Having had a day unsuccessfully exploring the city of Eindhoven, as well as a jaunt to the Dutch/Belgian border (read about that here), I was back at Eindhoven airport a few hours before my flight and with some time to spare before heading through security. As such, there was only one thing I could reasonably do, check out the viewing terrace at the airport, and see what aircraft I could spot.
Located on the first floor of the terminal building, Eindhoven’s viewing terrace (or ‘Panorama Terrace’ as the airport calls it), can be found by heading up the stairs or lift from the check in area and through ‘La Place’ café/restaurant. The terrace is free to visit and is open from 0600-1900, although I’m unsure if these times vary depending on the season, and with it being open to the elements, I’m sure it is closed in an ad hoc nature if there’s adverse weather. Whilst the terrace is open air, there is tall glass between the terrace and the apron which tilts towards the terrace, making taking photos a bit challenging.
The terrace does provide good views over part of the passenger apron and the threshold for runway 32, however views of part of the passenger apron and the entire military side of the airport are blocked by part of the terminal building. During my visit runway 04 was being used, meaning aircraft were taxiing in from the runway and passing the viewing terrace on their way to their stands. I spent around an hour on the terrace enjoying the sun and saw around 10 aircraft movements during that 1730-1830 window which included a pair of Wizz Air A321s (HA-LXL + HA-LXO), a Transavia B737-800 (PH-HXK) and four Ryanair liveried aircraft, EI-EKP and EI-EVJ of Ryanair itself and 9H-QAG and 9H-QDZ of subsidiary Malta Air. Most interesting of the lot was the Learjet 35A D-CCCB belonging to DRF Luftrettung which arrived from Tangier.
For those familiar with East Midlands Airport in the UK, I got the feeling that Eindhoven Airport was similar to the UK airport in that it had a mix of Low-Cost Carriers and Charter Airlines, supplemented by a strong non-passenger presence (military in the case of EIN, cargo in the case of EMA). Ryanair, Wizz Air, Transavia and TUI all have bases at the airport, with Transavia and TUI having a large seasonal variation in service levels whilst Pegasus Airlines and SunExpress also serve the airport, with flights to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen, Antalya and Izmir between them. Eindhoven is also home to four squadrons of the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNAF), as well as being home to the Movement Coordination Centre Europe and European Air Transport Command.
As the centre of air transport operations for the RNAF, Eindhoven is home to the Airbus A330-MRTTs and Gulfstream G650 of 334 Squadron and the C-130 Hercules’ of 336 Squadron, meaning that spotters can often see military movements or training sorties of these aircraft. Eindhoven also occasionally sees visiting military aircraft from other countries or charter airlines undertaking movements on behalf of the RNAF. Whilst there are other locations around the airport you can spot from, be careful where you take photos from and what you are including in your pictures as understandably the RNAF may not be too keen on some things being included.
If you time your visit during the morning or evening rushes then Eindhoven airport is a great place to spot, however be warned if you time your visit poorly, you may not see many aircraft. The viewing terrace is a good place to spend some time on a sunny day if you get to the airport early before a flight, and is great for spotting, but not so good for photography. But, there are plenty of facilities within the airport and its free to enter, so you don’t really lose anything if you don’t see many movements.
Viewing location 3*
Charge (free) 5*
Facilities 5*
Variety of Traffic 2*
EIN (Panorama Terrace) Overall Score 3.75*
Flights & Times 
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