Leipzig–Altenburg Airport
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Leipzig–Altenburg Airport Flughafen Altenburg–Nobitz |
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Flugplatz Altenburg-Nobitz GmbH | ||||||||||
| Serves | Altenburg and Leipzig, Germany | ||||||||||
| Location | Nobitz | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 639.7 ft / 195 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 50°58′50″N 12°30′36″E / 50.98056°N 12.51000°E | ||||||||||
| Website | leipzig-altenburg-airport.de | ||||||||||
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Leipzig–Altenburg Airport (IATA: AOC, ICAO: EDAC); until February 2008 known as Altenburg–Nobitz Airport) is a German regional airport in Nobitz, 6 km (3.7 mi) southeast of Altenburg and 42 km (26 mi) south of Leipzig in the state of Thuringia. It was the second largest airport in Thuringia after Erfurt-Weimar Airport when it had scheduled traffic. In 2007, it served almost 140,000 passengers. All scheduled services ceased in 2011.
The airfield at Altenburg–Nobitz is one of the oldest in Germany. Its origins can be traced back as far as 1868, when the area the airfield now occupies was first used as an infantry drill ground. In 1881, Duke Ernst II of Sachsen-Altenburg agreed to further expansion of the site for military purposes, and in 1909 a visit was made by an early airship; the Duke was given a flight in it, and immediately became an enthusiastic convert to aviation. Two years later, in 1911, an airship display was held at the site, which also included flights by early heavier-than-air biplanes, and in June 1913 the airfield was officially established.
During World War I, Altenburg–Nobitz was mainly used as a production centre for German military aircraft, with Albatros, DFW, Rumpler and Fokker types all being assembled there. A military flying school was also located on the airfield.
Following the defeat of Germany, the airfield infrastructure was dismantled in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. The site lay derelict until the 1930s, but after the Nazi Party came to power a decision was made to reactivate Altenburg–Nobitz as part of German rearmament plans. Work on this began in 1936; new hangars, workshops and barracks were built, and a concrete runway laid.
During World War II, the relative remoteness of Altenburg–Nobitz from the main theatres of war made the airfield an obvious location for Luftwaffe flying training in various forms. Basic flying training was carried out, as was more advanced blind-flying and instrument training. Several types of aircraft were employed for the latter, among them the Junkers Ju 87, Junkers Ju 88, Heinkel He 111, Dornier Do 17 and Messerschmitt Bf 110. The airfield was also the base for a conversion unit for the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, using a special two-seat variant of this successful fighter.
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