Zweibrücken Airport

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Zweibrücken Airport is a German airfield four kilometers southeast of Two Bridges in Rhineland- Palatinate. He is classified as a commercial airport.

Zweibrücken Airport has a 2675 meter long airstrip, which is equipped with an instrument landing system. Due to the geographical obstacle situation and the inadequate approach lighting but only a hint after the All Weather Operations Level CAT I is possible. It has all the modern safety equipment and technical equipment for aircraft handling. A separate police station is available and a new terminal building was taken in early April 2007.

A variety of companies with a focus on aviation, IT, fashion and leisure, including a factory outlet center has settled on the site of the airport or in its immediate vicinity. The glider manufacturers Lange Flugzeugbau is also located here; He is mainly engaged in the production of the first series- glider with electric auxiliary motor (Lange Antares 20E ).

History

Zweibrücken Airport is a former French, Canadian and later American military airfield. The military Zweibrücken Air Base was built in 1951 by the French military and used CF -100 jets in 1952 by the Canadian Air Force F- 86 and Avro Canada. In addition, T-33 trainers were stationed. It was later converted Starfighter F -104 and therefore extends the existing runway of 2,400 m to 2,900. The Starfighter were equipped in the context of QRA standby with nuclear weapons. There were always two machines in a secure area. These nuclear weapons were the United States and were under the control of the U.S. Air Force. 1971, the airfield was taken over by the U.S. Air Force and was stationed 18 RF-4 Phantom reconnaissance aircraft from 1984 and then 18 C-23 Sherpa.

After the withdrawal of American troops in 1991, the airport for civil aviation has been released. The beginning of commercial aviation is difficult to date; the structurally weak region has within numerous other airports: the closest is Saarbrücken (40 km ), Karlsruhe / Baden -Baden ( 105 km) and Strasbourg ( 115 km ), but also Frankfurt ( 170 km ) and the airport in Hahn ( 130 km ), Luxembourg ( 150 km ) and Mannheim (140 km).

With a runway of almost 3000 meters in length, it also has the capacity for large aircraft. End of the 1990s there was a short time flights from Two Bridges to Palma in Majorca. Attempts to bind to two boarding bridges, then failed again and again. In the summer timetable 2004, the Bulgarian budget airline Bexx - Air offered flights to Burgas and Sofia. On 1 July 2006, a control zone (CTR ) was introduced; this had been delayed due to political discussion and management problems again and again.

In summer 2006, German Wings took flights to Berlin -Schönefeld. The route was morning and evening operated with Airbus A319. Thus, a passenger growth was achieved by 350 percent over the previous year to 62 394 passengers. German Wings presented 10 January 2011, the route because of the often difficult weather and thus necessary traffic diversions and losses due to the threat in the context of an aviation tax.

For the 2007 summer timetable came TUIfly with multiple targets in the Mediterranean by two bridges.

2009 used approximately 340,000 passengers used the airport Zweibrücken. In June 2009, Ryanair announced to set the distance from Zweibrücken to London Stansted due to lack of utilization by 30 October.

In January 2010, the previous airfield Zweibrücken 12 LuftVG was due to the Bauschutzbereiches under § legally for commercial airport.

In June 2011, the earlier failed to cost issues talks were resumed to cooperate with the Saarbrücken Airport. The political objective of maintaining both airports, a concept for a " Saar-Pfalz -Airport " should be worked out by the summer of 2012. In February 2012, the European Commission opened an investigation into possible illegal state aid. Since 2006, the airport had allegedly received infrastructure and operational aid, also the German Wings airlines, TUIfly and Ryanair should have received via reduced airport charges an unfair competitive advantage.

Traffic figures

Airlines and destinations

Currently flying various airlines usually seasonal targets in the Mediterranean area.

Approach

The Zweibrücken is located in the Western Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate, near the borders with France ( Moselle ) and the Saarland. It is 4 km and 40 km by road to Saarbruecken in the center of Zweibrücken.

The airport can be reached with bus number 226 of the Rhenus Veniro transport company Zweibrücken every hour from the bus station Zweibrücker city center / bus station two bridges and the two bridges train station Hauptbahnhof ( DB) from. The journey takes about 12 minutes. From Homburg Bahnhof ZOB, the airport has two bridges can be reached Monday immediately to Saturday every hour. The journey takes about 40 minutes.

From downtown Saarbrücken from the airport is Sundays and public holidays once served nonstop by the Saar -Pfalz- bus line 199 from Monday to Saturday and twice on. Here, the journey time is approximately 45 minutes.

By car one uses the exit of the A8 " Contwig / Airport ". The airport now has a good connection to the southwest German highway system. The L 700 connects quickly to France ( including by the Bitche ). There are 1500 parking spaces at the airport.