Ehem. Flughafengebäude

In 1927, a new airport arose between Leipzig and Halle, a beacon of progress in interwar Germany. This, the Ehem. Flughafengebäude, witnessed the airport’s dramatic early years. The Ehem. Flughafengebäude saw expansion in the 1930s, including a new restaurant and a terminal built in the imposing Nazi architectural style. By World War II, this airport bustled with activity, the fourth busiest in the country for commercial flights. Over 40 planes took off daily from here, a stark contrast to the silence that followed when the Luftwaffe took control. The Ehem. Flughafengebäude then watched as Allied bombs rained down on April 16, 1944, leaving destruction in their wake. The postwar era brought rebirth. The Ehem. Flughafengebäude observed the airport’s reconstruction under the GDR, though its role shifted to an industrial one. A new runway, a long 2500 meters, was built between 1957 and 1960, hinting at a return to commercial air travel. The Leipzig Trade Fair brought brief bursts of life twice a year starting in 1963, with Interflug flights becoming a regular sight. However, these were fleeting moments, with the airport structures dismantled after each fair. Only in 1968 did a more permanent, modern terminal grace the site. 1972 marked a turning point, as the airport finally operated year-round. The Ehem. Flughafengebäude bore witness to a historic moment on March 18, 1986, when the sleek Concorde, a marvel of engineering, landed, courtesy of Air France. Two days later, British Airways followed suit, both airlines using the airport for Concorde flights during the Leipzig Trade Fair. By 1988, passenger traffic had doubled since 1972, reaching 550,000, leading to an expanded terminal, including a new immigration hall in 1984 and an upgraded departure hall in 1985. German reunification in 1991 ushered in modernization, with Terminal A receiving a facelift. 1992 saw passenger numbers soar past one million for the first time. A new Terminal B followed in 1994, and a longer, 3,500-meter runway was completed in 2003, accompanied by a new control tower in 2000. The Ehem. Flughafengebäude, therefore, silently observed decades of change, from vibrant commercial activity to wartime destruction, from industrial use to the arrival of supersonic jets.