A strong partnership

Airport Weeze and Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences celebrate 5 years of successful collaboration

Five years of successful and ongoing collaboration between Airport Weeze and Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences: For Dr Heide Naderer, President of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, this presented an ideal opportunity for a first visit at the invitation of Ludger van Bebber, managing director of Airport Weeze. Accompanying the President on this trip was Dr Dirk Reiser, Professor of Sustainable Tourism, as well as six students from the Sustainable Tourism study course of the Faculty of Society and Economics at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences.

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Members of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences visit with leading officials from Airport Weeze.

Kleve/Kamp-Lintfort, 11 April 2016: The visit to Airport Weeze began with a tour of the main terminal. Ludger van Bebber, managing director, and Holger Terhorst, marketing director of Airport Weeze, led the group on a fascinating tour through the daily operations of the Lower Rhine’s bustling regional airport. The tour included an insider look at the departure and arrival processes, involving complex and continuous interaction between pilots, tower, ground personnel, fuel crews and traffic coordinators, as well as various government actors like police, customs officials and regional authorities. After a tour of the terminal and other facilities, the group took a shuttle bus along the tarmac and were treated to a front row seat for numerous take offs and landings of passenger jets.

Following the tour of the tarmac, the group gathered for a productive exchange of ideas and discussion of  completed projects and potential areas of future collaboration. “Our ongoing collaboration with Airport Weeze lets students in Kleve and Kamp-Lintfort regularly participate in excursions that provide deep, practical insight into the complex operations of a regional airport. Airport Weeze also supports us in implementing practical projects and in participating at the ITB tourism trade show in Berlin”, noted Pascal Helfer, who studies Sustainable Tourism at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. Airport Weeze is also a frequent contributor of practical project ideas, for example an event concept, for students to develop and implement in the annual Practical Workshop held at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. Mr van Bebber and Mr Terhorst also contribute to the Sustainable Tourism degree programme directly with frequent guest lectures.

“Our long collaboration with Airport Weeze is particularly valuable because it exposes students to one of the most important aspects of the tourism industry: air travel to and from the holiday destination. Integral to our collaboration are the guest lectures of Mr van Bebber and the frequent excursions for students to the Airport Weeze facilities. Moreover, our ongoing collaboration demonstrates to students the importance of regional development for tourism on the Lower Rhine,” explained Professor Reiser.

Ludger van Bebber shared this opinion as well, adding: “Our collaborative agreement has developed quite well. We cultivate a frequent exchange of knowledge and ideas with future Sustainable Tourism graduates. By collaborating on joint projects, for example the University’s booth at the world’s largest tourism trade fair ITB, we are not only contributing to the public perception of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, but also of Airport Weeze as well.”

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