Eindhoven Airport opened its doors for the first time on September 10, 1932. Coming Saturday Eindhoven will have an airport for exactly 90 years. After opening, the airport grew into the largest in the Netherlands after Schiphol, with over six million passengers per year and a military airbase.
This milestone is going to be celebrated with various activities like a coloring competition for children, and of course, a party. The authorities put up a 90-year-old aviation fanatic in the spotlight, and there is a photo exhibition at the entrance to the airport.
Plans
The plans started as early as 1921 to build an airport, but it took time to take off. The plans started taking shape under the leadership of entrepreneur Anton Philips, Albert Plesman, the first director of KLM, and the municipality of Eindhoven, eleven years later. With 63 hectares of runway, the connection between Eindhoven and the rest of Europe could begin.
Vision
Anton Philips wanted to open up the world to the Brabant region and vice versa via the Welschap airport. 90 years later, millions of passengers depart annually for 85 destinations in Europe and beyond via today’s Eindhoven Airport. In addition to civil aviation, the site, now 600 hectares, is also home to the Eindhoven Air Base of the Ministry of Defence and the Eindhoven Aeroclub for Motor Aviation.
Source: Studio040
Translation: Chaitali Sengupta. She also gives online INBURGERING classes.
