Tips on Plane Spotting at Oslo Airport

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Oslo Gardermoen is the main airport serving the Norwegian capital, and the busiest in the country for airliner movements.

The airport is a major hub for Scandinavian Airlines, and is also a military base.

For plane spotters there are a number of interesting places to view aircraft and other attractions to keep your interest, so let’s dive in and uncover what there is to see when plane spotting at Oslo Airport…

 

Airlines and Aircraft

Oslo is a hub airport for Scandinavian Airlines, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Norse Atlantic and Wideroe.

Naturally these three carriers dominate daily movements, with their aircraft and liveries a familiar scene at the airport terminal’s gates.

However, Oslo is also served by many other carriers, linking the airport to almost 200 worldwide destinations.  Some highlights for the spotter include:

• Air Premia and Korean Air – seasonal 787 flights to South Korea
• DAT – regional links to Denmark
• Ethiopian Airlines – linking Oslo with Addis Ababa and Stockholm
• Hainan Airlines – Flying to Beijing
• Sunclass Airlines – Scandinavian leisure carrier provides many summer seasonal routes
• Thai Airways International – Links to Bangkok

Some 44 passenger airlines currently fly to Oslo regularly.

 

Cargo Airlines

In addition to passenger services, Oslo is served by around 12 cargo airlines regularly. Among these, highlights include SF Airlines and Beijing Capital Airlines from China, Ethiopian Airlines Cargo, Qatar Cargo and Turkish Cargo.

Smaller airlines using regional cargo aircraft include PopulAir and Sprint Air.

The cargo handling facilities are to the west of the passenger terminal.

 

Military Movements

Long before it became the main passenger gateway to Norway, Gardermoen Airport was a military base. In fact, it was grown into a significant airfield by Nazi Germany in World War II!

Today, it is known as Gardermoen Air Station, with a base of the Royal Norwegian Air Force stationed at facilities in the northern part of the airfield.

It’s common to see Hercules transport aircraft operating here.

 

Plane Spotting Opportunities

If you’re visiting Norway, there are plenty of opportunities for plane spotting at Oslo airport. You’ll find it an interesting airport with a good selection of movements, as detailed above.

The nature of its location means that Oslo is very cold and often snowy in winter. However, the summer and spring can be pleasant times to visit, with long hours of daylight.

Oslo airport has two runways in north-south direction, with the passenger terminal in the centre of the airfield.

Here are some suggested locations to spot from:

1. SAS Museum Terrace
   Alongside the SAS Museum on the western side of the airport is a specially-built spotting terrace. This is open 24 hours, free of charge and gives views over Runway 01L/19R and the freighter ramp in front. You can also see aircraft around the terminal area, but from a distance. You can drive here (address Gardermovegen 1, 2030 Nannestad), or take bus 420 from stand 48 outside the arrivals hall to ‘SAS-museet’.
2. Spotting Mound
   A short distance north of the SAS Museum along the Gardermovegen road and past the GA terminal is a mound in the forest which gives you elevated views of aircraft using Runway 01L/19R. To reach it, go over the roundabout and then turn right into the woods just after (not suitable in snow/mud). It is perfect for landing shots, and you can see across the airfield. It is too distant from the terminal to see much there, however.
3. Eastern Mound
   Alongside Runway 01R/19L is another mound which gives you elevated views of the runway, and across to the International Pier and SAS Hangar. You’ll need a car to reach this location, and it’s best to avoid when there is snow on the ground. Follow the E16 motorway east from the airport, and turn onto the 174 to Jessheim. Take the next exit onto Fv460 where you see McDonalds and some hotels. At the second roundabout turn right onto Vibergvegen. Turn left onto Blikkvegen and follow for 2 miles. You’ll see a dirt track ahead, where you can drive down and park, and climb up for a view of the airport.
4. P10 Car Park
   Walk outside the passenger terminal entrance and look for the multi-storey car park P10. Make your way via the elevators or stairs to the top floor. Head out into the open at the eastern side of the car park and you’ll have a view over some of the international gates and runway 01R/19L.

Two Oslo Aviation Museums

There are two aviation museums at Oslo Gardermoen which are worth a visit.

First, the SAS-Museet is a place where the history of Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) is told. It doesn’t have any aircraft on display, but all manner of memorabilia, photographs and other ephemera. It also has a viewing area alongside (see above).

Gardermovegen 1, 2030 Nannestad, Norway. Open Tuesday and Sunday.

 

Norwegian Armed Forces Collection

This much larger museum is situated just to the west of Oslo airport. It houses an impressive collection of historic aircraft dating from World War I to the present day, with an emphasis on those which have served in the Norwegian armed forces in some way. It includes jets, transports, helicopters and much more.

Museumsvegen 35, 2060 Gardermoen, Norway. See https://www.forsvarshistoriskmuseum.no/

[Read our guide to the Norwegian Armed Forces Collection here]

 

Oslo Spotting Hotels

The best hotel at Oslo Gardermoen for plane spotting is the Radisson Blu Airport Hotel Oslo
Hotelvegen, P.O. Box 163, N – 2061 Gardermoen | +47 63 93 30 00 | www.radissonhotels.com

It is quite expensive, but ideally located. Has many rooms higher up that have views of movements on runways 01L/19R. Hotel can usually accommodate your request.

 

Have you been plane spotting at Oslo Gardermoen? What were your experiences? Leave a comment below!

Title image: Alan Wilson

 

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