Cologne Butzweilerhof Airport
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Butzweilerhof Flughafen Köln (1926-51) RAF Butzweilerhof (1951-67) |
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Airport Building in 1936 (Landside)
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| Summary | |
| Airport type | Former Airport |
| Serves | Cologne |
| Location | Cologne |
| Coordinates | 50°59′05.3″N 6°53′29.1″E / 50.984806°N 6.891417°ECoordinates: 50°59′05.3″N 6°53′29.1″E / 50.984806°N 6.891417°E |
The Butzweilerhof is the former civil airport of Cologne. It was established as a training airfield in 1912 and saw airline service from 1922 until the 1950s. It was replaced by the Cologne Bonn Airport. The airport buildings from 1935-36 are listed monuments and a rare example of airport architecture from the Interwar Period.
Before regular aviation activities at Butzweilerhof started, the area north of Cologne was sporadically used by airships. The military Zeppelin Z II arrived in Cologne in August 1909 and was based in a nearby hangar until it was destroyed in a storm in April 1910. In addition a Blimp designed and manufactured 1909 by Clout Gummiwerke from nearby suburb Nippes was temporarily stored at this hangar.
In 1912 the Air Arm of the Imperial Army (Luftstreitkräfte) established an air station at Butzweilerhof and hangars, maintenance facilities as well staff accommodations were built. The station went fully operational in spring 1913 and was used for initial pilot training before and during World War I. Among the pilots receiving their first flying lessons at Butzweilerhof was Manfred von Richthofen.
After the war the Royal Air Force used the airfield primarily in a supply role for British troops. From 1922 Instone Air Line provided a first regular passenger service to London via Brussels. The airfield was returned to the city of Cologne in 1925 and the civil airport was officially opened one year later. In order to fulfil requirements of modern aircraft adjacent property was bought. The enlarged airfield had a circular shape and occupied around 30 hectares. Than mayor of Cologne Konrad Adenauer supported the development of Butzweilerhof into a modern airport, but due to limited financial resources only small progress was made during the late 1920s and early 1930s. Some facilities in use still originated from the imperial air station, while newer ones were basic and partially made of wood.
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