Twente Airport
Twente Airport is an innovative airport and aviation test location in Enschede, the Netherlands, and forms part of the wider Technology Base business and innovation campus. The former military airbase now supports business aviation, general aviation, aircraft-related companies, and the testing of new aviation and mobility technologies. With a long runway, open space, controlled and relatively quiet airspace, and a strong regional innovation ecosystem, Twente Airport positions itself as a living lab for sustainable aviation, unmanned systems, and future mobility development.
Twente Airport is a former military airbase that has been redeveloped into a small-scale but strategically important aviation location in the eastern Netherlands. Located near Enschede and integrated into Technology Base, the airport contributes to regional accessibility by supporting business aviation, charter flights, private aviation, recreational flying, and general aviation. Its official site describes the airport as a connection point for aviation-related activity and business aviation from the eastern Netherlands to the rest of Europe and beyond.
Beyond its role as an airport, Twente Airport is positioned as a testing ground and living lab for sustainable aviation and new forms of mobility. Its infrastructure includes a long runway, large open spaces, existing airport facilities, and relatively quiet airspace, making it suitable for testing, validation, certification, and demonstration activities involving both manned and unmanned aircraft systems. The Netherlands Aerospace Group describes Twente Airport as an innovative airport with a 3-kilometre runway for manned and unmanned aircraft, from very small to very large aircraft.
Twente Airport also supports aviation-related business development. Companies located at or associated with the site include Aircraft End-of-Life Solutions, TKH Airport Solutions, Space53, Aeronamic, and other aviation and technology organisations. The airport and Technology Base provide space for companies working in areas such as aerospace, drones, new materials, production technologies, prototyping, maintenance, and sustainable aviation innovation.