Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
| Continent: North America | Country: United States | Region: Florida |
| Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport | |
| Location | Fort Lauderdale, Florida |
| IATA code | FLL |
| ICAO code | KFLL |
| Airport type | Commercial |
| Website | http://www.broward.org/airport/ |
| Overview map | Google Maps |
| Communications | |
| Tower | |
| Ground | |
| Clearance | |
| Approach | |
| ATIS | |
| Plane Spotting Hotels guide | |
The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is a primarily-domestic commercial airport in the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The airport sees heavy traffic from all US domestic carriers with a heavy presence from Low Cost Carriers such as Southwest, JetBlue, and Spirit. International flights are provided by the likes of Bahamasair, Air Transat, Norwegian, and Azul. FLL offers multiple excellent spotting areas and very frequent traffic, albeit mostly domestic narrowbodies. Combined with the nearby Miami International Airport, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, and Opa-locka Airport, FLL is an integral part of one of the best spotting regions in the United States.
Official Spotting Locations
Aircraft Viewing Area
FLL's official spotting location is located on SW 39th Street (from SB I-95 exit on Griffin, turn left on S Perimeter Rd and follow the signs). The spotting location is a small parking lot adjacent to the 10L threshold which features loudspeakers playing the airport's local control frequency. For photography, this can be used for 28R departures and 10L operations. For operations on 10L, the airport's fence will obstruct your view from ground level. Many locals bring stepladders or stand atop their vehicles in the parking area to shoot over the fence. The sunlight is decent for photography year round, best during the winter. Runway 10 operations are ideally photographed during the morning, while 28 is best for evening, but you can make due with either operation at most times of the day. For most traffic no more than a 150mm lens is required.
Hibiscus Garage
At the top of the Hibiscus parking structure is another official viewing area where it faces the space between Terminal A and B. This is a good location for aircraft landing/taxiing to 28R as well as 10L departures.
Airport Greenbelt
This old south side viewing spot can now be used for the airport's newest re-constructed runway, 10R-28L. The Airport Greenbelt is now one of the most comfortable, beautiful, and easiest spotting spots in the U.S.!
Enter at the intersection of Griffin Road and NW 10th St, between I-95 and US 1 highways. The park is elevated, giving an unobstructed view of the runway action. In other words - no ladder required! The park runs parallel to the runway for about 2/3 of the length from the west, giving you options for different angles. As an added bonus, trees dot the entire length of the park providing shade from the hot Florida sun. Sun angle is good all day outside of the summer season.
Only 100 mm (full frame) is needed for a side shot of an A320 on the runway!
There no police hassles, as this is an official city park. Joggers, dog walkers, and families enjoying airport views all frequent this park. Hours are sunrise to sunset.
Traffic - expect to see majority of departures and some arrivals for Terminal 4 - JetBlue, Spirit, and some of the international carriers. Majority of the arrivals remain on the northern runway so there can be slow times here. Bizjets, private aircraft, and float plane charters that operate from Sheltair can also be seen here.
Parking lot and viewing platform are located on the western end of the park. Again, there are trees providing shady parking.
Greenbelt Parking Lot
Dedicated Viewing Platform
View of the Path
Views from the viewing platform (western end - 10R approach and line up):
Afternoon sun
Further east from the parking lot:
Taxi out to 10R with skyline
- Airliners.net sample photo: medium large 10R landing
- Airliners.net sample photo: medium large Rolling for takeoff 10R
Even further to the east gives 10R touchdown views:
Same spot as above - climbout from 28L (examples of early morning views):
Same spot as above - landing traffic on 28L will turn off at intersection J5. Position yourself further east of this location so you don’t get a backlit shot such as this in the morning:
Rotation shots from 9R can be had about halfway east from the parking lot.
Viewing across the runway gets city skyline and tails in the background. Though heat haze can be a problem.
Other Spotting Locations
Locations to Avoid
Avoid stopping along the roadways surrounding the airport, especially in the North cargo areas. You will be moved along.
Regular Traffic
Commercial Airlines, Aircraft, and Terminals-Concourses
| Airline | Aircraft | Terminal-Concourse |
| Air Canada | A319, A321, 737 | 2-D |
| Air Canada Rouge | A319, A321, 767-300 | 2-D |
| Air Jamaica | ||
| Air Transat | ||
| Alaska Airlines | 737-800 | 1-C |
| Allegiant Airlines | A319, A320, MD80 | 1-C |
| American Airlines | A319, A320, A321, 737-800 | 3-E and 4-H |
| American Eagle | ||
| Avianca | A320 | 4-H, G |
| Azul Brazilian Airlines | A330-200 | 3-E and 4-H |
| BahamasAir | 737-200, ATR-42-300 (twin-turboprop) | 3-E |
| British Airways (begins July 6, 2016) | ||
| Caribbean Airlines | 737-800 | 4-H,G |
| Condor | ||
| Copa | 737-800 | 4-H, G |
| Delta Air Lines | A319, A320, A321, 717-200, 737-900, 757-200, MD88 | 2-D |
| Delta Connection | CRJ-900 (operated by Endeavor Air) | 2-D |
| Emirates | ||
| Frontier Airlines | A319 | 1-C |
| IBC Airways | Embraer ERJ-145 | 4-H |
| JetBlue | A320, A321, Embraer E190 | 3-F,E and 4-H |
| Norwegian Air Shuttle | 787-800 | |
| Silver Airways | Saab 340 (twin-turboprop) | 1-C, 4-H |
| Southwest Airlines | 737-300, 737-700, 737-800 | 1-B |
| Spirit Airlines | A319, A320, A321 | 4-G,H and 3-F,E |
| Sun Country Airlines | 737-700, 737-800 | 1-C |
| Sunwing Airlines | ||
| TAME | A320 | 4-H |
| United Airlines | A320, 737-800, 737-900 | 1-C |
| Virgin America | A320 | 1-C |
| Volaris
A320 |
4-H | |
| WestJet | 737-700 | 1-C and 4-H |
Air Canada (A319, A321, E175, B767), Air Jamaica (A320, A321, A319), Air Tran (717, 737), Air Transat (A310, A330, though the A330 is rare), AA (MD-80s, 737, 757), American Eagle (ATR), America West (A319, A757), Avianca (757), BahamasAir (737-200), CanJet (737), Delta Connection (E135, E145, CRJ), Cayman (???), Continental (737, 757), Continental Connection (Gulfstream International) (Beech 1900 and other small-time props), Delta, including Song (737, 757, 767), Frontier (A318, A319), Hooters Air (???), JetBlue (A320), Northwest (A319, A321, 757), Midwest (MD-80s, 717), Spirit (MD-80s, A319, A321), Southwest (737), Sun Country (???), United, as Ted (A320), Thomsonfly (???), U.S. Airways (737, A319, A321, 757, E170), Usa 3000 (A320), WestJet (737)
Facilities and Transportation
The Hibiscus garage is easily reached on foot from the main terminal complex, all other locations require an automobile. If visiting FLL, be sure to rent a car and check out the Miami airport, 45 minutes to the South as well.