Ushuaia Airport - Spotting Guide

Ushuaia Airport – Spotting Guide

October 14, 2024 - last modified on November 21, 2024

Ushuaia Intl. Airport (USH/SAWH) is South America’s southernmost airport located in the breathtaking scenery of the Tierra del Fuego (fireland). It is the main gateway to Tierra del Fuego and thus offers a handful of daily flights to Buenos Aires. In addition, the airport is also used by charter and military flights into the region. All in all the airport handles roughly 800.000 passenger a year.

However, the airport is named “Aeropuerto Internacional de Ushuaia Malvinas Argentinas” while Malvinas means Falkland islands, which are located east of the Argentinian coast in the Atlantic ocean and do belong to the United Kingdom.

The airport was opened back in 1995 on a piled up area/island southeast of the city. North of USH airport you can find the former airport, which is nowadays partly used as Naval station plus lots of helicopters for scenic flights. It may be worth to check that airfield out as well!

Written by Nicolas Eduardo Lerzo (@niko.spotting), Sandra Jeuken and William Emenegildo Dos Santos. Last Update: 2024

Rating
Movements
Airline Variety
Photo Locations
Weather
Airport Information
Runways
07/25	2915 x 45m
Terminals
T1	There is one very beautiful, modern terminal handling all flights.
Spotting Information
Ladder	Helpful at spot 1 and 2, but you can also work thru the mesh or over the fence with live view.
Car/Public Transport	As the spots are just next to the terminal, a car is not needed, you can simply walk over to the fence by foot.
Drinks/Food	Directly in the nearby terminal.
Hotels	Some 3-5km northwest of the airport you will find Ushuaia city with plenty hotels.
Season	Weather is better from October to March with also more traffic.
Security	Spotting is no issue here in general, but maybe be aware once bigger military movements are expected.
Runway Usage
General Info	Depending on the wind, but aircraft will also try to reduce taxiing time, so 07 departures and 25 arrivals are common as well as long wind is weak enough.

	Spot #1 – Fence West – 07 Movements + Ramp + 25 Departures
WHERE	This spot is located along the fence just outside of the terminal building: simply position yourself along the fence front west of the temrinal in the parking/nearby meadow here.

WHAT	From here you can nicely spot aircraft leaving the ramp towards runway 07 prior departure plus heavy 25 climb outs.

TIME	Depends

MISC.	Ladder could be useful, but you can also work with livew view and thru the mesh here. Foreground clutter can be an issue for ramp shots; head haze can be an issue on the runway. All you need is inside the terminal.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-300mm

	Spot #2 – Fence East – Ramp + 25 Movements
WHERE	Just on the other side of the terminal: east of the terminal along the fence front on the meadow here facing the ramp/runway down south.

WHAT	From here you can see the ramp and taxiway in front plus the runway in the back with nice views onto 25 movements.

TIME	Depends on the angle, but in general from March till September all day, from October till February from early/mid-morning till mid/late afternoon. In general better in the afternoon hours.

MISC.	Ladder could be useful, but you can also work with livew view and thru the mesh here. Foreground clutter can be an issue for ramp shots; head haze can be an issue on the runway. All you need is inside the terminal.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-300mm B737 on ramp = 75mm / A320 on runway = 190mm

	Spot #3 – Terminal – Apron
WHERE	This spot is located on the departure floor inside the terminal after security check: there is a huge nice glass front around the gates here offering beautiful views down south.

WHAT	From here you can see the ramp in front.

TIME	Depends on the angle, but in general from March till September all day, from October till February from early/mid-morning till mid/late afternoon.

MISC.	This spot is located inside the terminal AFTER SECURITY CHECK. You shoot thru the glass here, which can be dirty and a bit tanned here. All you need is inside the terminal.

FOCAL LENGTH	50-300mm