the airport's history

charter flights from Vienna are extended and further established

Marketing activities are concentrated on the Austrian market. Flights from Vienna during Easter holiday, summer holiday and Halloween period.

July: passenger aircraft arrive from London, Manchester and Vienna with guests for the Europa-Park, 4 times a week during holiday season.

June, 16: Special permit for BFAL is granted by the Regierungspräsidium Freiburg. Passenger charter flights for with destination Europa-Park, Rust, can be handled at BFAL.

June, 9: FIFA Soccer World Cup in Germany. Dutch national soccer team uses Lahr airport to get to their venues.

January, 19: Application for a restricted permit made to the Regierungpräsidium Freiburg. (Permit to operate charter flights destined for the Europa-Park)

January, 8: first charter flight arriving from Vienna is a complete success. Guests from Austria are witnesses of the flawless cooperation between Europa-Park and BFAL.

November, 30: Babcock & Brown and Europa-Park Rust introduce their future plans to the public. BFAL functions as "incoming airport", attracting passengers visiting the Europa-Park.

Change of Investors: after the bankrupcy of PlaneStation Group plc, England, the Australian Investment Group Babcock & Brown now holds 99.7 % of BFAL shares.

April, 29: An administrative appeal was made to the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig by the Government of Baden-Wuerttemberg - as the Higher Administrative of Court of Baden-Wuerttemberg excluded an appeal against their decision.

February, 28: The Higher Administrative Court of Baden-Wuerttemberg decided today, that the refusal by the Regierungspräsidium Freiburg of the petition to grant a general airport licence for Lahr was illegal and is revoked. Moreover, the Court held that the Regierungspräsidium Freiburg is obilgated to reconsider again BFAL GmbH's petition based on the Court's opinion as laid out in the written judgement (Case No. 8S 2004/04).

BFAL supported by PlaneStation Group plc as parent company submits action against the decision of the licensing authority.

Decision of the Regierungpräsidium as licensing authority not to allow BFAL to be a general civil airport.

BFAL achieves the status of "Special Cargo Airport"

Application for General Airport License in December.

The British company Wiggins Group plc. becomes majority shareholder of the Flugplatz Lahr GmbH, Black Forest Airport Lahr GmbH is established.

Strasbourg airport is closed due to renovation. Lahr Airport services 1/3 of the Strasbourg airport traffic over a period of 40 days, 25.000 passengers passing through.

Industrial Estate and Business Park is developed by the city of Lahr.

Founding of the airfield company Flugplatz Lahr GmbH.

Conversion and civil use of the military property.

Canadian troops withdraw.

Plans developed for the civil use of the airbase.

Political and governmental changes in Eastern Europe.

Canadian 4th mechanised Brigade based at Lahr, Logistic support for the Canadian troops in Europe.

Base for NATO fighter aircraft

French Military occupation of Lahr

Designated as international Zeppelin airfield. Later used as military airfield.

Opening as airfield for Zeppelins.