Einstazhafen Kaltenkirchen Airfield

The final closure was a direct result of military restructuring and force reduction within the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) after the end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany. The specific army aviation regiment based at the airfield was dissolved, making the base redundant.

The former airfield site has been completely redeveloped and repurposed. The area now contains the large 'Gewerbepark an der A7' (Business Park on the A7 motorway), a significant industrial and commercial zone. A large portion of the former runways and taxiways is covered by the 'Solarpark Kaltenkirchen', one of Germany's largest photovoltaic power plants. Parts of the site have also been designated as a nature conservation area. While some original road layouts and faint outlines of the runways are visible from the air, the aviation infrastructure is gone.

Einsatzhafen Kaltenkirchen has a significant multi-layered military history.

1. **WWII (Luftwaffe):** Built in the mid-1930s as a 'Einsatzhafen' (operational airfield), it was a key base for the air defense of Northern Germany, particularly protecting the cities of Hamburg and Kiel. It hosted various fighter units (Jagdgeschwader) flying aircraft like the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190, including elements of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1). Towards the end of the war, it also served as a base for night fighter units (Nachtjagdgeschwader) such as NJG 3.

2. **Post-WWII (Royal Air Force):** After Germany's surrender in 1945, the airfield was taken over by the British and renamed RAF Kaltenkirchen. As part of the British Air Forces of Occupation, it hosted fighter wings equipped with aircraft like the Hawker Tempest and Supermarine Spitfire. It served as a fighter base protecting the air corridors to Berlin during the Berlin Airlift (1948-1949).

3. **Cold War (Bundeswehr):** In 1959, the airfield was handed over to the newly formed West German military. It became a major base for the German Army Aviation Corps (Heeresflieger). From 1964 until its closure in 1994, it was home to Army Aviation Regiment 6 (Heeresfliegerregiment 6), which operated transport helicopters like the Bell UH-1D and anti-tank helicopters like the Bölkow Bo 105. The regiment's primary mission was to support the 6th Panzergrenadier Division.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. The extensive and permanent redevelopment of the site into a major business park and a large-scale solar farm makes its reactivation as an aviation facility economically and logistically unfeasible. Its proximity to the major international Hamburg Airport (EDDH) further negates any potential need for another airport in the region.