Rotterdam The Hague Airport

Rotterdam The Hague Airport Vliegveld Zestienhoven
IATA: RTM – ICAO: EHRD RTM Location of airport in Netherlands
Summary
Airport type		Public/Military/State
Operator		Schiphol Group
Serves		Rotterdam and The Hague
Hub for		Transavia.com
Elevation AMSL		-14 ft / -4 m
Coordinates		51°57′25″N 004°26′14″E / 51.95694°N 4.43722°E / 51.95694; 4.43722
Website		www.rotterdamthehagueairport.nl
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
06/24	2,200	7,218	Asphalt
Statistics (2011)
Passengers			1,158,420
Freight (tonnes)			47
Aircraft movements			53,899
Sources: AIP[1], Annual statistics (PDF,Dutch))[2]

Rotterdam The Hague Airport (formerly (Dutch): Rotterdam Airport,Vliegveld Zestienhoven), (IATA: RTM, ICAO: EHRD) located 3 NM (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) north northwest^[1] of Rotterdam, is the Netherlands' third largest airport, coming after Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Eindhoven Airport (measured in passengers). From the airport, there are amongst others daily services to London, Faro, Rome, Vienna, Madrid and Barcelona and charter flights. The airport handled 1,146,692 passengers in 2010.

History

After World War II, the Dutch government decided that a second national airport was needed in addition to Schiphol. Rotterdam had had an airport before the war - Waalhaven airport - but it was destroyed to prevent it from being used by the Germans. Reconstruction of the airport wasn't a realistic proposition, so a new location was found in the Zestienhoven polder.

Construction of the airport began in August 1955 and the airport was officially opened in October 1956. Several large international airlines such as Swissair, Lufthansa and Air France were soon operating from Rotterdam. However, in the 1970s plans were made to either close or move the airport to make room for houses and the uncertain future caused a stagnation in the airport's growth and many operators left. For almost thirty years the airport faced closure, but the economic growth of the 1990s caused an increase in passengers again and in 2001 it was decided that the airport's current location would be maintained for at least a century.

The route with the longest continual service, to London Heathrow and operated by KLM Cityhopper, was suspended in 2008. This marked the end of KLM's involvement with the airport. However, in May 2012, British Airways announced plans to begin service to Rotterdam from Heathrow.^[3]

Most flights today are operated by regional turboprop aircraft such as the Fokker 50, Dash 8 and ATR aircraft and smaller mainline jets such as the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 series. There is also a fair amount of business aviation.

The name of the airport was changed to Rotterdam The Hague Airport on February 10, 2010.

Several smaller aircraft in the snow at Rotterdam The Hague Airport

Airlines and destinations

The airport is also used extensively by general aviation and there are several flying clubs and schools located at the airport.

See also

	Netherlands portal
	Aviation portal

• List of airports in the Netherlands

References

1. ^ ^{a b} EHRD – ROTTERDAM/Rotterdam. AIP from AIS the Netherlands, effective 31 May 2012
2. ^ Annual statistics 2002-2011 - Rotterdam The Hague Airport (PDF, Dutch)
3. ^ "BA to launch flights to Leeds, Rotterdam and Zagreb". Business Traveller. 11 May 2012. http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/ba-to-launch-flights-to-leeds,-rotterdam-and-za. Retrieved 30 May 2012. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rotterdam The Hague Airport

• Rotterdam Airport (official website)
• Airliners.net photos taken at Rotterdam Airport.

v t e Netherlands airports Civilian, controlled Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Enschede Airport Twente Groningen Airport Eelde Maastricht Aachen Airport Rotterdam The Hague Airport Military airports Air Operations Control Station Nieuw-Milligen Deelen Air Base De Kooy Airfield De Peel Air Base Eindhoven Airport Gilze-Rijen Air Base Leeuwarden Air Base Volkel Air Base Woensdrecht Air Base Uncontrolled airports Ameland Airport Drachten Airfield Hilversum Airport Hoogeveen Airport Kempen Airport Lelystad Airport Midden-Zeeland Airport Seppe Airport Teuge Airport Texel International Airport TrafficPort Venlo Heliports Amsterdam Heliport Ede heliport IJmuiden Heliport Maasvlakte Heliport Vlieland Heliport Glider and ultra-light Middenmeer Aerodrome Oostwold Airport Stadskanaal Airfield Terlet Airfield Former Noordoostpolder Soesterberg Air Base Valkenburg Naval Air Base Waalhaven Ypenburg