G20 security closing Brisbane Airport viewing area to plane spotters

PLANE spotters will have their work cut out for them if they are to catch a glimpse of prized presidential jets landing in Brisbane for next month’s G20 summit.

PUNTERS hoping to catch a glimpse of world leaders arriving for the G20 summit are out of luck with Brisbane Airport set to close the viewing area days before the presidential jets touch down.

The closest most people are likely to get to Air Force One and the Russian president’s Ilyushin jet, is the hills of Ascot or Eagle Farm industrial estate.

Dedicated plane spotters who regularly gather at the Acacia Street viewing site at Brisbane Airport may be accommodated elsewhere, but any “special arrangements” for the aviation photographers will be kept confidential.

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Plane spotters ... regularly gather at the Acacia Street viewing area at Brisbane Airport to snap aircraft of interest. Picture: News Corp Australia

All but a few world leaders will be ushered in through a $3 million custom built facility at the old international terminal some distance from the existing airport.

Long-time plane spotter Beau Chenery said there was a group of about 200 aviation photographers who had a good relationship with Brisbane Airport and would keep any confidences.

“I know their first and foremost priority is security and the aviation community is aware of this and well behind that,” Mr Chenery said.

Although the US President’s Air Force One is considered the most highly prized sight among plane spotters, aircraft used by other world leaders are also expected to generate interest.

Air Force One is a highly prized picture among plane spotters. Picture: AFP

These include the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Ilyushin II-96-300PU with “Россия” emblazoned across the upper side.

Among the most striking are the German Chancellor’s A340-313X VIP named the Konrad Adenauer, Canada’s sleek black Challenger 601, and the Boeing 747 known as “Air India One”.

Aviation enthusiasts will also be looking out for “Avion Presidente Benito Juarez” — the Boeing 757-225 which is the Mexican equivalent of Air Force One.

Tight security ... the G20 Operations Centre at Brisbane Airport. Picture: Tara Croser

The jet is in its final year of service for Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto who has controversially ordered a new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner at a cost of $584 million.

About three leaders are expected to use commercial flights to get to Brisbane including Singapore’s Prime Minister who generally travels up the front on Singapore Airlines.

Mr Chenery said in the absence of a dedicated viewing area, the best bet would be to keep an eye on the approach path from a vantage point at Portside or Ascot.

“The aviation community more often than not takes photos of aircraft outside airport property so it’s not a huge concern to us,” he said.

Other advice posted by the BAC about the G20 points out that arrival and departure times of the leaders’ aircraft will not be made public.

Most leaders are due to arrive on Friday November 14, and leave late on Sunday November 16.

Additional security will also ensure groups of people do not gather outside the terminals to view the leaders’ aircraft.