Waalhaven Airport

Complete destruction during World War II. The airport was a primary strategic target during the German invasion of the Netherlands on May 10, 1940. It was captured by German paratroopers in the opening hours of the Battle for Rotterdam. In the ensuing fighting, Dutch forces attempted to recapture the airfield, leading to heavy combat. The airport was bombed by both Dutch and German forces, resulting in its total destruction. After the war, the decision was made not to rebuild it, and the land was repurposed for the expansion of the Port of Rotterdam.

The site of the former Waalhaven Airport has been completely redeveloped and is now an integral part of the Port of Rotterdam, one of the largest and busiest ports in the world. The area is occupied by the Waalhaven and Eemhaven port basins, which are filled with container terminals, docks, warehouses, and extensive industrial and logistical infrastructure. There are no physical remnants of the original airport, such as runways or buildings. The only acknowledgment of its past is a monument, the 'Paratroopers Monument' (Monument voor de Gevallen Luchtverdedigers), located nearby to commemorate the Dutch soldiers who died defending the airfield in May 1940.

Waalhaven was the first civil airport in the Netherlands, officially opened in 1920. It held immense significance for the development of Dutch aviation.

Operations and Importance:
- **Civil Aviation Hub:** It served as an early hub for KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines). The first-ever KLM scheduled flight, from London to Amsterdam on May 17, 1920, made a stop at Waalhaven. It handled numerous international passenger and mail routes, connecting Rotterdam to cities like Paris, Brussels, Hamburg, and London.
- **Aircraft Manufacturing:** The airport was home to the N.V. Koolhoven aircraft factory, one of the most important Dutch aircraft manufacturers of the interwar period. The factory produced a wide range of aircraft, including trainers, reconnaissance planes, fighters (like the F.K.58), and passenger airliners.
- **Military Airbase:** It was a dual-use facility, also functioning as a military airbase for the Dutch Army Air Arm (Luchtvaartafdeeling).
- **Battle of Rotterdam:** The airport is historically remembered for the fierce battle that took place there on May 10, 1940. The successful but costly capture of the airfield by German paratroopers was a key event in the invasion of the Netherlands, demonstrating a new form of airborne warfare.

There are zero prospects for reopening Waalhaven Airport. The land is now a vital, heavily developed, and economically critical part of the Port of Rotterdam. The logistical and financial cost to acquire and clear the land would be astronomical and impractical. Furthermore, the city of Rotterdam and its surrounding region are already served by Rotterdam The Hague Airport (EHRD/RTM), making the development of a new airport at the former Waalhaven site both unnecessary and impossible.