Planes over Paris right now
Paris has two big airports, Charles de Gaulle to the north-east and Orly to the south.
Closest planes right now
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Live ADS-B positions within 50 km of central Paris, updated every few seconds. Rings every 10 km.
Airports near Paris
| Airport | Code | Distance from the centre |
|---|---|---|
| Paris-Orly Airport | ORY / LFPO | 14 km south |
| Charles de Gaulle International Airport | CDG / LFPG | 22 km north-east |
| Beauvais-Tillé airport | BVA / LFOB | 69 km north |
What you see in the sky over Paris
Low flights over central Paris are restricted, so planes you see over the city itself are usually a couple of kilometres up or higher. The low traffic is in the suburbs: north-east around Roissy for Charles de Gaulle, and south around Orly.
Charles de Gaulle, about 25 km north-east, is the Air France hub and one of Europe’s busiest airports, with long-haul wide-bodies from every continent. Orly, about 13 km south, handles domestic, Mediterranean and some long-haul flights. Beauvais, much further north, is mostly Ryanair and Wizz Air.
Paris also sits under major routes between the UK, northern Europe, Spain and the south of France, so cruising jets cross high over the city all day.
Typical traffic
- Charles de Gaulle to New York, Montreal, Asia and Africa
- Orly to Nice, Toulouse, Marseille and the French overseas territories
- Beauvais to low-cost European destinations
Questions about planes over Paris
Why are planes over central Paris so high?
Overflying the city at low altitude is restricted, so traffic for Charles de Gaulle and Orly is routed around it. Planes directly over the centre are usually climbing, descending far from the runways, or just passing over.
Is a plane over Paris going to Charles de Gaulle or Orly?
Low to the north-east is usually Charles de Gaulle, low to the south is usually Orly. Tap the plane on the map to see its route.
Point your phone at it
JetDex is our upcoming app: point your phone at a plane over Paris and it tells you exactly which flight it is. Collect the planes you see and race your friends.