Planes over Frankfurt right now
Frankfurt Airport, about 12 km south-west of the centre, is Germany’s biggest and the Lufthansa hub.
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Live ADS-B positions within 50 km of central Frankfurt, updated every few seconds. Rings every 10 km.
Airports near Frankfurt
| Airport | Code | Distance from the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Frankfurt Main Airport | FRA / EDDF | 13 km south-west |
What you see in the sky over Frankfurt
Frankfurt’s main runways run east-west, so depending on the wind, arrivals come in over the city and the Offenbach area from the east, or from the west over Mainz and Rüsselsheim. When planes land towards the west, a steady line of arrivals passes over the southern districts of the city.
Lufthansa flies some of the biggest passenger jets here, including the Boeing 747-8 and the Airbus A380, so this is one of the best places in Europe to see four-engine jets. There are also lots of cargo flights.
Frankfurt has a night flight ban from 23:00 to 05:00, so the sky goes quiet late at night and wakes up with a rush of arrivals early in the morning.
Typical traffic
- Frankfurt to New York, Chicago, Tokyo, Singapore and Johannesburg
- Frankfurt to Berlin, Munich, Hamburg and across Europe
- Cargo flights from Lufthansa Cargo and others
Questions about planes over Frankfurt
Why does the sky over Frankfurt go quiet at night?
Frankfurt Airport has a night flight ban from 23:00 to 05:00. You will see a rush of arrivals right after 5 am.
Is that big four-engine plane a 747 or an A380?
Over Frankfurt it could be either; Lufthansa flies both. Tap it on the map to see the exact aircraft type.
Point your phone at it
JetDex is our upcoming app: point your phone at a plane over Frankfurt and it tells you exactly which flight it is. Collect the planes you see and race your friends.