Nancy-Essey Airport
Encyclopedia
Nancy-Essey Airport is a regional airport in France
, located about 3km east of Nancy (Département de Meurthe-et-Moselle,Lorraine); about 320km east of Paris
It formerly was the main airport for Nancy, however commercial airline traffic was moved to the new Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport
in 1991. The airfield is open to the domestic and international non-scheduled commercial, private aircraft, for IFR and VFR, supportnig general aviation
and charter aircraft operations.
, and was used as a flight school.
In addition to the military use before World War II, because of the proximity of Paris, the airport was used in the mid-1930s by the postal company Blue Air, which operated a service between Paris-Le Bourget - Nancy - Strasbourg, but this was short lived.
After the Battle of France
in 1940, the airfield was seized by the German Luftwaffe
, and was used as a transport/combat glider airfield during 1943 and 1944. It was attacked on several occasions by Allied bombers. American units began to move into the Nancy area in late September 1944, and the airfield was liberated in early October. Relatively undamaged, some Pierced Steel Planking was laid down to patch the main runway, and the airfield was declared operationally usable by the combat engineers on 15 October 1944. It was designated as Advanced Landing Ground
"Y-42".
The airport was used by the Americans as a light aircraft liaison airfield to support the numerous command and control organizations in the Nancy area until the end of the war, with the last unit returning to the United States in September 1945. It was then returned to local French authorities.
Reconstructed, the airport was used by the French Army
as a light aviation airfield from the mid 1950s until the 1990s. Commercial use of the airport also resumed in the 1950s The airport was used by commercial airlines until 1991 including Air Vosges, Rousseau Aviation, Air Alsace and TAT which later became Air Liberté. In the early 1980s passenger use exceeded 50,000 per passengers per year.
Currently, the site hosts a large school of pilot training, and is used primarily for pleasure flights and business charters. It also can be used as an emergency landing site for commercial aircraft.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, located about 3km east of Nancy (Département de Meurthe-et-Moselle,Lorraine); about 320km east of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
It formerly was the main airport for Nancy, however commercial airline traffic was moved to the new Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport
Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport
Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport or Aéroport de Metz-Nancy-Lorraine is an airport serving the Lorraine région of France. It is located in Goin, 16.5 km southeast of Metz, and north of Nancy .It opened to the public on October 28, 1991 and replaced Nancy-Essey and Metz-Frescaty airports...
in 1991. The airfield is open to the domestic and international non-scheduled commercial, private aircraft, for IFR and VFR, supportnig general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
and charter aircraft operations.
History
Before 1926 the site was used as a military airfield. However, the airfield was too small, and without possibility of extension and being judged difficult to use, the airfield at the site was closed. In 1936, the current airport was built as a grass airfield for the French Air ForceFrench Air Force
The French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
, and was used as a flight school.
In addition to the military use before World War II, because of the proximity of Paris, the airport was used in the mid-1930s by the postal company Blue Air, which operated a service between Paris-Le Bourget - Nancy - Strasbourg, but this was short lived.
After the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
in 1940, the airfield was seized by the German Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
, and was used as a transport/combat glider airfield during 1943 and 1944. It was attacked on several occasions by Allied bombers. American units began to move into the Nancy area in late September 1944, and the airfield was liberated in early October. Relatively undamaged, some Pierced Steel Planking was laid down to patch the main runway, and the airfield was declared operationally usable by the combat engineers on 15 October 1944. It was designated as Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground
Advanced Landing Ground was the term given to the temporary advance airfields constructed by the Allies during World War II in support of the invasion of Europe...
"Y-42".
The airport was used by the Americans as a light aircraft liaison airfield to support the numerous command and control organizations in the Nancy area until the end of the war, with the last unit returning to the United States in September 1945. It was then returned to local French authorities.
Reconstructed, the airport was used by the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
as a light aviation airfield from the mid 1950s until the 1990s. Commercial use of the airport also resumed in the 1950s The airport was used by commercial airlines until 1991 including Air Vosges, Rousseau Aviation, Air Alsace and TAT which later became Air Liberté. In the early 1980s passenger use exceeded 50,000 per passengers per year.
Currently, the site hosts a large school of pilot training, and is used primarily for pleasure flights and business charters. It also can be used as an emergency landing site for commercial aircraft.