Exercise ‘Orange Bull’: Military flights over Enschede and use of Twente Airport

From Monday, March 23 to Friday, April 3, 2026, the military exercise Orange Bull will take place.

During this exercise, Royal Netherlands Air Force transport aircraft will also use Twente Airport. As a result, residents of Enschede may hear or see more military aircraft movements than usual during this period.

What exactly will happen?

• The Air Force will train with C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.
• They will practice tactical landings and the airdropping of cargo and paratroopers.
• While most flights will take place over locations in Groningen, Friesland, and Belgium, some aircraft will depart from Eindhoven and use Twente Airport as an additional location.

Flight times

The aircraft will fly at fixed times:

• Monday to Thursday
• 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
• 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
• Fridays
• 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM
• 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Note: The airdropping of cargo or paratroopers depends on the weather. Flight times or locations may therefore be adjusted shortly in advance.

Why is this exercise taking place?

The Air Mobility Command (Ministry of Defence) conducts this training to remain well-prepared for missions requiring air transport and the airdropping of aid supplies or military personnel. Recent examples include humanitarian airdrops, such as those over Gaza.

Inconvenience for residents

The Ministry of Defence aims to minimize disruption to the surrounding area, but noise pollution during the exercise cannot be completely ruled out.

• Reports of noise can be submitted via: www.luchtmacht.nl/geluidshinder