Rhein-Main Air Base

Rhein-Main Air Base
Near Frankfurt, Hesse in Germany
Rhein-Main Air Base in 1995
Rhein-Main AB Show map of Germany Rhein-Main AB Show map of Hesse
Coordinates	50°1′48.7″N 8°35′16.97″E / 50.030194°N 8.5880472°E / 50.030194; 8.5880472
Grid reference	i
Type	US Air Force base
Site information
Owner	German Federal Government
Operator	United States Air Force
Controlled by	United States Air Forces in Europe
Open to the public	No
Condition	Closed
Website	Official website (archived)
Site history
Built	1936
In use	1945 (1945)–2005 (2005)
Fate	Redeveloped as Terminal 3 of Frankfurt Airport
Events	Berlin Airlift (1948) Starfighter crash (1983) Terrorist attack (1985)
Airfield information
Identifiers	ICAO: EDAF, FAA LID: FRF, WMO: 106373

Rhein-Main Air Base was a United States Air Force air base near the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was a Military Airlift Command (MAC) and United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) installation, occupying the south side of Frankfurt Airport. Its military airport codes (IATA: FRF, ICAO: EDAF) are discontinued. Established in 1945, Rhein-Main Air Base was the primary airlift and passenger hub for USAFE. It was billed as the "Gateway to Europe". It closed on 30 December 2005.

During its lifetime, the base's host airlift wing operated C-130 Hercules and C-9A Nightingale aircraft, as well as supporting many transient C-5 Galaxy, C-141 Starlifter, C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender flight operations each day. Daily or weekly contract air passenger flights were also conducted for United States personnel arriving in or leaving Europe.