Spotter

Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA / OIIE) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor

Tehran, Iran, Islamic Republic of

Imam Khomeini

IKA/OIIE

Updated Wed 28 Oct, 01:22 local

Active runway
29R / 29L

Wind vector · +8 kt headwind

METAR wind
330° @ 10 kt

VFR

Best spot
Short final 29R - sunny side

Night

Sun
49° / -59°

Sunrise in 5h 2m

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Best Imam Khomeini (IKA) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle

Live weather

VFR

330° @ 10 kt

16°C · 10+ km · 1023 hPa

CAVOK

Wed 28 Oct, 01:22 localAz 49° · El -59°Night

Sunrise in 5h 2m

+0h

Runway alerts for Imam Khomeini International Airport

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Spotting guideRunway windsATC frequencies

Lighting schedule

Morning 07:00-11:00, midday 11:00-14:00, afternoon 14:00-18:00 at IKA, scored from each spot's view bearing.

Spotting LocationMorning (07:00-11:00)Midday (11:00-14:00)Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00)JetPhotos / Camera Note
Short final 29R - sunny side

Runway 29R

SIDE LIGHTSIDE LIGHTBACKLIT / GLARERecommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-09:00 local. Avoid 15:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
Short final 29L - sunny side

Runway 29L

CLEAN FRONT LIGHTSIDE LIGHTSIDE LIGHTRecommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.
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Frequently asked questions about plane spotting at Imam Khomeini (IKA/OIIE)

Which runway is active at Imam Khomeini (IKA/OIIE) right now?

As of Wed 28 Oct, 00:30 local, the METAR/TAF wind vector predicts landing and departure 29R+29L. The METAR wind is 330° at 10 kt. 29R shows +7.5 kt headwind and 6.6 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: none listed.

Where is the best place to plane spot at Imam Khomeini (IKA) in the morning vs. afternoon?

At 08:00 local the sun is at 121° azimuth and 17° elevation. Short final 29L - sunny side scores 92/100, 1234 m from runway 29L, view bearing 318.3°, best as a morning spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 243° and 14°. Short final 29L - sunny side scores 76/100 on a 318.3° view. Morning and afternoon picks follow that bearing: a view that wants the sun in the east is a morning spot, and a view that wants it in the west is an afternoon spot.

What is the best time to plane spot at Imam Khomeini International Airport?

The best time to plane spot at Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA/OIIE) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: Short final 29L - sunny side. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 0 of 2 spotting locations. Read the Best Time of Day & Lighting Schedule by Spot table for the lens and the hours to avoid harsh backlit contrast.

What is the sun direction at OIIE spotting locations?

OIIE spotting locations sun direction: Short final 29R - sunny side (runway 29R) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-09:00 local. Avoid 15:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. Short final 29L - sunny side (runway 29L) is CLEAN FRONT LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 07:00-13:00 local. No harsh backlit window between 07:00 and 18:00.

What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at Imam Khomeini (IKA)?

Short final 29R - sunny side is 1233 m from the 29R centerline, so the lens is 150-600mm. The bands are fixed from that distance: 70-200mm inside 250 m, 100-400mm from 250 m to 450 m, and 150-600mm beyond 450 m. The aircraft itself is about 573 m from this pin on a 700 m final.

What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at Imam Khomeini (OIIE)?

Monitor Tower 118.7 MHz, Ground 121.6 MHz, ATIS 127.2 MHz. Online streams lag by 30 seconds or more. A handheld VHF airband scanner at the fence is the zero-delay way to hear a runway change on Tower 118.7 MHz.

How do I know when Imam Khomeini (IKA) switches active runways?

No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 330° at 10 kt, so 29R remains the favored arrival. The $3/mo Telegram Runway-Shift Alert pings you when D-ATIS or the METAR wind vector changes the active runway: https://planespottingmap.com/airport/OIIE#runway-alerts