“The Sky is the limit” in de “Seventies”

In the 1970s, all kinds of projects were developed that suggested a relocation of the airport: Oostmalle, the land of Waas, the Ekerse polder. Everything was covered. The decade was also marked by the emergence of anti-airport activist groups, who were initially opposed to an expansion, but soon demanded a complete closure and became consultancy firms for the use of the site after the activities ceased.

In July 1970 there was a lot of activity: the port strikes in Great Britain caused tons of freight passing to and from Antwerp.

On September 2, 1970, Skyways Air Cargo started daily cargo flights to Ashford, a service that would operate for nine years. A year later, British Island Airlines started a line to London/Gatwick with Dart Herald.

There was talk of a tunnel under the Krijgsbaan (for which we would have to wait more than forty years). The Antwerp companies founded the NV Luchthavengemeenschap Antwerpen and Delta Air Transport transported masses of people to Jersey and London on their “bargain” flights. Attacks and hijackings meant that the security of the site was entrusted to a platoon of para commandos.

In 1972 Sabena suspended its connection to London/Heathrow with Fokker F-27. In 1975, the company made a few test flights with Boeing 737 to set up the connection again. From 1977 this happened 4 times a day.

The fiftieth anniversary of the Royal Antwerp Aviation Club was celebrated without the obligatory airshow, thanks to the action groups that were heard in Brussels.

In those years, the South African company De Beers flew daily with diamonds between Antwerp and London.

The decade ended with the first REFORGER (REturn the FORces to GERmany) flights of the US Army.

1979 concluded with the installation of the long-awaited Instrument Landing System (ILS).