Luxembourg – Findel Airport

Luxembourg Airport Fluchhafe Lëtzebuerg Aéroport de Luxembourg Flughafen Luxemburg
IATA: LUX ICAO: ELLX
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Luxembourg Airport Authority
Serves	Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
Location	Sandweiler
Hub for	Cargolux Luxair
Elevation AMSL	1,234 ft / 376 m
Coordinates	49°37′24″N 006°12′16″E / 49.62333°N 6.20444°E / 49.62333; 6.20444Coordinates: 49°37′24″N 006°12′16″E / 49.62333°N 6.20444°E / 49.62333; 6.20444
Website	lux-airport.lu
Map
ELLX Location in Luxembourg
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 06/24 4,000 13,123 Asphalt
Statistics (2015)
Aircraft movements 85,031 Passengers 2,687,086 Cargo 673,499,726
Sources: Belgian AIP at Belgocontrol Statistics from ANA

Luxembourg Findel Airport (IATA: LUX, ICAO: ELLX) 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 (6.02 km; 3.74 mi) east of Luxembourg City. In 2015, it handled 2,687,086 passengers. By cargo tonnage, Findel ranked as Europe's fifth-busiest and the world's 28th-busiest in 2010. Luxair, Luxembourg's international airline, and cargo airline Cargolux have their head offices on the airport property.

The airport was originally known as "Sandweiler Airport", and was opened in the 1930s as a small grass airfield with a relatively short, 3,400 ft (1,000 m) runway.

Neutral Luxembourg was invaded by Germany on 10 May 1940, and on 21 May the Luftwaffe 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 addition, Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) operated Bf 109s from Sandweiler during the Blitzkrieg. JG 52 moved into France on 29 May but JG 53 remained in Luxembourg until 18 August when it moved closer to the English Channel to take part in the Battle of Britain.

Sandweiler Airport then remained unused by the Luftwaffe until September 1944, when Aufklärungsgruppe 123 (AKG 123), a reconnaissance unit which flew the Henschel Hs 126, a two-seat reconnaissance and observation aircraft, was assigned to the airport. 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.