Brussels-Melsbroek airport
[BRU/EBBR]

Brussels Airport (also called Brussel-Nationaal/Bruxelles-National (Brussels-National) or Luchthaven Zaventem)
is an international airport 12.0 km northeast of Brussels, the capital of Belgium.
It is located in the municipality of Zaventem in the Province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium.

The origins of Brussels Airport at Zaventem date back to 1940, when Luftwaffe established Fliegerhorst Melsbroek and constructed 3 runways in the shape of a triangle: runway 02/20, runway 07L/25R (both of which are still in use today) and runway 12/30. The airport buildings were constructed in the nearby municipality of Melsbroek and not of Zaventem, which is why the airfield was known to the locals as Melsbroek (in Dutch). After the liberation on 3 September 1944, the German infrastructure at Melsbroek fell into the hands of the British.

When the old civilian airport in Haren became too small, the Belgian authorities decided to use the aerodrome at Melsbroek for the new national airport. By 1948, a new terminal building was constructed to replace the old wooden building. In the same year, the lengths of both runways 02/20 and 07L/25R were increased, to 1,200 m (3,900 ft) and 2,450 m (8,040 ft) respectively, whereas 12/30 remained at 1,300 m (4,300 ft). The civil aerodrome of Melsbroek was officially opened on 20 July 1948. In 1956 a new 2,300 m (7,500 ft) runway was constructed, 07R/25L, which almost runs parallel with 07L/25R. The runway is still in use today and saw its length later increased to 3,200 m (10,500 ft).

In April 1956 the Belgian government decided to build a new airport, using the same runways, but with the buildings located within the municipality of Zaventem. In April 1957, construction started of the new terminal, preparing the airport for the 1958 World Fair. The grass runway 12/30 had to make way to allow for the new passenger terminal. This new airport was inaugurated 5 July 1958, almost just in time for the 1958 World Fair. The buildings on the Melsbroek side are still in use by the Belgian Air Force (15th Air Transport Wing), and this is still known as Melsbroek airfield. Both Zaventem Airport and Melsbroek Air Base, the military airfield, share the same runways.

[Read more - wikipedia]

Identified airlines on my postcards
Alitalia
BEA?
KLM
Pan American World Airways
Sabena
Trans International Airlines
Tunis Air

Identified aircraft types on my postcards
Airspeed Ambassador?
Boeing B377 Stratocruiser
Boeing B747
Convair CV240
Convair CV440
Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-4
Douglas DC-6
Douglas DC-7
SUD Aviation Caravelle

Oostende-Brugge airport
[OST/EBOS]

Ostend–Bruges International Airport, commonly known simply as Ostend Airport, is an international airport located 5.0 km south southwest of Ostend, West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, near the coast and about 25 km from the city centre of Bruges.

During the Second World War, the Luftwaffe moved the airfield of Ostend-Stene to a site in the territory of the municipality of Middelkerke, five kilometres southwest of Ostend. It played a major role in the air battle with Britain. After the war, the airport of Raversijde-Middelkerke was turned into an international airport by the Department of Airways which had been established by that time. 

[Read more - wikipedia]

Identified airlines on my postcards
Channel Airways

Identified aircraft types on my postcards
Vickers Viscount