Trondheim Airport , Lade Lade Airport ( , ) was an air station and later civilian airport located at Lade in Trondheim , Norway . The facility was built during World War II in 1940 , and was demolished in 1965 . The airport was also served by Trondheim flyklubb , NTH flyklubb , Trønderfly and Widerøe . After the demolish , the area has been converted to a sports venue ( Lade Anlegget ) and a range of industrial and commercial facilities , including the shopping center City Lade . Some of the hangars remain . History . Civilian aviation in Trøndelag started in 1937 , when Norwegian Air Lines ( DNL ) started seaplane services from Ilsvika and Jonsvannet in Trondheim . The first landing at Lade took place on 9 April 1940 , during the German invasion of Norway , when the German pilot Feldwebel Nowak conducted an emergency landing with his Junkers Ju 52 . He secured the area and later that day seven more aircraft landed in the fields . Trondheim became a strategically important city as it hosted both a shipyard and a submarine pen , Dora 1 . Construction of an airfield at Lade started in 1940 to allow a detachment of fighter jets to protect the city from Allied attacks . In April 1940 the Wehrmacht demanded that 500 men be made available immediately to build the airport , and 2000 men within short time . If the local authorities were not able to manage this , the Germans threatened to lock down the city and shoot anyone attempting to leave . The runway was ; the surface was mostly concrete with parts made of wood . The airport was bombed by the Royal Air Force ' s Beaufighter s by the 248 and 235 Squadron in April 1942 . As of 1943 Lade stationed the staff of IV / Jagdgeschwader 5 ( JG5 ) with their twelve Messerschmitt Bf 109 G - 2 aircraft and a detachment of 10 / JG5 of five Bf 109G - 6s . In 1944 and 1945 Lade was the base of staff for JG5 and IV / Zerstörergeschwader 26 , as well as Messerschmitt Bf 110 G from the latter . Transportgeschwader 5 had Ju 52s stationed at Lade during 1944 . DNL resumed services to Trondheim from 1945 , at first using Trondheim Airport , Hommelvik , a water aerodrome . DNL merged to create Scandinavian Airlines System ( SAS ) in 1951 . The next year SAS moved all its operations to Værnes . Vestlandske Luftfartsselskap continued to use Hommelvik for some more year . The municipal borders of Trondheim were expanded in 1952 , and all of Lade became part of Trondheim . The airport was the only suitable industrial area within Trondheim and from the 1950s a discussion arose as to whether to use the land for industry or keep the airport . The debate was intensified in 1954 following Nidar moving its plant to Strindheim , then in the separate municipality of Strinda . Trondheim ' s concern became that they could lose tax income if industrial companies moved to Strinda and other neighboring municipalities . Braathens SAFE started services from Trondheim to Oslo Airport , Fornebu on 9 May 1952 , using de Havilland Heron aircraft . Regular services started on 18 August 1953 , and continued until 1956 , when Braathens SAFE moved its services to Værnes . With the closing of the airport , several locals took initiative to establish another airport closer to Trondheim . Heimdal was proposed as a site which would be closer than Værnes , but nothing has ever come of the plans .