Melsbroek Air Base

Melsbroek Air Base (Advanced Landing Ground B-58)
IATA: none – ICAO: EBMB
Summary
Airport type	Military
Serves	Brussels
Location	Steenokkerzeel
Elevation AMSL	184 ft / 56 m
Coordinates
Map
EBMB Location of Melsbroek Air Base
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 02/20 2,987 9,800 Asphalt 07R/25L 3,211 10,535 Asphalt 07L/25R 3,638 11,936 Asphalt
Source: Belgian AIP at EUROCONTROL

Melsbroek Air Base (ICAO: EBMB) is a Belgian Air Component facility in Steenokkerzeel, Belgium. It is located on the northern side of the same site as Brussels Airport, with which it shares runways and ground and air control facilities.

The 15th Air Transport Wing operates from Melsbroek Air Base with following types:

• Airbus A310 (retired)
• Airbus A330 (retired)
• Airbus A321
• Dassault Falcon 20
• Dassault Falcon 900
• Embraer 135 & 145
• Lockheed C-130

History

The aerodrome was created by German military during World War II. Melsbroek also was operated by the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) and the RAF during World War II (after the 1944 liberation).

Operation Bodenplatte, the German aerial attack of 1 January 1945, hit Melsbroek hard. According to Emil Clade (leading III./JG 27), the AAA positions were not manned, and aircraft were bunched together or in lines, which made perfect targets. The attack caused considerable damage among the units based there and was a great success. The Recce Wings had lost two entire squadrons worth of machines. No. 69 Squadron RAF lost 11 Vickers Wellingtons and two damaged. Possibly all No. 140 Squadron RAF′s Mosquitoes were lost. At least five Spitfires from No. 16 Squadron RAF were destroyed. No. 271 Squadron RAF lost at least seven Harrow transports "out of action". A further 15 other aircraft were destroyed. 139 Wing reported five B-25s destroyed and five damaged. Some 15 to 20 USAAF bombers were also destroyed. Another source states that that 13 Wellingtons were destroyed, as were five Mosquitoes, four Auster and five Avro Ansons from the Tactical Air Forces 2nd Communications Squadron. Three Spitfires were also lost and two damaged. At least one RAF Transport Command Douglas Dakota was destroyed.

After the war, Melsbroek replaced Haren Airfield as the Belgian national airport. That title is now carried by the Zaventem terminal on the same aerodrome, built for the 1958 world exposition. At that time, the existing terminal was taken over by the then Belgian Air Force.

When Trans European Airways existed, its head office was in Building 117 of Melsbroek Airport. When CityBird existed its head office was in Building 117D.

See also

• Belgian Air Component