Germany Airports

Germany is one of the busiest and one of the most commercial countries in the continent of Europe. It is for this reason that this North and Central European country is well connected to every part of the world. Today, air travel has become one of the most popular modes of transport. People around the world want to save time and energy which get uselessly wasted if you travel on road and by rail. It is also true that Germany is also one of the most important tourist destinations of Europe and therefore traveling to the country takes place all the year round. The most important flight operators of the world have their services in place in Germany airports and hence the airports in Germany are also some of the best equipped in the world.

To know more about the airports in Germany, it is necessary to know about the exact location of the country in the world map. This will make your travel plans more specific and less expensive as you will learn about the shortest route to Germany from your place of abode. Germany is flanked by Denmark in the north, Czech Republic and Poland in the east, Switzerland and Austria in the south and France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands in the west. Travel from these places in Europe or from other parts of the world to reach the different airports of Germany and start exploring the beautiful locales of this country.

International Airports of Germany

Germany has as many as ten important airports located in various states across the country. Each airport sees planes of the best airlines services of the world landing and taking off from its tarmac. The busiest airports of Germany are:

1. Frankfurt Airport – Frankfurt is not the capital city of Germany, but it is definitely a leading metropolitan region of the country. According to a survey released in the year 2009, Frankfurt Airport sees the largest number of footfalls, both national and international. The airport has been classified as the third busiest in the continent and the ninth busiest in the world. Both passenger and cargo traffic operate from within the airport in Frankfurt.



2. Munich Airport – this airport in Germany has grown over the years, attracting 30 million passengers in the year 2006 from only 15 million in the year 1995. Dedicated to Germany’s famous politician Franz Josef Strauss, this airport in Germany reportedly received the maximum number of residential and international travelers even when air travel had reduced substantially after the September attacks in the US in the year 2001. As the second busiest airport in Germany, Munich Airport experiences twice the amount of traffic as is experienced by the third busiest airport of Germany, the Dusseldorf International Airport.



3. Dusseldorf International Airport – Dusseldorf is not only the third busiest, it is also the third largest airport of Germany. The unique feature which makes the Dusseldorf Airport one of the most famous among tourists in Germany in particular and Europe in general is the fact that it is connected to a motorway and two railway stations. The Bundesautobahn 44 motorway connects you from the road to the airport premises; the adjoining railway stations are known for their long distance high-speed trains. The famous Sky Train of Dusseldorf also operates from these two railway stations of the city.



4. Berlin Tegel Airport – this German airport is more famous not for its footfall but for the fact that it has the shortest walking turf from the aircraft to the airport terminal. The airport is equipped with a hexagonal building as the terminal point. This building surrounds an open square from where passengers have to walk a mere distance of 30 feet to reach the airport exteriors from the aircraft. Today, the Berlin Tegel Airport sees only around 15 million passengers a year and is proposed for closing all operations from June 2012 onwards when the Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport of Germany becomes functional.



5. Hamburg Airport – the Hamburg city airport is one of the most decorated airports of Germany. The two terminals of this international airport are connected by the Plaza building which is a shopping mall in itself. The Plaza restaurants, apparel & other shops and lounge areas in Hamburg are a must-visit for all national and international passengers.



6. Cologne Bonn Airport – the sixth busiest airport of Germany is bordered by the Wahner Heide natural reserve, which serves as an important tourist attraction of Germany. Cologne is one of the most renowned metropolitan areas of Germany and hence it attracts a number of visitors who come here for business and tourism purposes. Since the airport is located at the heart of the city, the footfall here is also high. This is also one among the few 24 hour airports of the country.



7. Stuttgart Airport – the airport in Stuttgart is known more for its resident passengers than its international passengers. Not many international flight operators carry out flight services from Stuttgart, but the national airlines like the Germanwings has the maximum number of planes flying from here. Germanwings offers services at very low costs and hence the number of passengers increases.



8. Berlin Schonefeld Airport – the former major airport of East Berlin is today the second largest airport of Berlin in Germany. Earlier the Schonefeld Airport was the only airport of East Berlin, therefore it has always been considered as one of the busiest airports in Germany. Like the Berlin Tegel Airport, the Berlin Schonefeld Airport too will shut operations from June 2012 onwards, from when the two international airports of Berlin will join hands to form the Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport.



9. Hanover Langenhagen Airport – earlier, this airport in Germany offered services to only major cities within the European heartland. However, the scenario has changed today and flights to destinations around the world operate from the Hanover airport. But there have always been complaints about the attitude of the airport staff in Hanover; many visitors are of the opinion that the staff here is reluctant and the airport authorities too have not been able to attract the top flight operators of the world to Hanover.



10. Nuremberg Airport – Nuremberg is the chosen hub for Air Berlin, the second largest domestic airline of the country. Passenger and cargo transport is carried out in equal proportions at the Nuremberg Airport. The Nuremberg Airport also has a historical significance in Germany as this is one of the rare airports built during the time of World War II.

Military Airports in Germany

Germany is famous not only for its international airports, but military air bases as well. The military airports are located in the outskirts of the cities and are used for the landing and taking off of only military planes. Some popular military airports in Germany are:

1. Baumholder Army Airfield (for the US army)
2. Buckeburk Air Base
3. Neuburg Air Base
4. Spangdahlem Air Base (for the US air force)
5. Niederstetten Air Base
6. Diepholz Air Base
7. Norvenich Air Base (for the German air force)
8. Nordolz Air Base (for the German Navy)
9. WBG Schleswig Air Base (in use for the German air force)
10. Erding Air Base

Civil Airports in Germany

Civil airports are used for both passenger and cargo transport in Germany. The popular civil airports in this European country are:

1. Leipzig-Altenburg Airport
2. Emden Airport
3. Frankfurt-Hahn Airport
4. Heringsdorf Airport
5. Hanburg Finkenwerder Airport
6. Dusseldorf International Airport
7. Cologne Bonn Airport
8. Augsburg Airport
9. Dortmund Airport
10. Heide-Busum Airport

Some of the most important European airports are located in Germany. Air is a popular mode of transport in this European country and hence the Germany airports are visited by both national and international travelers.