Frankfurt am Main Airport (IATA: FRA, ICAO: EDDF), commonly known as Frankfurt Airport and known in German as Flughafen Frankfurt am Main or Rhein-Main-Flughafen, is a major international airport located in Frankfurt, Germany.
Run by transport company Fraport, Frankfurt Airport is by far the busiest airport by passenger traffic in Germany, the third busiest in Europe (after London Heathrow Airport and Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport) and the 11th busiest worldwide in 2012. Passenger traffic at Frankfurt Airport in 2012 was 57.5 million. As of winter 2012/2013, Frankfurt Airport serves the most international destinations in the world, serving 264 destinations in 113 countries. With a freight throughput of 2.07 million metric tonnes in 2012 it is the second busiest airport in Europe by cargo traffic. The southern side of the airport ground was home to the Rhein-Main Air Base, which was a major air base for the United States from 1947 until 2005, when the air base was closed and the property was acquired by Fraport. The airport covers an area of 16.8 square kilometres (4,200 acres)
Frankfurt Airport is the main hub of Lufthansa, Germany’s flag carrier, and of Condor Flugdienst. Due to capacity constraints in Frankfurt, Lufthansa has established a secondary hub at Munich Airport, where many key medium and long-haul routes are available.
FRANKFURT AM MAIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HISTORY
First Airport
On November 16, 1909, the world’s first airline was founded in Frankfurt am Main: The Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft (DELAG). DELAG then built the first airport in Frankfurt, called Airship Base at Rebstock, which was located in Bockenheim in the western part of the city and was primarily used for airships in the beginning. It opened in 1912 and was extended after World War I, but in 1924 an expert’s report already questioned the possibility of further expansions at this location.
With the foundation of Deutsche Luft Hansa in 1926 a rapid boom of civilian air travel started and soon the airship base became too small to handle the demand. Plans for a new and larger airport located in the Frankfurt City Forest south-west of Schwanheim were approved in 1930, but were not realized due to the Great Depression. After the Machtergreifung in 1933 the government revived the plans and started the construction of the new airport.
Second Airport
The Frankfurt Rhein-Main Airport and Airship Base was officially opened on July 8, 1936. In the following years it became the second-largest airport in Germany (after Berlin Tempelhof Airport) and was home for the two largest German Zeppelins, LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ 129 Hindenburg. It was planned to make Frankfurt the most important destination for Zeppelins in Germany, but after the catastrophic crash of the Hindenburg in Lakehurst on May 6, 1937, the airship era came to an abrupt end.
FRANKFURT AM MAIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LOCATION
Frankfurt am Main Airport (IATA: FRA, ICAO: EDDF), commonly known as Frankfurt Airport and known in German as Flughafen Frankfurt am Main or Rhein-Main-Flughafen, is a major international airport located in Frankfurt, Germany.
FRANKFURT AM MAIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT FACTS
ICAO/IATA: FRA/EDDF
Lat: 50.02640151977539
Long: 8.54312992095947
Elevation: 364 ft.
Runway length available: 07R/25L 13123×148 ft. :: 07L/25R 13123×197 ft., 18/36 13123×148 ft.
