GLOBAL SPOTTING REPORTS
SAUDI ARABIA
Jeddah – Dec 2019
LANDSIDE
AIRSIDE
You are permitted to transit through Saudi Arabia for upto 18 hours without obtaining a visa last time I checked. This is your best option of visiting these airports unless you can get a visa through work.
A brand new terminal has just opened however it seems that Saudia are still using the old terminal for international flights.
All aircraft currently park on remote stands which can allow for a beneficial bus drive to and from the terminal. The terminal has good window views of the ramp and most of the Saudi aircraft will taxi past you meaning you don’t need binoculars for this stuff. Other airlines and executive aircraft are likely to use the far taxiway.
It looks like the new terminal would have good views with aircraft parking on stands.
This is a very large airport with lots of aircraft parked all over. Expect to miss most of it. A left seat on arrival and right for departure are your best bets at viewing whats around. Take a look at google earth to get an idea of where things are.
Stored on the Government ramp:
HZ-HM7 MD11
HZ-AFAS MD11
2 B74SPs - looked like HZ-HM1B and HM1C from blurry photos
HZ-HMS2 A340
HZ-124 A340
MD11 stored on cargo - HZ-ANA according to my database
Stored on the Ramps:
HZ-AKQ B777
HZ-AKU B777
HZ-AKV B777
N777AS B777
Stored alongside and to the north east on runway 16R. My photos show exactly the same as recent google earth images. Unfortunately not good enough to get registrations:
From south to North:
MD90 A/W
Gulfstream A/W - Looks like HZ-RC3 previously reported here
Gulfstream cls - Matches HZ-PCA previously reported here
Gulfstream blue tail and wingtip tanks - Matches HZ-AFK previously reported here
Gulfstream A/W and wingtip tanks - Possibly HZ-HA1
B1-11 - Matches HZ-ABM2 previously reported here
B741 - Basic SV cls ( Cream upper body, white tail) - A few where stored here previously?
Falcon
B743 - Red Tail - Matches C5-SAG previously reported here
B727 - Executive scheme matches HZ-RKR previously reported here
A330 - A/W with red wing tips?
E170 SV
E170 SV
B772 SV
B732 - Basic SV cls - HZ-AGR previously reported here
E170 SV
E170 SV
E170 SV
A300 - Basic SV - HZ-AJB previously reported here
Gulfstream
B772 SV
Gulfstream
Gulfstream
HOTELS
WHAT TO EXPECT
A good number of the Saudi fleet can be seen depending on how long you transit for along with several FlyaDeal. Other than that a few Nas Air flights and the occasional other airline make up the rest. Worthwhile for the old stored aircraft if you need them and you may be able to identify some of the executive aircraft on departure or arrival.
Riyadh – Jul 2018
LANDSIDE
AIRSIDE
You are permitted to transit through Saudi Arabia for upto 18 hours without obtaining a visa. This is your best option of visiting these airports unless you can get a visa through work. You can now book on Saudis own website.
The airport is divided into 4 parts, shaped like 4 V’s - VVVV. Two used to be domestic but are now closed with a new domestic terminal about a kilometer up the road. The other two are international. You can walk inbetween the 2 international terminals and all aircraft can be eyeballed. Not that they park many aircraft on stand here. The new domestic terminal meant that without the use of binoculars I didn’t log any. All departures went on the runway in front of me but very little taxied past.
The executive aircraft park on the other side of this runway and again require the use of a good pair of binoculars to have any chance. I took some photos on departure to try and identify them. Next to these are 11 Saudi B777s in storage.
Government aircraft park on the opposite side of the airfield ( behind you ) and are unlikely to be seen.
HOTELS
WHAT TO EXPECT
Dominated by Saudi you can expect to see a good portion of the fleet with a long transit. Nas Air also have a number of flights with one or two from the other domestic carriers. You will have to rely on the use of flightradar24 playback though if you want them.
Both Syrianair B747 SP’s are still WFU here along with the 11 Saudi B777s. Looks like all the other stuff has gone.
