Mannheim City Airport
Encyclopedia
Mannheim City Airport serves Mannheim
, Germany
. It is operated and administrated by Rhein-Neckar Flugplatz GmbH.
.
It is surrounded by highways to the east (B38a) and the south (B37/A656), there is a power transmission line to the east and several high rise buildings to the west making Mannheim City a challenging airport. Because of its proximity to the city center and the lack of space for an expansion, there have been continuous discussions about relocating the airport.
The airport has its own control zone
, neighboring control zones are Heidelberg
Airfield and Coleman.
and ballooning
only). The airport is in operation at day and night. The paved runway 09/27 offers PAPI
and illumination in both directions, RWY 27 offers LLZ/DME approach, but no ILS
, RWY 09 is usable under visual flight rules
only. A separate, illuminated and signposted taxiway is available.
Aircraft up to 10,000 kg (22,046 lb) are allowed to land at the airport.
Due to numerous obstacles around the airport and the short runways, Mannheim does not comply with IFALPA standards, thus the airport is given an unsatisfactory "red star" every year from the German Airline Pilot’s Association (Vereinigung Cockpit), along with few other regional airports.
designed terminal
building, built by architect
Prof. Peter Serini, opened in 1998. In its arched central section it offers two check-in
counters, a security passenger checkpoint, a waiting area, a baggage claim
area, a ticketing office and an electronic flight schedule. In addition it accommodates a snack-bar, airline offices, a police station
and a flying school
. The terminal is topped by a new control tower
. On the airside, lucent blue capital letters form the word "Mannheim". A secured, partly free carpark is available. The tram lines 5 and 6 connect the airport with the city center within 10 minutes. An electronic Lufthansa
check-in counter was removed again, after the liquidation of Team Lufthansa
. Since January, 2007 passengers can check-in only 20 minutes prior scheduled departure http://www.billigflieger.de/news/061213125322.htm.
Close to the current terminal, there are parts of the former terminal building, including the old tower, now used as a popular restaurant
and biergarten (Lindbergh). Beside the old terminal a fitness club (Pfitzenmeier) opened its doors in 2000. A pilot shop (Friebe Luftfahrtbedarf) can be found next to the parking deck
. Cirrus Technik
operated a maintenance
facility for Dornier Do 328 turboprop
aircraft http://www.cirrus-world.de/opencms/opencms/Cirrus-Group/Cirrus-Technik/index.html, which moved to Saarbrücken
at the end of 2009.
constructors Schütte-Lanz
in 1909. Their first airship, called SL 1, lifted off from Mannheim-Rheinau in 1911. With the growing importance of airships for military purposes, a new airfield with hangars and barracks was opened in the north of Mannheim, where the Schönau district is located today. By the end of World War I
, 22 airships had been built in Mannheim. In 1922 all hangars had to be demolished, complying with the conditions imposed by the treaty of Versailles
.
The first commercial airport
in Mannheim was founded on May 16, 1925 as Flughafen Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ludwigshafen in the northern district of Sandhofen
.http://www.mannheim.de/io2/browse/Webseiten/Stadtgeschichte/Zeittafel/20 With its opening Mannheim became part of an important air track
, running from north to south and viceversa. In the late 1920s and early 1930s Deutsche Aero Lloyd operated cargo and passenger flights from Hamburg
to Zurich
stopping in Mannheim. Balair from Switzerland flew between Geneva
and Amsterdam
via Basel, Mannheim, Frankfurt and Essen. Badisch-Pfälzische Luftverkehrs A.G operated the black forest
route to Konstanz, via Karlsruhe, Baden Baden and Villingen.http://www.briefmarken-mannheim.de/Sammler-Echo/Luftpost/luftpost.html
In 1926 the airfield was transferred to Mannheim-Neuostheim
, its present site. The same year Deutsche Luft Hansa
was founded in Berlin
. A Luft Hansa route map of the 1930s shows scheduled flights from Mannheim to Frankfurt
via Darmstadt
and other destinations, like Stuttgart
, Saarbrücken
and Konstanz
. In 1939 Luft Hansa flew nonstop to the capital Berlin
using various Junkers aircraft.
During World War II
the airport was severely damaged. After the war the airport was occupied by the US-Army
and temporarily used as a transmitter site. http://www.usarmygermany.com/units/signal/USAREUR_7774SigBn.htm The terminal building and hangars were partly demolished and partly refurbished. The airfield was reopened to the public in 1958, but with the growing size of postwar aircraft, Mannheim-Neuostheim was no longer served by any major airline and mainly used for private flying.
In 1986, DRF (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht, e. V.) installed an helicopter air rescue center at MHG http://www.drf.de/lrz-mannheim.html. Scheduled passenger flights did not start again until the 1980s when Arcus-Air Logistic
operated flights between Mannheim and Oberpfaffenhofen
near Munich
, using Dornier Do 228
aircraft. These flights were offered up to three times daily, depending on demand http://www.fluglaerm.de/oberpfaffenhofen/kwikimj/index.cgi?LinienfluegeMannheim. Besides cargo flights the airline added three weekly passenger flights to Leipzig
and Dresden
in 1991 http://www.skybird-ev.de/s91----d.htm. In 1997 Cosmos Air
(Arcus-Air Logistic) was founded in Mannheim and started nonstop flights to Tempelhof International Airport
http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/ze.htm and London City Airport
http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRNews/FR970608.htm using the larger Dornier Do 328 turboprop
. Due to lack of demand, the London route was suspended one year later.
Up until that time, a provisional container building had been used as the terminal, but new facilities opened in 1998. The largest aircraft that ever landed at Mannheim City, a Transall of the German Air Force, came on a special flight in 1998. In 1999 Cosmos Air was taken over by Cirrus Airlines
, continuing the flights to Berlin and opening other new routes. With the entry of Cirrus Airlines
into Team Lufthansa
in 2000, the crane
came back to Mannheim after 60 years of absence. Cirrus Airlines left Team Lufthansa in 2004 and is now flying as an official Lufthansa Partner, with Mannheim appearing in the official Lufthansa itinerary. In 2002 Mannheim-Neuostheim was officially renamed Mannheim City Airport. In 2006, the airport celebrated its 80th birthday. On July 17, 2007 the two millionth passenger of Cirrus Airlines
was welcomed at MHG. In October 2008 Cirrus Airlines started new flights from MHG to Munich, connecting the city to one of the Lufthansa main hubs. However, this service consisted for only four months http://www.cirrusairlines.de/de/press/press_releases/2008/PR081212.html. The last ever scheduled flight leaving the historic airport of Berlin-Tempelhof was a Cirrus Airlines flight to Mannheim. After 10 years connecting Mannheim with Berlin, a Cirrus Airlines
Dornier Do 328 was given the name of "Mannheim" in September 2009. In August 2010, the Mannheim-Hamburg service celebrated its 10th anniversary, but due to hard competition coming from Frankfurt International Airport
on this route, Cirrus Airlines had to discontinue it on November 26, 2010, leaving a huge gap in local commercial aviation http://www.morgenweb.de/region/mannheim/artikel/20101103_mmm0000000780310.html.
, an extension of the airport has become impossible, preventing modern regional jets, such as the Canadair Regional Jet or the Embraer 145, from operating from MHG. With the introduction of the new JAR-OPS 2 regulation, strict weight restrictions have been imposed, allowing only smaller and lighter airplanes to land at MHG. From 2014 on, even thighter restrictions on behalf of the EASA
will become effective in Europe, which will probably bring a further impact on commercial air traffic. After a first accident involving a scheduled passenger flight on March 19, 2008 and the growing lack of airlines with the adequate equipment to fly into MHG, discussions about a relocation of the airport have regained political importance. With its coming closure in 2015, Coleman Airfield is seen as a possible, but challenging alternative, as well as the airport of Speyer
, where BASF
has its corporate jets based..
Over that, Mannheim is connected to world air traffic
above-average:
Frankfurt International Airport
, Frankfurt Hahn Airport, Stuttgart Airport
, Strasbourg Airport
, Baden Airpark
, Zweibrücken Airport
and Saarbrücken Airport
can be reached within maximum an hour and a half by car or train.
However, concerning business aviation, Mannheim still remains an attractive location: two new hangars for up to three jets have been built in 2006.
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is operated and administrated by Rhein-Neckar Flugplatz GmbH.
Location
The airport is located 3.5 km (2.2 mi) east of the city center in the district of NeuostheimNeuostheim
Neuostheim is a suburb of the city of Mannheim, Germany, and is considered to be one of the more attractive neighbourhoods of Mannheim. It is located 3.5 km east of the city centre. It lies on the River Neckar and an important lock on the Neckar Canal is situated between Neuostheim and the...
.
It is surrounded by highways to the east (B38a) and the south (B37/A656), there is a power transmission line to the east and several high rise buildings to the west making Mannheim City a challenging airport. Because of its proximity to the city center and the lack of space for an expansion, there have been continuous discussions about relocating the airport.
The airport has its own control zone
Control zone
A control zone is an aviation term that describes a volume of controlled airspace, normally around an airport, which extends from the surface to a specified upper limit, established to protect air traffic operating to and from that airport...
, neighboring control zones are Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
Airfield and Coleman.
Runways
The airport possesses two runways: one paved main runway (09/27) and a parallel grass runway (for glidingGliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
and ballooning
Ballooning
Ballooning may refer to:* Hot air ballooning* Balloon * Ballooning * Ballooning degeneration...
only). The airport is in operation at day and night. The paved runway 09/27 offers PAPI
Precision Approach Path Indicator
Precision approach path Indicator is a visual aid that provides guidance information to help a pilot acquire and maintain the correct approach to an aerodrome or an airport. It is generally located beside the runway approximately 300 metres beyond the landing threshold of the runway...
and illumination in both directions, RWY 27 offers LLZ/DME approach, but no ILS
Instrument Landing System
An instrument landing system is a ground-based instrument approach system that provides precision guidance to an aircraft approaching and landing on a runway, using a combination of radio signals and, in many cases, high-intensity lighting arrays to enable a safe landing during instrument...
, RWY 09 is usable under visual flight rules
Visual flight rules
Visual flight rules are a set of regulations which allow a pilot to operate an aircraft in weather conditions generally clear enough to allow the pilot to see where the aircraft is going. Specifically, the weather must be better than basic VFR weather minimums, as specified in the rules of the...
only. A separate, illuminated and signposted taxiway is available.
Aircraft up to 10,000 kg (22,046 lb) are allowed to land at the airport.
Due to numerous obstacles around the airport and the short runways, Mannheim does not comply with IFALPA standards, thus the airport is given an unsatisfactory "red star" every year from the German Airline Pilot’s Association (Vereinigung Cockpit), along with few other regional airports.
Other air traffic
- The airport is mainly used for general aviationGeneral aviationGeneral aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
. 18 companies, such as SAP AGSAP AGSAP AG is a German software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, with regional offices around the world, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software...
, Roche DiagnosticsRoche DiagnosticsRoche Diagnostics Division is a subsidiary of Hoffmann-La Roche which manufactures equipment and reagents for research and medical diagnostic applications. Internally, it is organized into five major business areas: Roche Applied Science, Roche Professional Diagnostics, Roche Diabetes Care, Roche...
, Heidelberger DruckmaschinenHeidelberger DruckmaschinenHeidelberger Druckmaschinen AG is a German precision mechanical engineering company with head offices in Heidelberg . It is a manufacturer of offset printing presses sold globally. The company has a worldwide market share of more than 47% in this area and is the largest global manufacturer of...
or Bilfinger BergerBilfinger BergerBilfinger Berger is a large, internationally active construction and services company based in Mannheim, Germany.-History:Bilfinger Berger dates back to 1880 when August Bernatz founded an engineering business which became known, from 1886 as Bernatz & Grün and, from 1892, as Grün & Bilfinger.In...
have their business jets based at MHG, which cover routes within Europe and even to North America. - The aerodrome also serves as an important heliportHeliportA heliport is a small airport suitable only for use by helicopters. Heliports typically contain one or more helipads and may have limited facilities such as fuel, lighting, a windsock, or even hangars...
for medevac or VIPVery Important PersonA Very Important Person, or VIP is a person who is accorded special privileges due to his or her status or importance.Examples include celebrities, heads of state/heads of government, major employers, high rollers, politicians, high-level corporate officers, wealthy individuals, or any other...
transports. 50% of all night movements are ambulance flights. DRF (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht, e. V.) is present with a 24h/365days medevac helicopter. - Two flying schools (FTC Euroflight and LGM) and two Aero Clubs (Badisch Pfälzischer Flugsportverein and Segelflugverein Mannheim) are established at Mannheim.
- There is seasonal glider activity.
- Business airlines serving Mannheim regularly are: Cirrus AviationCirrus AirlinesCirrus Airlines Luftfahrtgesellschaft mbH is an airline based in Saarbrücken, Germany. It operates both charter and scheduled flights, the latter on behalf of Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines. Its main base and hub is Saarbrücken Airport, Germany....
, EAS Executive AirService, ATB Flugdienst GmbH and Business Wings.
Terminal building & other facilities
The sand-lime brickBrick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
designed terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
building, built by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Prof. Peter Serini, opened in 1998. In its arched central section it offers two check-in
Check-in
Check-in is the process of announcing your arrival at a hotel, airport, sea port or social network service.-Airlines and airports :Check-in desks are found in the majority of commercial airports. Their main function is to take in luggage that passengers wish to, or are required to, place within the...
counters, a security passenger checkpoint, a waiting area, a baggage claim
Baggage claim
In airport terminals, a baggage claim area is an area where arriving passengers claim checked-in baggage after disembarking from an airline flight. The alternative term baggage reclaim is used to mean the same thing at many airports outside the USA In airport terminals, a baggage claim area is an...
area, a ticketing office and an electronic flight schedule. In addition it accommodates a snack-bar, airline offices, a police station
Police station
A police station or station house is a building which serves to accommodate police officers and other members of staff. These buildings often contain offices and accommodation for personnel and vehicles, along with locker rooms, temporary holding cells and interview/interrogation rooms.- Facilities...
and a flying school
Flight training
Flight training is a course of study used when learning to pilot an aircraft. The overall purpose of primary and intermediate flight training is the acquisition and honing of basic airmanship skills....
. The terminal is topped by a new control tower
Control tower
A control tower, or more specifically an Air Traffic Control Tower , is the name of the airport building from which the air traffic control unit controls the movement of aircraft on and around the airport. Control towers are also used to control the traffic for other forms of transportation such...
. On the airside, lucent blue capital letters form the word "Mannheim". A secured, partly free carpark is available. The tram lines 5 and 6 connect the airport with the city center within 10 minutes. An electronic Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
check-in counter was removed again, after the liquidation of Team Lufthansa
Team Lufthansa
Team Lufthansa was an alliance of regional airlines mainly in Germany, who flew niche routes on behalf of Lufthansa in particular. It was founded in 1996 and existed until 2004, when Lufthansa reorganized its regional network as Lufthansa Regional....
. Since January, 2007 passengers can check-in only 20 minutes prior scheduled departure http://www.billigflieger.de/news/061213125322.htm.
Close to the current terminal, there are parts of the former terminal building, including the old tower, now used as a popular restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
and biergarten (Lindbergh). Beside the old terminal a fitness club (Pfitzenmeier) opened its doors in 2000. A pilot shop (Friebe Luftfahrtbedarf) can be found next to the parking deck
Multi-storey car park
A multi-storey car-park is a building designed specifically to be for car parking and where there are a number of floors or levels on which parking takes place...
. Cirrus Technik
Cirrus Technik
Cirrus Technik is the EASA-145 rated maintenance department of the German regional airline Cirrus Airlines, with its headquarters at Saarbrücken Airport...
operated a maintenance
Maintenance, Repair and Operations
Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...
facility for Dornier Do 328 turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
aircraft http://www.cirrus-world.de/opencms/opencms/Cirrus-Group/Cirrus-Technik/index.html, which moved to Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
at the end of 2009.
- Jet A-1 and AvgasAvgasAvgas is an aviation fuel used to power piston-engine aircraft. Avgas is distinguished from mogas , which is the everyday gasoline used in cars and some non-commercial light aircraft...
100LL are the available fuels. - ground power is available
- The airport has its own fire brigade, equipped with a fire engine (FLF Impact 6000) suited to the present operations.
- CateringCateringCatering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...
is currently provided by Lindbergh restaurant. - CustomsCustomsCustoms is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
and PolicePoliceThe police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
are available
Frequencies
- Langen Radar: 129.350
- Mannheim Tower: 129.775
- Mannheim Tower: 122.500 (stby frequency)
- Weather ATIS: 136.550
History
Aviation in Mannheim started with the airshipAirship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
constructors Schütte-Lanz
Schütte-Lanz
Schütte-Lanz is the name of a series of rigid airships designed and built by the Luftschiffbau Schütte-Lanz company from 1909 until the last LS22 was delivered in 1917. One research and four passenger airships were planned for post-war use, but were never built...
in 1909. Their first airship, called SL 1, lifted off from Mannheim-Rheinau in 1911. With the growing importance of airships for military purposes, a new airfield with hangars and barracks was opened in the north of Mannheim, where the Schönau district is located today. By the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, 22 airships had been built in Mannheim. In 1922 all hangars had to be demolished, complying with the conditions imposed by the treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
.
The first commercial airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
in Mannheim was founded on May 16, 1925 as Flughafen Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ludwigshafen in the northern district of Sandhofen
Sandhofen
Sandhofen is a northern district of Mannheim, Germany. The US Army is present in Sandhofen with Coleman Airfield and Coleman Barracks. The US Army's only military prison in Europe is located on that base. All US Army helicopter maintenance for Europe and the Middle East is performed at Coleman....
.http://www.mannheim.de/io2/browse/Webseiten/Stadtgeschichte/Zeittafel/20 With its opening Mannheim became part of an important air track
Air Track
An air track is a scientific device used to study motion in low friction environment. Its name comes from its structure: air is pumped through a hollow track with fine holes all along the track that allows specially fitted air track cars to glide relatively friction-free. Air tracks are usually...
, running from north to south and viceversa. In the late 1920s and early 1930s Deutsche Aero Lloyd operated cargo and passenger flights from Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
to Zurich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
stopping in Mannheim. Balair from Switzerland flew between Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
via Basel, Mannheim, Frankfurt and Essen. Badisch-Pfälzische Luftverkehrs A.G operated the black forest
Black Forest
The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Rhine valley to the west and south. The highest peak is the Feldberg with an elevation of 1,493 metres ....
route to Konstanz, via Karlsruhe, Baden Baden and Villingen.http://www.briefmarken-mannheim.de/Sammler-Echo/Luftpost/luftpost.html
In 1926 the airfield was transferred to Mannheim-Neuostheim
Neuostheim
Neuostheim is a suburb of the city of Mannheim, Germany, and is considered to be one of the more attractive neighbourhoods of Mannheim. It is located 3.5 km east of the city centre. It lies on the River Neckar and an important lock on the Neckar Canal is situated between Neuostheim and the...
, its present site. The same year Deutsche Luft Hansa
Deutsche Luft Hansa
Deutsche Luft Hansa A.G. was a German airline, serving as flag carrier of the country during the later years of the Weimar Republic and throughout the Third Reich.-1920s:Deutsche Luft Hansa was founded on 6 January 1926 in Berlin...
was founded in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. A Luft Hansa route map of the 1930s shows scheduled flights from Mannheim to Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
via Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
and other destinations, like Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
, Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken
Saarbrücken is the capital of the state of Saarland in Germany. The city is situated at the heart of a metropolitan area that borders on the west on Dillingen and to the north-east on Neunkirchen, where most of the people of the Saarland live....
and Konstanz
Konstanz
Konstanz is a university city with approximately 80,000 inhabitants located at the western end of Lake Constance in the south-west corner of Germany, bordering Switzerland. The city houses the University of Konstanz.-Location:...
. In 1939 Luft Hansa flew nonstop to the capital Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
using various Junkers aircraft.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the airport was severely damaged. After the war the airport was occupied by the US-Army
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
and temporarily used as a transmitter site. http://www.usarmygermany.com/units/signal/USAREUR_7774SigBn.htm The terminal building and hangars were partly demolished and partly refurbished. The airfield was reopened to the public in 1958, but with the growing size of postwar aircraft, Mannheim-Neuostheim was no longer served by any major airline and mainly used for private flying.
In 1986, DRF (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht, e. V.) installed an helicopter air rescue center at MHG http://www.drf.de/lrz-mannheim.html. Scheduled passenger flights did not start again until the 1980s when Arcus-Air Logistic
Arcus-Air Logistic
Arcus-Air Logistic is an airline based in Troisdorf, Germany, operating chartered cargo and corporate flights out of Mannheim City Airport.- History :...
operated flights between Mannheim and Oberpfaffenhofen
Oberpfaffenhofen
Oberpfaffenhofen is a village which is part of the municipality of Weßling in the district of Starnberg, Bavaria, Germany. It is 20 kilometers from the city center of Munich....
near Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, using Dornier Do 228
Dornier Do 228
The Dornier 228 is a twin-turboprop STOL utility aircraft, manufactured by Dornier GmbH from 1981 until 1998. In 1983, Hindustan Aeronautics bought a production licence and manufactures the 228 for the Asian market sphere. Approximately 270 Do 228 were built at Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany and...
aircraft. These flights were offered up to three times daily, depending on demand http://www.fluglaerm.de/oberpfaffenhofen/kwikimj/index.cgi?LinienfluegeMannheim. Besides cargo flights the airline added three weekly passenger flights to Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
and Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
in 1991 http://www.skybird-ev.de/s91----d.htm. In 1997 Cosmos Air
Arcus-Air Logistic
Arcus-Air Logistic is an airline based in Troisdorf, Germany, operating chartered cargo and corporate flights out of Mannheim City Airport.- History :...
(Arcus-Air Logistic) was founded in Mannheim and started nonstop flights to Tempelhof International Airport
Tempelhof International Airport
Berlin Tempelhof Airport was an airport in Berlin, Germany, situated in the south-central borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. The airport ceased operating in 2008 in the process of establishing Schönefeld as the sole commercial airport for Berlin....
http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/ze.htm and London City Airport
London City Airport
London City Airport is a single-runway airport. It principally serves the financial district of London and is located on a former Docklands site, east of the City of London, opposite the London Regatta Centre, in the London Borough of Newham in east London. It was developed by the engineering...
http://www.flug-revue.rotor.com/FRNews/FR970608.htm using the larger Dornier Do 328 turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
. Due to lack of demand, the London route was suspended one year later.
Up until that time, a provisional container building had been used as the terminal, but new facilities opened in 1998. The largest aircraft that ever landed at Mannheim City, a Transall of the German Air Force, came on a special flight in 1998. In 1999 Cosmos Air was taken over by Cirrus Airlines
Cirrus Airlines
Cirrus Airlines Luftfahrtgesellschaft mbH is an airline based in Saarbrücken, Germany. It operates both charter and scheduled flights, the latter on behalf of Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines. Its main base and hub is Saarbrücken Airport, Germany....
, continuing the flights to Berlin and opening other new routes. With the entry of Cirrus Airlines
Cirrus Airlines
Cirrus Airlines Luftfahrtgesellschaft mbH is an airline based in Saarbrücken, Germany. It operates both charter and scheduled flights, the latter on behalf of Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines. Its main base and hub is Saarbrücken Airport, Germany....
into Team Lufthansa
Team Lufthansa
Team Lufthansa was an alliance of regional airlines mainly in Germany, who flew niche routes on behalf of Lufthansa in particular. It was founded in 1996 and existed until 2004, when Lufthansa reorganized its regional network as Lufthansa Regional....
in 2000, the crane
Crane (bird)
Cranes are a family, Gruidae, of large, long-legged and long-necked birds in the order Gruiformes. There are fifteen species of crane in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back...
came back to Mannheim after 60 years of absence. Cirrus Airlines left Team Lufthansa in 2004 and is now flying as an official Lufthansa Partner, with Mannheim appearing in the official Lufthansa itinerary. In 2002 Mannheim-Neuostheim was officially renamed Mannheim City Airport. In 2006, the airport celebrated its 80th birthday. On July 17, 2007 the two millionth passenger of Cirrus Airlines
Cirrus Airlines
Cirrus Airlines Luftfahrtgesellschaft mbH is an airline based in Saarbrücken, Germany. It operates both charter and scheduled flights, the latter on behalf of Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines. Its main base and hub is Saarbrücken Airport, Germany....
was welcomed at MHG. In October 2008 Cirrus Airlines started new flights from MHG to Munich, connecting the city to one of the Lufthansa main hubs. However, this service consisted for only four months http://www.cirrusairlines.de/de/press/press_releases/2008/PR081212.html. The last ever scheduled flight leaving the historic airport of Berlin-Tempelhof was a Cirrus Airlines flight to Mannheim. After 10 years connecting Mannheim with Berlin, a Cirrus Airlines
Cirrus Airlines
Cirrus Airlines Luftfahrtgesellschaft mbH is an airline based in Saarbrücken, Germany. It operates both charter and scheduled flights, the latter on behalf of Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines. Its main base and hub is Saarbrücken Airport, Germany....
Dornier Do 328 was given the name of "Mannheim" in September 2009. In August 2010, the Mannheim-Hamburg service celebrated its 10th anniversary, but due to hard competition coming from Frankfurt International Airport
Frankfurt International Airport
Frankfurt am Main Airport , or simply Frankfurt Airport, known in German as Flughafen Frankfurt am Main or Rhein-Main-Flughafen, is a major international airport located in Frankfurt, Germany, southwest of the city centre....
on this route, Cirrus Airlines had to discontinue it on November 26, 2010, leaving a huge gap in local commercial aviation http://www.morgenweb.de/region/mannheim/artikel/20101103_mmm0000000780310.html.
Previous carriers and destinations
- Air-Supply (Frankfurt)
- Air Pegasus GmbH (Munich)
- Arcus-Air LogisticArcus-Air LogisticArcus-Air Logistic is an airline based in Troisdorf, Germany, operating chartered cargo and corporate flights out of Mannheim City Airport.- History :...
(Munich-Oberpfaffenhofen, Leipzig, Dresden, Bern, Prague, Hamburg) Do-228 - Cosmos Air (Berlin-Tempelhof, London-City) Do-328
- Cirrus AirlinesCirrus AirlinesCirrus Airlines Luftfahrtgesellschaft mbH is an airline based in Saarbrücken, Germany. It operates both charter and scheduled flights, the latter on behalf of Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines. Its main base and hub is Saarbrücken Airport, Germany....
(Dresden, Olbia, Kiel, Berlin-Tempelhof, Munich, Hamburg) Do-328, Dash-8, Beech King Air - Team LufthansaTeam LufthansaTeam Lufthansa was an alliance of regional airlines mainly in Germany, who flew niche routes on behalf of Lufthansa in particular. It was founded in 1996 and existed until 2004, when Lufthansa reorganized its regional network as Lufthansa Regional....
-operated by Cirrus Airlines (Hamburg, Berlin-Tempelhof, Saarbrücken) Do-328, Dash-8
Accidents and incidents
- November 12, 1937: ten people are killed in a Deutsche LufthansaDeutsche Luft HansaDeutsche Luft Hansa A.G. was a German airline, serving as flag carrier of the country during the later years of the Weimar Republic and throughout the Third Reich.-1920s:Deutsche Luft Hansa was founded on 6 January 1926 in Berlin...
Heinkel He-111 (registeredAircraft registrationAn aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
D-AXAV) crash, the cause of which remained unknown.http://sharpishmike.blogspot.com/2007_11_01_archive.html, http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1937/1937-22.htm. - September 11, 1982: a Chinook CH-47CCH-47 ChinookThe Boeing CH-47 Chinook is an American twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. Its top speed of 170 knots is faster than contemporary utility and attack helicopters of the 1960s...
helicopter of the U.S. ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
crashes onto highway A656 during an airshow, killing 46 people http://www.chinook-helicopter.com/history/aircraft/C_Models/74-22292/74-22292.html. - August 4, 1993: after an engine failure, a Do-27 crashes into a garden plot right after take-offTakeoffTakeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle goes from the ground to flying in the air.For horizontal takeoff aircraft this usually involves starting with a transition from moving along the ground on a runway. For balloons, helicopters and some specialized fixed-wing aircraft , no...
, four occupants die. - December 5, 1994: a SAR Bell UH-1 helicopter of the German ArmyGerman ArmyThe German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
crashes into the nearby TV-tower during a foggy night, plunging into the river NeckarNeckarThe Neckar is a long river, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, but also a short section through Hesse, in Germany. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the River Rhine...
and killing all four aboard. (Accident happened close by (2.25 km), but didn't take off from MHG nor was it supposed to land at MHG) - November 29, 1996: approaching MHG, a two-engined Piper crashes into a mountain near Dossenheim after a flight from Prague.
- February 21, 2002: A Beech B35 plane crashesAviation accidents and incidentsAn aviation accident is defined in the Convention on International Civil Aviation Annex 13 as an occurrence associated with the operation of an aircraft which takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight and all such persons have disembarked, in which a...
into a garden plot after go-around, killing the pilot. - March 19, 2008: Cirrus flight 1569 from Berlin-Tempelhof overshoots runway 27 and comes to rest on a well close to a highway. Nobody of the 27 on board is hurt, but the aircraft, a Dornier Do 328 (D-CTOB), is severely damaged http://www.spiegel.de/reise/aktuell/0,1518,542604,00.html.
The future
Due to its problematic geographical locationLocation (geography)
The terms location and place in geography are used to identify a point or an area on the Earth's surface or elsewhere. The term 'location' generally implies a higher degree of can certainty than "place" which often has an ambiguous boundary relying more on human/social attributes of place identity...
, an extension of the airport has become impossible, preventing modern regional jets, such as the Canadair Regional Jet or the Embraer 145, from operating from MHG. With the introduction of the new JAR-OPS 2 regulation, strict weight restrictions have been imposed, allowing only smaller and lighter airplanes to land at MHG. From 2014 on, even thighter restrictions on behalf of the EASA
EASA
EASA may refer to:* European Aviation Safety Agency* English Academy of Southern Africa* European Architecture Students Assembly* European Association of Social Anthropologists...
will become effective in Europe, which will probably bring a further impact on commercial air traffic. After a first accident involving a scheduled passenger flight on March 19, 2008 and the growing lack of airlines with the adequate equipment to fly into MHG, discussions about a relocation of the airport have regained political importance. With its coming closure in 2015, Coleman Airfield is seen as a possible, but challenging alternative, as well as the airport of Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
, where BASF
BASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
has its corporate jets based..
Over that, Mannheim is connected to world air traffic
Air Traffic
Air Traffic was a British alternative rock band from Bournemouth. Formed in 2003, the band consists of Chris Wall , David Ryan Jordan , Tom Pritchard and Jim Maddock ....
above-average:
Frankfurt International Airport
Frankfurt International Airport
Frankfurt am Main Airport , or simply Frankfurt Airport, known in German as Flughafen Frankfurt am Main or Rhein-Main-Flughafen, is a major international airport located in Frankfurt, Germany, southwest of the city centre....
, Frankfurt Hahn Airport, Stuttgart Airport
Stuttgart Airport
Stuttgart Airport is an international airport located approximately south of Stuttgart, Germany....
, Strasbourg Airport
Strasbourg Airport
Strasbourg Airport or Aéroport de Strasbourg is an airport located in Entzheim and 10 km west-southwest of Strasbourg, both communes of the Bas-Rhin département in the Alsace région of France. The number of passengers for 2009 was listed at 1,109,397.-Local Transport:The airport is served by...
, Baden Airpark
Baden Airpark
Baden Airpark , or officially Flughafen Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, is an international airport located in Rheinmünster in the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany, south of Karlsruhe, west of Baden-Baden and north of Strasbourg, France....
, Zweibrücken Airport
Zweibrücken Airport
Zweibrücken Airport , or Flughafen Zweibrücken in German, is an airport in Zweibrücken, Germany. After Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, it is the second biggest airport in Rhineland-Palatinate.In 2010 264.247 passengers used the airport....
and Saarbrücken Airport
Saarbrücken Airport
-External links:*...
can be reached within maximum an hour and a half by car or train.
However, concerning business aviation, Mannheim still remains an attractive location: two new hangars for up to three jets have been built in 2006.