News

From 22 to 25 April 2026 we were part of the general aviation industry meeting, together with the Interessenverband der regionalen Flugplätze e.V. (IDRF).

The fair was full of good conversations, ideas and valuable exchange with familiar and new contacts from the industry. A big thank you to everyone who visited our stand in hall A5.

We are taking home many impressions and new ideas and are already looking forward to meeting again.

The current issue of the DFS magazine “direct” is all about future-proof air navigation services. We contributed an article on the successful introduction of our IFR procedures, the accompanying measures and current projects at Speyer Airport.

On 4 April 2026 around 300 runners took part in the Easter run, organised by RCV Speyer e.V. together with FSL GmbH. A great chance to experience the airfield and the Speyer skyline in a special evening light.

Thank you to everyone who joined in and ran with us!

The current issue of “Connect”, the business magazine of IHK Pfalz, covers our new instrument flight procedures.

It focuses on the benefits for safety, reliability and planning, and on Speyer’s role as the first airfield in Germany with an IFR procedure on a non-instrument runway. A worthwhile read by Alexander Kessler with photos by Tobias Fels.

On 9 and 10 May 2026 the clubs and flight schools at Speyer Airport invite you to a festival for the whole family, from 10 am to 6 pm. The programme covers the whole world of aviation, from gliders to jets.

Look forward to sightseeing flights, model flying displays, vintage aircraft in the air and insights into the work of customs and the federal police. Food and drink are provided.

The festival takes place together with the Brazzeltag of Technik Museum Speyer. Entrance: Heinkelstraße.

Despite winter weather, a medical transport flight landed safely in Speyer on 6 January 2026. The deciding factor was the new instrument flight procedure (IFR), in service since 19 December 2025, which allows safe and reliable operations in reduced visibility.

Organ flights carry vital organs and medical teams to transplant centres across Europe at short notice. Because the so-called ischaemia time of organs is limited, routes must be short and delays avoided.

“For life-saving missions like these it is essential to have regional transport infrastructure close to the patient,” says a spokesperson for the operator, HELI-FLIGHT JLR gGmbH, a subsidiary of Johanniter Luftrettung. “Without the instrument procedure, Speyer’s long runway and very good infrastructure would unfortunately not have been usable in today’s weather.”

Larger commercial airports in the region are not always ideal for time-critical medical missions: besides the greater distance, extra ground transfers, complex processes and dense traffic can cost time.

Winter operations matter as well: with regular runway preparation and suitable clearing equipment the airfield stays available for medical special flights in winter conditions.

On 19 December 2025 at 1 pm local time, instrument flight procedures (IFR) went into service at Speyer for the first time. Alongside the extended runway, IFR was a central part of the airfield strategy. It followed several years of planning and approval involving the Rhineland-Palatinate aviation authority (LBM), DFS, the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) and the Federal Supervisory Authority for Air Navigation Services (BAF).

The procedures allow approaches when a visual approach is no longer possible and make operations more plannable, especially in winter. Aircraft can descend to 500 ft (about 155 m) above ground without visual contact; from that height visual contact is required to continue the landing. The GPS-based approaches are available from the north and the south and provide lateral and vertical guidance along a defined path. Set flight routes relieve built-up areas.

On approach pilots change to the frequency of the AFIS (Aerodrome Flight Information Service), in place at Speyer since 1 May 2025 and provided by our partner TRIAC.

Alongside, a weather station certified by the German Weather Service was installed, a radar system was introduced so AFIS can pass on traffic information, and automatic weather reports and operational information are broadcast by radio.

No significant increase in flights is expected. Existing traffic can be handled even more safely. The approval process examined and weighed all possible advantages and disadvantages for the airfield’s surroundings.

Because of the new IFR approach procedures and the adjusted approach angles, the PAPI (Precision Approach Path Indicator) was moved to a new location and precisely aligned, giving pilots reliable height guidance on final approach.

The new installation was carried out by our partner ALTEC Airfield Lighting. Visual glide path guidance is now fully matched to the current procedures and fully operational.

On 13 June 2025 we welcomed CDU Mutterstadt for a guided tour of our airfield. Our guests gained insights into flight operations and learned about the importance of general aviation for our region. Thank you for your visit and your interest!

On request we offer our customers SAF (sustainable aviation fuel). It is a blend of about 37 % pure SAF and 63 % conventional kerosene.

This saves up to 37 % fossil fuel without any technical changes to aircraft or airfield infrastructure.

The association of regional airfields (IDRF) regularly interviews one of its partner airfields. This time it was Speyer’s turn. The full interview is available from IDRF.

On 7 March 2025 the FSL GmbH team took part in the city’s campaign for a clean Speyer. As part of “Sauberes Speyer – Helft mit”, the City of Speyer organised its 22nd clean-up day, a sign against littering.

On 29 September 2023 students of the aviation programmes at Worms University of Applied Sciences experienced flying in Speyer up close.

Silver Cloud Air gave them a look inside a Citation XLS. FSL opened the tower doors and organised sightseeing flights with the Motorfluggemeinschaft Speyer e.V. We were delighted to welcome them!

At an event of the Liberaler Mittelstand and the FDP district association Speyer at the airfield on 11 September 2023, Federal Minister Volker Wissing underlined the importance of decentralised aviation infrastructure for the economy.

Speyer Airport, he said, makes an important contribution to the competitiveness and economic strength of the region, and connecting the regions to European and international air transport is of great importance for Germany as a business location.

Thank you to everyone who supported the fundraising campaign at the airfield festival (2 September 2023) for the Soziale Anlaufstelle Speyer e.V.

The donations were handed over to Stefan Wagner of the Soziale Anlaufstelle by the Flugsportverein Speyer, the Motorfluggemeinschaft Speyer, the Flugsportverein of Pfalz-Flugzeugwerke and FSL GmbH.

The airfield festival on 2 September 2023 was a successful day for all companies, clubs, flight schools and organisations involved. Thank you to the more than 3,000 visitors for their interest and to all exhibitors for their commitment.

Visitors experienced flying up close, for example on sightseeing flights or watching parachute jumps, and learned about aviation in and around Speyer at many information and exhibition stands.

Each year the “Tag des Wir” campaign of the social association SoVD puts people centre stage who often face social insecurity in everyday life.

For this occasion the SoVD Baden-Württemberg, with managing director Heike Sommerauer-Dörzapf and Ursula Bäuerlein, chair of the Schwetzingen-Neulußheim branch, organised a flying day at Flugsportverein Speyer for a Lebenshilfe group.

Flying, but electric: the Badisch-Pfälzischer Flugsportverein (BPFV e.V.) tested it in a field trial. For three weeks the Pipistrel Velis Electro, the world’s only certified battery-electric aircraft, flew between the partner airfields Mannheim, Speyer and Worms.

Sustainable electric flying needs a reliable charging network. Temporary charging points at all three airfields tested it during the trial. We are glad to be a partner in the project.

On 20 July pupils of the Rudolf-Wihr-Realschule plus in Limburgerhof took part in a project at Flugsportverein Speyer. The cooperation has been running since 2006.

Led by Martin Hauß, the project gives young people a thorough look into the world of flying, including the theory behind flight and how aircraft work.

The airfield is home to around 150,000 bees. The bee hotels on our green areas house wild bees and honey bees and are fitted with sandstone, straw or wood, because every species has different needs.

The Speyer bees pollinate the plants on our wildflower meadow and produce airfield honey along the way. They pay no landing fees, but they are firmly part of the airfield all the same.

Our customers can refuel with MOGAS, an unleaded and more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional aviation gasoline.

Technically, MOGAS is currently suited mainly to ultralight aircraft with their light construction and economical engines. With this offer we promote more sustainable flight operations.