Luxembourg-Findel International Airport
Encyclopedia
Findel Airport is the main airport in Luxembourg
.
It is Luxembourg's only international airport and is the only airport in the country with a paved runway. It is located 3.25 NM away from Luxembourg City
.
The airport is completely international as there are no other commercial airports in the country. In 2010, it handled over 1.6 million passengers, an increase of 5.1% over the previous year.
Luxair
, Luxembourg's international airline and Cargolux
, a cargo-only airline, have their head offices on the airport property.
By cargo tonnage, Findel ranked as Europe’s 5th and the world’s 28th busiest
in 2010.
assigned Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53), a Messerschmitt Bf 109
fighter unit to the airport. JG 53 was engaged in combat against the French and British Expeditionary Force in France
during the Battle of France
in May and June. In additive, Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) also operated Bf 109s from Sandweiler during the Blitzkrieg
. JG 52 moved into France on 29 May, however JG 53 remained in Luxembourg until 18 August until moving closer to the English Channel
to take part in the Battle of Britain
.
Sandweiler Airport remained unused by the Luftwaffe until September 1944, when a reconnaissance unit, Aufklärungsgruppe 123 (AKG 123) was assigned to the airport which flew the Henschel Hs 126
, a two-seat reconnaissance and observation aircraft. AKG 123 moved east into Germany after only a few days when the United States Army moved through Luxembourg and cleared the country of the occupying German forces.
combat aircraft. The airfield was designated as Advanced Landing Ground
"A-97" Sandweiler and was opened on 18 September. The Ninth Air Force
363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group operated a variety of photo-reconnaissance aircraft until 29 October 1944 when they also moved east into Germany.
Sandweiler Airport was used by the Americans for the rest of the war as a transport supply airfield and also to evacuate combat casualties to England. It was returned to Luxembourg control on 15 August 1945.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
.
It is Luxembourg's only international airport and is the only airport in the country with a paved runway. It is located 3.25 NM away from Luxembourg City
Luxembourg (city)
The city of Luxembourg , also known as Luxembourg City , is a commune with city status, and the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is located at the confluence of the Alzette and Pétrusse Rivers in southern Luxembourg...
.
The airport is completely international as there are no other commercial airports in the country. In 2010, it handled over 1.6 million passengers, an increase of 5.1% over the previous year.
Luxair
Luxair
Luxair S.A., Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne, operating as Luxair, is the flag carrier airline of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It operates scheduled services to 50 destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East, plus charter and seasonal summer services....
, Luxembourg's international airline and Cargolux
Cargolux
Cargolux Airlines International S.A., trading as Cargolux, is a cargo airline with its head office on the grounds of Luxembourg – Findel Airport in Sandweiler, Luxembourg. It is one of the largest scheduled all-cargo airlines in Europe with a global network...
, a cargo-only airline, have their head offices on the airport property.
By cargo tonnage, Findel ranked as Europe’s 5th and the world’s 28th busiest
World's busiest airports by cargo traffic
The world's thirty busiest airports by cargo traffic for various periods . Numbers listed refer to loaded and unloaded freight in metric tonnes.-2010 final statistics:...
in 2010.
Airlines and destinations
Cargo airlines
History
The airport was originally known as "Sandweiler Airport", and was opened in the 1930s as a small grass airfield with a relatively short, 3400' (1000m) runway.German use during World War II
Neutral Luxembourg was invaded by Germany on 10 May 1940, and on 21 May, the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
assigned Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53), a Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
fighter unit to the airport. JG 53 was engaged in combat against the French and British Expeditionary Force in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in May and June. In additive, Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) also operated Bf 109s from Sandweiler during the Blitzkrieg
Blitzkrieg
For other uses of the word, see: Blitzkrieg Blitzkrieg is an anglicized word describing all-motorised force concentration of tanks, infantry, artillery, combat engineers and air power, concentrating overwhelming force at high speed to break through enemy lines, and, once the lines are broken,...
. JG 52 moved into France on 29 May, however JG 53 remained in Luxembourg until 18 August until moving closer to the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to take part in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
.
Sandweiler Airport remained unused by the Luftwaffe until September 1944, when a reconnaissance unit, Aufklärungsgruppe 123 (AKG 123) was assigned to the airport which flew the Henschel Hs 126
Henschel Hs 126
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Green, William. Warplanes of the Third Reich. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishers Ltd., 1970 . ISBN 0-356-02382-6....
, a two-seat reconnaissance and observation aircraft. AKG 123 moved east into Germany after only a few days when the United States Army moved through Luxembourg and cleared the country of the occupying German forces.
Allied use
United States Army combat engineers arrived at Sandweiler in mid September 1944 and performed some minor reconstruction to prepare the airfield for Ninth Air ForceNinth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
combat aircraft. The airfield was designated as Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
"A-97" Sandweiler and was opened on 18 September. The Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
363d Tactical Reconnaissance Group operated a variety of photo-reconnaissance aircraft until 29 October 1944 when they also moved east into Germany.
Sandweiler Airport was used by the Americans for the rest of the war as a transport supply airfield and also to evacuate combat casualties to England. It was returned to Luxembourg control on 15 August 1945.
Incidents and accidents
- On 22 December 1969, Vickers ViscountVickers ViscountThe Vickers Viscount was a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world...
LX-LGC of LuxairLuxairLuxair S.A., Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne, operating as Luxair, is the flag carrier airline of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It operates scheduled services to 50 destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East, plus charter and seasonal summer services....
was damaged beyond economic repair when it ran off the runway and the nose wheel collapsed. - On 6 November 2002, Luxair Flight 9642Luxair Flight 9642Luxair Flight 9642 was a flight from Tempelhof International Airport, Berlin, Germany, to Luxembourg-Findel, Niederanven, Luxembourg, near Luxembourg City....
, Fokker 50 (registration LX-LGB) was flying from BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and crashed in a field near the village of NiederanvenNiederanvenNiederanven is a commune and town in Luxembourg. Its population is 5,440 and it is located north-east of Luxembourg City, adjacent to the Luxembourg-Findel International Airport .-Overview:...
during its final approach to Luxembourg airport. 20 passengers and crew lost their lives, including artist Michel MajerusMichel MajerusMichel Majerus was a Luxemburgian artist whose work combined painting with digital media.His work was featured in a number of solo and group exhibitions in Europe and North America, most notably the "Pop Reloaded" exhibition in Los Angeles....
. - On 21 January 2010, CargoluxCargoluxCargolux Airlines International S.A., trading as Cargolux, is a cargo airline with its head office on the grounds of Luxembourg – Findel Airport in Sandweiler, Luxembourg. It is one of the largest scheduled all-cargo airlines in Europe with a global network...
Flight 7933Cargolux Flight 7933Cargolux Flight 7933 was a cargo flight which was involved in an accident on 21 January 2010 in which it landed on a vehicle that was on an active runway. The vehicle suffered major damage while the aircraft had damage to a tyre. Three investigations were launched into the incident.-Aircraft...
, operated by Boeing 747-400Boeing 747-400The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
LX-OCV struck a vehicle on landing. The van suffered major damage and the aircraft sustained a damaged tyre. Three investigations have been launched into the incident.
See also
- World's busiest airports by cargo trafficWorld's busiest airports by cargo trafficThe world's thirty busiest airports by cargo traffic for various periods . Numbers listed refer to loaded and unloaded freight in metric tonnes.-2010 final statistics:...
- Advanced Landing Ground