Plane spotting at BER: north and south runway spots, getting there, and traffic

As of October 2026 – BER has a bad reputation for how it came into being, but among spotters it has settled in quite well. Two widely separated runways, a terminal in between, fields and villages all around: if you know where to stand in which wind, you can get fairly close to takeoffs and landings here. This guide explains how plane spotting at BER works – from the observation deck to the spots at the north and south runways, plus getting there, light and the traffic you can realistically expect.

Plane spotting at BER: the short answer

For an easy start, take the train to Terminal 1 and go up to the observation deck – there you see the apron, gates and taxiing traffic. For takeoffs and landings up close you have to go to the fence at the runway ends: in a west wind (runway direction 24) mainly to the east toward Selchow and Kiekebusch, in an east wind (runway direction 06) to the west toward Waßmannsdorf. For most of these spots you need a car or a bike.

The layout: north runway, south runway and what lies between

Berlin Brandenburg Airport sits on Berlin’s southern city limits, within the municipality of Schönefeld. Two parallel runways run in an east-west direction, about 1,900 meters apart:

• The north runway 06L/24R is 3,600 meters long. It is the extended former runway of the old Schönefeld airport. To the north lie the old Schönefeld terminal area and, farther west, the village of Waßmannsdorf.
• The south runway 06R/24L is the longer one at 4,000 meters and was newly built for BER. To the south there are mostly fields and field paths.
• Between the runways are Terminal 1 with its main, north and south piers, Terminal 2, the aprons and the maintenance hangars. On the eastern edge of the grounds lies the village of Selchow, which the L75 state road passes.

One thing many people stumble over: since October 3, 2024, the runways carry new numbers. 07L/25R became 06L/24R, and 07R/25L became 06R/24L. The reason is the slow shift of the Earth’s magnetic field – nothing has changed about the flight paths. Many spotter guides, maps and photo descriptions online still use the old designations, though. How runway numbers come about in the first place is explained in the article Runway designations at airports.

Runway direction in use: the key to the right spot

Aircraft take off and land into the wind. At BER that means:

• Runway direction 24 (west wind): Aircraft approach from the east and take off toward the west. This is the more common case because westerly weather patterns dominate in Germany.
• Runway direction 06 (east wind): Approaches come from the west, takeoffs head east. Typical of stable high-pressure situations with an east wind, often in clear weather.

For you as a spotter, this is the most important piece of information of the day. At an approach spot in the east you are in the middle of the action with direction 24, while with direction 06 you only see takeoffs there, which are often already at higher altitude. The basics are covered in the guide Understanding runway direction in use at airports; how to estimate the wind the day before on a weather map is shown in the article Windy and other weather maps for spotters.

There is also a second rule of thumb specific to BER. Spotter guides pass on, citing air traffic control, that landing aircraft mostly use the runway closer to their later parking position: flights for the north part of the terminal usually land on the north runway, flights for the south part on the south runway. This is not a fixed rule – a different runway can be assigned at any time for operational reasons. But if you want to catch a particular aircraft, it is worth watching the live flight tracker on final approach. How that works is described in the guide Flight tracking with ADS-B for spotters.

Runway direction in use	Landings come from	Good spots for landings	Good spots for takeoffs
24 (west wind, more common)	East	Selchow (north runway), Kiekebusch and fields in the east (south runway)	West, for example on the field paths in the southwest
06 (east wind)	West	Waßmannsdorf (north runway), golf course area in the west (south runway)	East, for example near Selchow

Spot 1: the observation deck on Terminal 1

The only official viewing point is the observation deck on the roof of Terminal 1. You reach it via the check-in hall on level 2. According to the airport, it is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., is located outside the security area and costs 3 euros per person for a fixed 90-minute time slot. In bad weather or in case of technical problems it can be closed – check the airport’s website briefly on the day of your visit.

What you see from up there is mostly apron operations: docking, handling, pushback and taxiing. The two runways lie to the left and right at a considerable distance, and takeoffs and landings only fill the frame from here with a lot of focal length. Spotters also report glass panes on at least part of the terrace. Even so, it is ideal as a starting point: you get to know the airport, see which airlines are there today, and can practice types and registrations in peace.

The spots at the north runway (06L/24R)

Selchow in the east

At the east end of the north runway lies the village of Selchow. Spotter guides describe an earth mound on the edge of the village with a view of approaches to the north runway. Because the mound is at the east end, it mainly suits landings from the east in runway direction 24; the runway information in the guides is not entirely clear at this point, so look at the layout on site. Focal lengths between roughly 100 and 300 millimeters are enough here. On the other side of the L75 there are spots at the fence with a view of taxiways and holding points. According to an update in the spotter guide, a new building has blocked part of the taxiway view there since 2025 – check on site what is still clear.

Selchow is one of the few fence spots with some infrastructure: there is food nearby, and according to the spotter guide a bus stops in the village. You should park in the village without blocking driveways or field paths.

Waßmannsdorf in the northwest

At the west end of the north runway lies Waßmannsdorf. Spotter guides mention an earth mound on federal road 96a at the eastern edge of the village. From there you see landings and takeoffs on 06L as well as aircraft taxiing to the takeoff on 06L. In west operations, mostly late rotations from 24R remain. Because you stand north of the runway looking south, the light is usable mainly early on summer mornings and in the evening from about 6 p.m., according to the spotter guide – at midday you shoot into the backlight.

A field path along the fence between the village and the former Schönefeld terminal area additionally offers a view of the north pier and of taxiing traffic. Handy: Waßmannsdorf has its own S-Bahn station on the line to the airport. Whether the walk to the spot suits you is something to check on the map beforehand.

Around the terminal

Spotter guides also mention the top level of the connection between parking garages P7 and P8 at the terminal. From there you see movements on the north runway and the nearby taxiways, while landings on the south runway are far away. Parking there costs money, and light poles can get in the way. For landings on 24R, spots along Jürgen-Schumann-Allee and Schwarzer Weg are also mentioned. At roadsides, pay special attention to traffic and stay behind guardrails.

The spots at the south runway (06R/24L)

South of the south runway lies mostly open country. For spotters that has a big advantage: you stand south of the runway, look north and have the sun behind you during the day. For several spots at the south runway, spotter guides give a light window of roughly 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in summer. The downside: there is practically no infrastructure there, and you can hardly get there without a vehicle.

In the east: Kiekebusch and the fields along the L402

In west operations, landings on 24L come in over the fields east of the airport. Spotter guides describe a location near Kiekebusch, reachable via the L402, as well as a spot at a small ditch where you see landings, takeoffs and aircraft lining up on the runway. Light poles and the fence can intrude into the frame at individual spots; at the ditch a small earth mound helps. Focal lengths of 70 to 200 millimeters are often enough.

Along the runway: field paths and hunting stand

Along the south runway, spotter guides mention several field paths at the fence from which you can follow everything happening on 06R/24L – partly only with a ladder, because the fence is high. A wooden hunting stand on a path parallel to the fence is also mentioned, with room for a few people. At one spot, according to an update from September 2025, a solar park has changed the situation: you can no longer park there as you used to, and the area is monitored by camera. Changes like this show why you shouldn’t blindly rely on old route descriptions at BER.

In the west: golf course area and southwest corner

In east operations, aircraft land on 06R over the terrain west of the airport. Spotter guides name a location on the edge of a golf course as well as a field path at the southwest corner of the grounds, where you photograph evening landings on 24L and early-morning lineups in west operations. The routes there are hard to describe – take a map and plan some time for searching.

Light at BER: the rules of thumb

Because both runways run east-west, the classic rule for central Europe applies: you do better south of a runway. There you look north, and the sun is behind you during the day. North of a runway – in Waßmannsdorf, for example, or at spots on the northern edge – you shoot into the backlight around midday and only get side light early in the morning and in the evening. In summer, when the sun rises in the northeast and sets in the northwest, these northern spots work best at the edges of the day.

For the terrace, spotters report that the light on the gates is good from morning into the afternoon. Since it only opens at 8 a.m., a morning slot is usually the safest choice. You can work out the sun position for your visit day beforehand with the guide Planning sun position at the photo spot. On warm days, heat haze over the long asphalt and concrete surfaces additionally slows you down – at long distances, images then lose a lot of sharpness.

Getting there: train to the terminal, vehicle to the fence

Getting to the terminal is easy. Flughafen BER station sits right under Terminal 1. The airport express FEX runs every 15 minutes during the day via Südkreuz and Potsdamer Platz to Berlin Hauptbahnhof, and several regional train lines and the S-Bahn also stop here, including the S9. The airport is in fare zone C of the Berlin-Brandenburg transport association; with a ticket only for zones A and B you need an extension ticket. The Deutschlandticket (Germany-wide monthly transit pass) is valid on regional trains.

It looks different for the spots at the fence. Spotter guides call a car or bike almost indispensable. Individual points such as Selchow or the maintenance hangars can be reached by bus, Waßmannsdorf via its own S-Bahn station. You can realistically only reach the field paths along the south runway with a vehicle. A bike is a good choice at BER: the distances between spots are too big for pedestrians but doable by bike – and you can switch sides when the wind turns. General planning tips can be found in the article Getting to the spot by public transit or car.

What flies at BER

BER is not a hub but an airport for European traffic. In 2025 it counted a good 26 million passengers and around 193,000 takeoffs and landings. Low-cost carriers have the biggest share, joined by network airlines connecting Berlin with their hubs, as well as leisure airlines.

• Low-cost: easyJet, Wizz Air and, so far in large numbers, Ryanair.
• Network: Lufthansa, Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, KLM and many more from Europe.
• Leisure traffic: Condor, Sundair, SunExpress and others – much stronger in the summer schedule.
• Long-haul: According to schedule overviews, among others Qatar Airways to Doha, United Airlines to Newark and Hainan Airlines to Beijing, seasonally Delta. On a normal day, a widebody remains the exception.

For your type list that means: the Airbus A320neo and its family as well as the Boeing 737-800 dominate. In between you will find regional aircraft and the Airbus A220-300. A good training ground for telling variants apart, such as A320neo and ceo.

The highlight: government aircraft

A special feature of the capital airport: the German Ministry of Defense’s Flugbereitschaft (government air fleet) uses its own site with a government terminal at BER. State guests visiting the capital come in as well. There are no fixed schedules for these, but with a bit of research and a live flight tracker you catch an aircraft again and again. How to go about it is described in the article Spotting government aircraft.

Your spotting day at BER in six steps

For the schedule check, the article Using arrivals and departures boards for spotting helps. If you’re waiting for a specific registration, an alert serves you better than constantly checking.

Berlin for spotters beyond BER

If you’re already in Berlin, you can extend the day with aviation history. The German Museum of Technology Berlin shows a large aviation department, and at the former Gatow airfield in the west of the city lies the Military History Museum with its aircraft collection. For the history of Berlin’s airports, take a look at Tegel and the Berlin Airlift. And every two years, the grounds at BER become the stage for the ILA Berlin.

If you’re looking for more destinations in Germany, you’ll find an overview in the best plane spotting spots in Germany. In eastern Germany, the observation deck at Leipzig/Halle Airport with its nighttime cargo traffic and the terrace in Dresden make good additions; the guides to Leipzig/Halle and Dresden go into more detail.

Conclusion

BER rewards planning. The observation deck is the comfortable, legal starting point with a rail connection right under the terminal – but it is an apron spot, not a runway spot. If you want takeoffs and landings up close, you have to go to the runway ends: in a west wind to the east at Selchow and Kiekebusch, in an east wind to the west at Waßmannsdorf. South of the runways the light is better during the day, north of them more at the edges of the day. With a car or bike, a look at wind and flight tracking, and some patience for the occasional long-haul flight and government aircraft, a day at BER turns out much more rewarding than its reputation suggests.