From the Russian Lake it is about 5 min walk to Speyer Airport, which the pros call EDRY. Until 2011 it had a rather short landing strip, but now it was elongated, in spite of many protests against it. The airport is mainly used by private sports aeroplanes, but commercial representatives were urging the extension, mainly a big chemical company seated in Ludwigshafen. The picture was taken at the celebration do of the new airstrip.
On the then short runway the Antonov has landed, now an exhibit at the Technik Museum across the street (in the background the 747 can be seen). The big plane could land completely empty, but never start again. This is now - at least in theory - possible again.