Budel Airport

Geschiedenis

Kempen Airport or Budel Airport, also just called Budel after the nearby town, is a general aviation airport in the south-east of the Netherlands located 5NM west of Weert and near the border with Belgium. Its main runway, 03/21, is a 1199m long asphalt runway. There is a second runway for microlight aircraft only, located next to the main runway, and is 600m long.The airport opened in 1970, initially only with a grass runway. An asphalt runway was created in 1991 of 930m, which was expanded later to its current length. Approach and runway lighting followed, making the airport suitable for IFR flights. With around 80,000 movements a year, it is amongst the largest general aviation airports in the Netherlands. International flights are allowed to and from the airport and it is used extensively by business aircraft, accounting for 80% of all aircraft movements.AccidentsOn October 26, 2009, a Pilatus PC-12 on its way to Frankfurt Egelsbach Airport crashed in a field shortly after take-off from Kempen Airport; the two people on board died. An investigation was performed by the Dutch Safety Board however the cause of the accident was never conclusively determined.