Rostock–Laage Airport
{{Infobox airport
| name = Rostock Airport
| nativename = {{small|Flughafen Rostock–Laage}}
| nativename-a =
| nativename-r =
| image =
| image-width = 100
| image2 = Laage Flughafen Eingang.jpg
| image2-width = 250
| IATA = RLG
| ICAO = ETNL
| type = Public/Military
| owner =
| operator = Flughafen Rostock Laage-Güstrow GmbH
| city-served = Rostock, Germany
| location =
| metric-elev = yes
| elevation-m = 42
| elevation-f = 138
| coordinates = {{coord|53|55|06|N|12|16|42|E|display=inline,title}}
| website = {{URL|http://www.rostock-airport.de}}
| pushpin_map= Germany Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
| pushpin_label=RLG
| pushpin_mark=Airplane_silhouette.svg
| pushpin_mapsize=200
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Airport in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
| metric-rwy = yes
| r1-number = 10/28
| r1-length-m = 2,500
| r1-length-f = 8,202
| r1-surface = Paved
| stat-year = 2022
| stat1-header = Passengers
| stat1-data = 60,997 {{increase}}+185,0%
| stat2-header = Aircraft movements
| stat2-data = 15,440 {{increase}}+139,6%
| stat3-header = Cargo (metric tons)
| stat3-data = {{0|00,00}}0 {{decrease}}-100,0%
| footnotes = Sources: Statistics at ADV.{{cite web |url=https://www.adv.aero/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/12.2022-ADV-Monatsstatistik.pdf |title=ADV Monthly Traffic Report 12/2022 |website=adv.aero |publisher=Arbeitsgemeinschaft Deutscher Verkehrsflughäfen e.V. |date=2023-02-13 |accessdate=2023-02-17 |language=de |format=PDF; 919 KB}}
}}
Rostock Airport, German: Flughafen Rostock-Laage {{Airport codes|RLG|ETNL}}, is the airport of Rostock, the largest city in the German state Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and is named after Laage, within the boundary of which it is located. Laage is a town in the Rostock district. It features flights to major cities throughout Germany as well as some leisure routes. In addition to civil activity, Jagdgeschwader 73 of the German Air Force is stationed on the military side of the airport.
History
=Early years=
Construction of the airport began in 1979 as a National People's Army facility. It became operational in 1984 with the Fighter Wing JBG 77 and the Navy Fighter Wing 28. It was deactivated by the Bundeswehr in 1990 and was reactivated in 1993 when Jagdgeschwader 73 was posted there. In the same year the Rostock-Laage-Güstrow GmbH begins civilian operations on a 60 hectare section of the airport.
=Development since the 2000s=
The airport was expected to post losses of €2.8 million for 2013 while the passenger numbers decreased by 12 percent in the same year. As the government of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is not willing to give additional financial aid, the airport operator may face bankruptcy in the near future.{{Cite web|url=http://www.austrianaviation.net/detail/rostock-laage-vor-dem-aus/|title=Rostock-Laage vor dem Aus?|website=www.austrianaviation.net}} In October 2014, Rainer Schwarz, a former general manager of Berlin Brandenburg Airport was appointed to the same position at Rostock–Laage Airport.{{Cite news|url=https://www.faz.net/1.3210294|title=Regionalflughafen: Ex-Berliner Flughafenchef wird Geschäftsführer in Rostock-Laage|newspaper=Faz.net|via=www.faz.net}}
After the British airline Flybmi, which operated domestic flights to Munich and Stuttgart ceased the operation and declared bankruptcy, Lufthansa took over the route from Rostock to Munich with up to two daily rotations with Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft. However, this service has since been terminated.
In 2019, the airport suffered a sharp downfall in passenger numbers with a decrease by more than half to just 148,000.[https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/mecklenburg-vorpommern/Passagier-Zahlen-in-Rostock-Laage-halbiert,laage300.html ndr.de] (German) 11 January 2020 This was mainly caused by the shutdown of Germania which operated several leisure routes from Rostock. In February 2021, Lufthansa Aviation Training relocated their practical training from Bremen Airport to Rostock.[https://www.aerotelegraph.com/lufthansa-konzentriert-praktische-pilotenausbildung-in-rostock aerotelegraph.com] (German) 17 February 2021
On the airfield it is a part of the major maneuver held in June 2023, held under the leadership of the German Air Force Air Defender 23 it is the greatest exercise of air forces since NATO was announced.{{cite web|access-date=2023-06-10|date=2023-06-07|language=en|title=Germany prepares to host NATO's biggest ever air exercise over Europe|url=https://www.euronews.com/2023/06/07/germany-prepares-to-host-natos-biggest-ever-air-exercise-over-europe|website=euronews.com}}
In November 2024, Condor announced it would terminate their two-weekly, summer seasonal route from Rostock to Palma de Mallorca, citing low profitability.[https://www.airliners.de/fehlende-rentabilitaet-condor-fluege-rostock-laage/77911 airliners.de] (German) 22 November 2024
Facilities
The airport consists of one modern passenger terminal building containing a large check-in hall as well as some shops and restaurants. The building is equipped with two jet bridges and apron positions. Rostock–Laage Airport usually sees traffic by mid-sized aircraft such as the Airbus A320 but is equipped to handle wide-body aircraft up to the Boeing 747-400.[http://www.aerotelegraph.com/pullmanntur-flughafen-rostock-zusaetzliche-fluege-erstmals-boeing-747 aerotelegraph.com - Boeing 747: A little invasion at Rostock Airport] (German) 27 January 2016 It also has several stands for smaller general aviation planes.
Airlines and destinations
The following airlines operate scheduled flights at Rostock Airport:[https://rostock-airport.de/en/flightplan/ rostock-airport.de - Rostock Airport flight schedule] retrieved 21 December 2024
{{Airport destination list
| Air Nostrum | Seasonal Charter: Zurich (begins 18 May 2025){{cite web |last1=Liu |first1=Jim |title=Air Nostrum NS25 Zurich – Rostock Charters |url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/250424-ywns25zrhrlg |website=aeroroutes.com |publisher=AeroRoutes |access-date=24 April 2025 |language=en-CA}}
| {{nowrap|Corendon Airlines}} | Seasonal: Antalya{{cite web|url=https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/221020-xcxrnw22|website=aeroroutes.com|date=20 October 2022|title=CORENDON AIRLINES NW22 SCHEDULED SERVICE ADJUSTMENT – 20OCT22}}
}}
Additionally, the airport is frequently used for non-public cruise ship charter flights to and from Southern Europe, e. g. operated by ITA Airways, to carry passengers travelling to and from the nearby cruise port of Warnemünde.{{cite web | url=https://www.abendblatt.de/wirtschaft/article235638563/urlaub-flughafen-rostock-nonstop-sommer-ferien-direkt-ziele-airport-hamburger.html | title=Urlaub: Nonstop ans Meer! So lockt der Flughafen Rostock Hamburger an | date=17 June 2022 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.aero.de/news-22570/Gute-Neun-Monats-Bilanz-des-Flughafens-Rostock-Laage.html|title=Gute Neun-Monats-Bilanz des Flughafens Rostock-Laage|date=October 5, 2015|website=aero.de}} The nearest major international airports are Berlin Brandenburg Airport {{convert|190|km|mi}} to the south and Hamburg Airport {{convert|200|km|mi}} to the west.
Statistics
File:Rostock - Laage (RLG - ETNL) AN0536421.jpg
File:Flughafen Rostock-Laage2.JPG
| class="wikitable"
|+ Busiest Flight Routes from RLG by country in 2023{{cite web |access-date=2024-06-21 |title=Statistical Report - Air Traffic at Major Airports - 2023 |url=https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Branchen-Unternehmen/Transport-Verkehr/Personenverkehr/Publikationen/Downloads-Luftverkehr/statistischer-bericht-luftverkehr-hauptverkehrsflughaefen-2080610237005.html}} ! Rank !! Destination Country !! Passengers | ||
| 1 | {{TUR}} | 16,998 |
| 2 | {{GRC}} | 4,394 |
| 3 | {{ITA}} | 1,677 |
| colspan="8" class="hintergrundfarbe2"| This statistic includes only departures. (No arrivals) |
|---|
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: right; width:200px;" align="center"
|+ | |
| style="width:75px"| | {{nowrap|Passengers}} |
|---|---|
| 2010
| 219.489 | |
| 2011
| {{increase}} 223,516 | |
| 2012
| {{decrease}} 203,990 | |
| 2013
| {{decrease}} 177,464 | |
| 2014
| {{decrease}} 169,946 | |
| 2015
| {{increase}} 190,869 | |
| 2016
| {{increase}} 250,199 | |
| 2017
| {{increase}} 290,654[http://www.airliners.de/rekordjahr-rostock/43326 airliners.de - "Record year for Rostock"] (German) 8 January 2017 | |
| 2018 | |
| 2019 | |
| 2023 | |
| colspan=5 align="right"| Source: Rostock Airport{{Cite web| url=http://www.rostock-airport.de/unternehmen.html?file=files%2Fflughafen%2Fdownloads%2Fverkehrsdaten-flughafen-rostock-laage.pdf | title=Rostock airport | access-date=2022-02-16 | archive-date=2020-03-16 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316181905/https://www.rostock-airport.de/unternehmen.html?file=files%2Fflughafen%2Fdownloads%2Fverkehrsdaten-flughafen-rostock-laage.pdf | url-status=dead}} |
Ground transportation
=Public transport=
For all scheduled and most charter flights, a direct bus connection to Rostock Hauptbahnhof (25 km distance) is provided by the regional public transport company (Rebus). A special fare ("Flughafenticket") is introduced, allowing passengers to use suburban trains and street cars within the City of Rostock for one connecting trip. The same applies for one additional trip on regional busses from Rostock within the integrated fare region of Rostock.
=Road=
The motorways A19 (Rostock–Berlin) and A20 (Lübeck–Szczecin) are nearby. There are 4 parking areas at the airport with more than 1,000{{Cite web|url=https://www.rostock-airport.de/en/parking-at-the-airport.html|title=Rostock Airport - parking at the airport|website=Rostock Airport (EN)|access-date=2019-03-02|archive-date=2022-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126104543/https://www.rostock-airport.de/en/parking-at-the-airport.html|url-status=dead}} parking spots in total. Several international as well as local car rental agencies are located at the airport.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rostock-airport.de/en/hire-cars.html|title=Booking hire cars at Rostock Airport|website=Rostock Airport (EN)|access-date=2019-03-02|archive-date=2021-10-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022100439/https://www.rostock-airport.de/en/hire-cars.html|url-status=dead}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Rostock-Laage Airport}}
- [http://www.rostock-airport.de Official website]
- {{NWS-current|ETNL}}
- {{ASN|RLG}}
{{Portalbar|Germany|Aviation}}
{{Airports in Germany}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rostock-Laage Airport}}
Category:Buildings and structures in Rostock (district)
Category:Luftstreitkräfte airbases