is definitely recommended, due to the high fencing around all areas of the airport. (although it is possible to photograph between the fence) |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Runway 01/19 – minimum of 150mm, maximum of 400mm, Taxiways Alpha & Bravo – minimum of 18mm, maximum of 200mm |
Photos taken from the platform
Photos taken from the loop:
Qantas Domestic Terminal Wing - ramp, taxiway, 01R/19L movements
| WHERE | Brisbane’s Domestic Terminal requires you to line up and pass through domestic security to access the gates. Although you do not require a boarding pass / passport, you will be subject to metal detectors / drug swabs. Best to miss this location unless you are boarding / disembarking a flight. The domestic terminal is splitted into three wings. The northern wing is for the Qantas flights and the southern wing for the Virgin Australia flights. All other flights are taking place from the middle wing. |
| WHAT | Of course you can easily capture the ramp movements depending which wing your are. But it is also possible to potograph the aircraft taxiing past and aircraft arriving and departing on runway 01R/19L. |
| TIME | Best light conditions from 1200 onwards. |
| MISC. | Terminal glass is tinted, although this can be rectified in Lightroom or by manually changing the white balance. In addition, the glass does create reflections during the morning, as well as bringing out fingerprints / additional marks. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | RWY01/19 – minimum of 200mm, maximum of 400mm, Gate – minimum of 18mm, maximum of 200mm |
Qantas Wing
Domestic Wing
Level 9 Domestic Carpark - 01R arr/dep, 19L arr/dep, taxiway alpha/bravo, dementic ramp
| WHERE | The 9th floor of the domestic car park offers a 180 degree panoramic view of Brisbane Airport’s runway. To get to this vantage point, take the escalator from the drop off area onto the walkway above, and head towards the domestic car park. The left block of elevators (when facing the car carpark) can only be used to access the 9th level. |
| WHAT | RWY01R arrivals / departures, RWY 19L arrivals / departures, Bravo taxiway ops and Domestic Terminal ops |
| TIME | Best light conditions from 1200 onwards. |
| MISC. | A ladder is not required for this location. BAC staff / security personnel are known to ask you to move on from this location, however it is regarded as an accepted photography area by the airport itself. Great for long exposures / time-lapses / panoramas. A monopod is recommended at large focal lengths. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Domestic Terminal Gates – minimum of 200mm, maximum of 400mm, Bravo Taxiway – minimum of 200mm, maximum of 500mm, Runway 01/19 – minimum of 250mm, maximum of 600mm |
Callistemon Street Apron Area - ramp
| WHERE | Located off Lomandra Drive at the end of Callistemon St on the Southern border of the Brisbane Airport perimeter. Find a suitable place at the fence to photograph the parked planes: you can walk up along the whole fence up to the Gate Gourmet facility… |
| WHAT | Papa 1-4B and Papa 7 Parking Bay. Parking Bays Papa 1-4B usually utilised by Virgin Australia B738 / Alliance Airlines F100/F70/F50. Parking Bay Papa 7 was usually utilised by Royal Australian Air Force A343 / Transpacific Heavylift DC8.
Sometimes other aircraft are parked in this area and can be photographed from the nearby hills which overlook the fence. |
| TIME | Mainly Evening or during the day depending on parking angle. |
| MISC. | Yellow no-parking lines are down either side of this street, so get your photo and move on. Beware of snakes in the bushy areas. A ladder is recommended for this location. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18-200mm E145 on taxiway = 170mm |
Eucalyptus Drive - logistic apron, 01L arrivals
| WHERE | Located directly at the end of Eucalyptus Drive with a viewing straight up taxiway Lima which is to and from the logistic apron. Stay on the the huge madow to catch the arrivals on the new runway. Parking is availabe on the side at the end of the road. |
| WHAT | This location allows for a fantastic angle of aircraft taxiing or being tugged to and from the Logistics apron. Furthermore 01L arrivals can bee photographed from there. |
| TIME | For the ramp Anytime of the day, depending on photographers angle, but most likely better in the evening. Arrivals on 01L are possible in the morning hours. |
| MISC. | Nothing nearby. Ladder needed to photograph the ground stuff but you can shot through the mesh as well. Beware of snakes in the bushy areas. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Minimum of 18mm, maximum of 200mm |
Logistic Rd/DHL Carpark/Jet Aviation- Lima Apron
| WHERE | Another spot next to the aprons at Lomandra Dr. Either take your pictures at: 1. Logistic Rdcrash gate at the southwestern end 2. DHL Express parking lot 3. At Jet Aviation once you have continued on Boronia Rd until a huge meadow/parking lot to your left next to the Jet Aviation building |
| WHAT | Nothing special you get there. Just an area for photographing aircraft parked on Lima apron on each side. |
| TIME | Anytime of the day or night, depending on photographers angle. |
| MISC. | Shooting the fence is applicable. Nothing nearby. Don’t stay long here, take the photo and leave the place. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18-300mm Stands from Logistic Rd: A319 = 300mm |
Logistic Rd:
DHL Carpark:
Jet Aviation:
Da Vinci Boulevard - 01R arrivals
| WHERE | Located on Da Vinci Boulevard, which links Leonardo Drive to Lomandra Drive we find out next position. Enough car spaces are available either side of the Boulevard, with a concrete path way and hard-mounted seats available. Looking to the east, the aircraft glide slope for runway 01R.
There is also an alternative location, where you will have a better angle at the cost of slightly higher focal length. Park your car in the large car park and walk away from the RWY line over the large empty field until you find the angle/distance that works best for you. |
| WHAT | Runway 01R arrivals only |
| TIME | Best light conditions are in the afternoon till sunset. |
| MISC. | No ladder required, with an open field for you to play around with. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 250mm for a B738 and over 300mm for smaller aircraft like B717 or ATR72. |
Lavarack Ave / Holt Street roundabout - 01R arrivals
| WHERE | located off Kingsford Smith Drive, accessed via Holt Street. Parking is available along both sides of the entire avenue. The eastern end of Lavarack is perfect for morning and night arrivals on runway 01R, and the western end of Lavarack is perfect for afternoon and night arrivals (due to lighting conditions). Note that the glide slope for runway 01R and the departure route for 19L is nearly directly up Holt street; thus if you prefer underside shots, stand close to the roundabout of Lavarack and Holt street to be directly under arriving or departing aircraft. |
| WHAT | Perfect for runway 01R underside aircraft photography. PLUS: Lavarack Avenue in either direction from the roundabout, can offer fantastic side on shots for runway 01R arrivals. |
| TIME | Any time is suitable, with the eastern end of the avenue. Perfect for morning and the western side of the avenue perfect for afternoon. The glide slope for runway01 arrivals runs nearly perfectly down Holt Street, so staying close to the roundabout on either side of it is a great idea. |
| MISC. | Shooting over head ans side on aircraft angles, be mindful of heavy vehicles and cares as this is a busy road 24/7. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Undersides 50mm minimum, 100mm maximum / Side on shots 200mm minimum, 400mm+ maximum |
Randle Road - 01R arrivals
| WHERE | Located directly off Kingsford Smith Drive, this area resides at the end of the road where the last left hand drive way is to a business. Parking is available on either side of the road through its entirety. This area is profoundly good for runway 01 morning arrivals, as they come from left to right with nice angles in the morning light. Night photography can be good from this area as well. |
| WHAT | Fantastic location for runway 01R arrival photography. |
| TIME | Best light conditions are in the morning. |
| MISC. | Side on photography, can be a busy road with heavy vehicles frequenting the venue 24 / 7. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200mm minimum and 400mm+ maximum. |
McBride Road - 19L departures/banking
| WHERE | Located off Eagle Farm Road, McBride spotting location is situated at the very end of the street. Parking is available onto the gravel area at the end of the street. |
| WHAT | The entire road offers a fantastic area for runway 19L departure shots in the morning. Also, aircraft south-bound offer banking photography opportunities |
| TIME | Best light conditions are in the morning. |
| MISC. | Side on departure shots off runway 10 or side on arrival shots of runway01; long grass is around that could Harbour Snakes – keeping on gravel will keep you safe. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 200mm minimum and 400mm+ maximum |
Qantas Hangar 3 - Apron opportunity
| WHERE | Located on the corner of Main Myrletown Road and Priors Road. Parking for a short amount of time on gravel on the side of the road is available. A ladder is a necessity to be able to photograph unrestricted by fence and be at apron height. |
| WHAT | Allow you to photograph Qantas Aircraft parked on the Hangar 3 apron, or being worked on in the maintenance hangar |
| TIME | Mornings are perfect light wise. |
| MISC. | Using a 3 step ladder to get up to the apron level. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Minium 18mm, maximum 200mm+ or more if need be. |
Fire Station - 19L rotation, 01R touchdown
| WHERE | Located at the end of Baeckea Street directly off Pandanus Avenue. An entire carpark is available by taking the second right hand turn and entering the first driveway on the left. A (3-step) ladder is necessary for photography at this location, but photographing through the fence is do-able as well. |
| WHAT | One of the best locations to photograph aircraft departing and arriving. Both runway operations are available for photography; but runway 19L rotation shots, and runway 01R touch down shots are not available due to the fire station itself. |
| TIME | Best light is in the morning. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby. Fence is very tricky to shoot thru, so ladder highly recommended! Security may pop up quickly though.
Be advised that it is difficult at this location to get good side-on shots. You will only have a clear line of at at exactly 90° angle, which is obstructed on both sides, so you will only get very few shots per movements, making it also difficult to track airplanes and choose the correct focal length. Furthermore you will have a few obstancles in signposts in your picture, however these can be easily removed durng editing. Be careful, there is one signpost right infront of the RWY, which might obstruct main gear if you are not careful. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | A B747 is roughly 130mm and a B738 just above 200mm. |
Nauru Airlines Hangar - Nauru Apron
| WHERE | This spot is nothing else than the fence just north and south of the Nauru Airlines Hangar. Simply park in front of the hangar, head for the fence, quickly take some shots with live view over the fence and leave again… |
| WHAT | The apron in front of the Nauru Airlines hangar. |
| TIME | Best light is in the morning. |
| MISC. | Quickly take your pictures with live view and leave again, do not use a ladder! Nothing around. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | 18-50mm B737 directly in front = 24mm |
Field - 19L approach
| WHERE | You can get there only by car. From the M1 follow Kingsford Smith Drive, Main Myrtletown Road and Main Beach Road to the end and turn left in front of tge sewage treatment plant. You can drive a dirt until you get to a grassy area. Walk through the grass until you get to the fence. |
| WHAT | Aircraft approaching RWY 19L. The spot is pretty far away from the runway, so you can only get a 90° angle for your photos. |
| TIME | Best light is in the morning until ~10-11 o’clock. |
| MISC. | There is nothing nearby. A ladder is required and heat haze can become a problem on hot days, although it’s mostly okay till 12 o’clock and then the sun is on the other side anyway. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Big lenses are recommended -> 400-600mm |
Bikeway - 01L arrivals and 19R departures
| WHERE | This spot is situated along the Kedron Brook Bikeway. To access this spot, you need to walk or ride from a bike path entrance (closest being Nudgee Rd). There are limited spots of parking at Nudgee Golf Club however, its recommended that you walk or ride a bike. |
| WHAT | Arrivals for 01L and heavy departures from 19R. |
| TIME | Best light conditions are in the afternoon till sunset. |
| MISC. | Toilets are commonly found along the bikeway, however none nearby. No Ladder needed. |
| FOCAL LENGTH | Departure: A330 – 195mm; 737 – 250 mm Arrival: 77W – 200mm |
Air Park 2 - 01L arrivals and 19R heavy departures
| WHERE | The location is at the airport’s “Air Park 2”. You can stay outside at the dead end of Bert Hinkler on the sidewalk or within the car park. This all depends on your preferred angel. Parking is available at Air Park 2 and is free for under 1 hour. This spot can also be also accessed by BNE shuttle busses from Domestic and International Terminals. |
| WHAT | Arrivals for 01L and heavy departures from 19R. For latter it is better to stay within the car park for a better angel. |
| TIME | Best times are sunrise till noontime. |
| MISC. | No ladders needed, no fence present. Toilets nearby at Air Park Stop D. Vending machine for snacks and drinks inside the nearby bus stop (Air Park Stop D) Plenty of options for Food and drinks and additional toilets at the nearby BNE service centre on Nancy Bird Way |
| FOCAL LENGTH | A380 – 19R departure – 144mm Full Frame A340 – 01L Arrival – 85mm Full Frame Fokker and B737 – 01L Arrival – 120-130mm Full Frame (cropped from 85mm) |
If your taking photos from the carpark make sure to pack a 600mm lens and not a 300mm, as i had some difficulty taking even those photos
Spot 10 is actually still accessible in the most part. There is a 10m wide grass section between the building fence and the airport fence which you can walk along.
I would be happy to provide updated info for RWY19R/01L too.
Thank you for your offer! Please contact us at ” info@spotterguide.net ” with the informations about the new runway at BNE and we will add it to the guide.
Best regards
Some additional info that may help – Car is not required for all locations – public transport is available for spots 3-6 (Train from City and Suburbs, Free Shuttle Bus from Skygate/DFO), also Spots 7-11 Translink Bus 590 Operates 7 Days a week.
Location for New Runway 19R/01L – Kedron Brook Bikeway Opposite Schulz Canal, access by bike or on foot only. Nearest public carpark Nudgee Beach Boat Ramp. Sufficient space beside path for spotting. Light conditions as for Spot 1, best from late morning onwards. Runway itself isn’t visible due to trees, good for 01L approach and 19R departures. 135mm lens is ok for 19R departures, 200+ recommended for 01L arrivials due to distance. No seats or facilities here. Beware of snakes during summer, mosquitos present all year round.
In my view Brisbane Airport is the best spotter friendly airport in the country. It gets a great mix of airlines and aircraft, and busy enough to make for a rewarding spotting day. I make a number of trips there each year. One motel not mentioned above that I stay at, and highly recommend, is the Airport Hacienda Motel – 560 Kingsford Smith Drive, Hamilton. It is an 8km drive to ‘the loop’. The staff are very friendly and are happy for guests to use their ladder for spotting should you require one.