Waalhaven Airport in 1932, with the Graf Zeppelin in the background.
The Waalhaven is a
harbour
A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...
in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
, the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. It used to be home to an airport, Vliegveld Waalhaven (Waalhaven Airport). It was the second civilian airport in the Netherlands and was opened in 1920. Part of it was also in use by the Dutch military's 3rd JaVA
Fokker G.I
The Fokker G.I was a Dutch twin-engined heavy fighter aircraft comparable in size and role to the German Messerschmitt Bf 110. Although in production prior to World War II, its combat introduction came at a time the Netherlands were overrun by t ...
squadron in 1940.
Amongst others, the
N.V. Koolhoven aircraft factory was located at this airport. The factory and airport were destroyed in 1940 by the Dutch army so it could not get into the hands of the Germans. After the Second World War, the city was in a prospect of finding an airport, but the existing airfield at Waalhaven was written off the list, because the damage that was caused to prevent the airfield's capture was so great it was considered not worth repairing. An industrial zone now lies on the location of the former airport, with aviation having moved to
Zestienhoven Airport.
Defunct airports in the Netherlands
Airports in South Holland
Buildings and structures in Rotterdam
History of Rotterdam
Port of Rotterdam
Transport in Rotterdam
{{Netherlands-hist-stub
