The Hahn Airport in the Hunsrück region, often simply called “the Hahn,” was first released as “Frankfurt-Hahn X” for Aerosoft back in 2012. This was the work of Peter Werlitz, Martin Schmiescheck, and Oliver Pabst for FS X. In 2013, Aerosoft released “German Regional Airports” featuring Hahn for FS X, as well as “Airport Frankfurt-Hahn” for X-Plane 10 and 11. RFSceneryBuilding (RFSB) launched their version for Prepar3D (P3D) v5 in 2020 and for MSFS 2020 in mid-2023. In October 2025, M’M Simulations (MMS) released their own design for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024. (Link)

Reality

Hahn Airport’s story began in 1951 when the French occupying forces started construction on a ridge in the Hunsrück. In 1952, the US Air Force took over. Until the end of the Cold War, three squadrons of F-16s were stationed there. The 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron participated in the second Gulf War in 1991, later relocating back to the USA. In 1993, the US Air Force handed the airfield to civil authorities and withdrew all personnel and equipment.

The government of Rhineland-Palatinate decided the field should relieve the international Frankfurt/Main Airport. The first charter flight to Palma de Mallorca took off on May 22, 1993. From 1998, low-cost carriers began flying from here to a variety of (holiday) destinations in Europe.

In 2005, runway 03/21—originally 3,040 meters—was extended to 3,800 meters. Runway 03 received CAT I ILS with ALSF-I lighting, and runway 21 got CAT IIIb ILS with ALSF-II and Touch Down Zone lighting (TDZ). About 100 meters ahead of runway 21’s lighting stands the NDB HAHN HAN 376 kHz, currently unused for arrivals, departures, or airways. The DME HAN FHH 117.35 MHz is at the field.

In 2013, the airport faced insolvency due to lack of profitability. The regional government saved “the Hahn” with an additional budget and a payment of €120 million. In 2014, the loss was €45.2 million, prompting Rhineland-Palatinate to try to sell the airport from 2015. A supposed China-based buyer turned out to be a shell company at a tire dealer’s address in Hong Kong. 82.5% of the state’s shareholding was sold in spring 2017 to the also Chinese HNA Airport Group.

In 2021, insolvency hit again as a result of the Covid pandemic. In 2022, a potential buyer failed to pay despite signing a contract. In April, the insolvency administrator was able to transfer the airport to TRIWO GmbH in Trier. The company now operates four airports in Germany: Hahn, Mendig, Oberpfaffenhofen, and Zweibrücken. Long known as “Frankfurt Hahn,” the field is now named “TRIWO Hahn Airport.”

Since 1996, the Police University of Rhineland-Palatinate has occupied the (US Family Housing) quarters once used by stationed soldiers. The area is southwest of the airfield near runway 03.

The airport is accessible only by road or (long-distance) bus. Federal highways 50 and 327 (Hunsrückhöhenstraße) pass by the airport. The apron features 14 parking positions for passenger planes (with no jetways) and seven for freighters.

Currently, Air Serbia, FlyOne, Ryanair, SF Airlines, Wizz Air, and Wizz Air Malta connect to around 35 destinations in Europe. In 2024, the operator reported 1,866,112 passengers and 105,286 tons of air cargo with 16,126 commercial flights.

More Information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hahn_Airport

Simulation

The airport scenery is available at SIMMARKET for about €23.0 for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024. The download is 1.20 GB, and installation takes up 2.56 GB on disk. RFSB’s version was a manageable 60 or 160 MB, respectively. Download and installation are handled via the shops’ apps.

The airport blends seamlessly into its surroundings. M’M Simulations included the large solar field northeast of the airport and shows the latest stage of development. 3D models for the glide path and localizer antennas, as well as the NDB, are present.

In the initial release, warning lights (Wig Wags) were missing on taxiways C, D, F, and M (with one orphaned on B1), along with CAT II/III warning signs. MMS also used Runway End Identifier Lights (REIL) at both ends of the runway, which, along with a TDZ on 03, don’t exist in reality. The approach lights lacked the “rabbits,” the tower had no white-white beacon on its roof, and apron lighting was excessively intense and far too bright.

A few days after these issues were flagged, the label issued an update to version 1.0.2, which corrected most “quirks.” Apron lighting, however, remains too bright. The update also introduced the airport beacon and approach strobes (“rabbits”). Unfortunately, MMS uses the MSFS default approach lighting with additional strobe posts. This solution from MSFS developer Asobo is not very realistic.

The level of detail is high—the parking spots and the tower’s filigree steel framework are especially commendable.

GSX Pro

“hinshee” has provided a free GSX Pro profile at flightsim.to, which delivers lively passenger movement, correct pushback positions, and ground handling modeled after the real-world operators:

https://de.flightsim.to/file/98962/gsx-profile-frankfurt-hahn-edfh-m-m-simulations

Performance

Even with plenty of AI traffic and large aircraft, the simulator’s frame rate remains consistently good to very good.

Conclusion

Apart from the remaining annoyances—the use of standard approach lights and the overly bright apron—the result is impressive: M’M Simulations presents an airport full of detail, up to the latest construction stage and more current than its competitor’s MSFS 2020 version.

Moving cargo worldwide, taking vacationers to sunny destinations across southern Europe, or exploring the scenic Hunsrück* or the Moselle° “low & slow” is just plain fun from here!

Bert Groner
FS Reviews
Oktober 2025

Flight Navigation Charts

Freeware

German Air Traffic Control (DFS):

https://aip.dfs.de/BasicIFR/2025OCT02/chapter/35bad156e03ad698555e49bdaf3b6576.html

Payware

Navigraph (subscription model with navigation data):

https://navigraph.com

• Idar-Oberstein airfield by “callsign1065” at flightsim.to:

https://de.flightsim.to/file/28145/flugplatz-idar-oberstein-gttschied-edrg

Don’t forget to try the famous Idar-Oberstein spit roast (“Sieerra”) at the airfield restaurant 😉

° …other interesting (freeware) airfields along the Moselle River:

Koblenz-Winningen (EDRK) by “ognum” at flightsim.to:

https://de.flightsim.to/file/23322/flugplatz-koblenz-winningen-edrk

Traben-Trarbach Mont Royal by “influous” at flightsim.to:

https://de.flightsim.to/file/5971/traben-trarbach-mont-royal-airfield-edrm