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Frankfurt
Airport’s
Anniversary:
70 Years and
Beyond
Here is a brief flashback in
the history of FRA since
1936. At that time, nobody
had an idea what Germany’s
largest airport would look
like today and how important
it would be as a vital
hub in the global air transportation
system:
1936:
Flight operations at “Flugund
Luftschiffhafen Rhein-
Main” (today’s FRA) begin.
1939:
FRA is taken over by the
German Luftwaffe after the
outbreak of the Second
World War; the airport is
completely destroyed at the
end of the war.
1945:
Construction of the U.S.
Rhein-Main Air Base
commences at FRA.
1947:
Founding of
“Vekehrsaktiengesellschaft
Rhein-Main AG (VAG)”—the
new airport operating company.
1948:
FRA serves as vital supporting
base for the Berlin Air
Lift, the biggest humanitarian
airlift in history.
1949:
Completion of Frankfurt
Airport’s parallel runway
system.
NO. 5, 2006
1954:
VAG changes its name to
“Flughafen Frankfurt/Main
AG (FAG).”
1972:
Terminal 1 and its integrated
underground railway station
are inaugurated during the
year of the Munich Olympics.
1984:
Inauguration of Runway 18
West.
1990:
Foundation stone laid for
Terminal 2.
1993:
Agreement on the first partial
return of air base land to
civilian use.
1994:
Terminal 2 and the elevated
Sky Line people-mover go
into operation.
1997:
Inauguration of the FAG-
Cargo Terminal at CargoCity
South; new Pier D linking
Terminals 1 and 2; westward
extension of the Sky Line.
1999:
New Long-distance Train
Station for InterCity Express
(ICE) high-speed trains goes
into service.
2000:
Westward extension of Pier A
(Terminal 1) is opened;
change of corporate name to
Fraport AG.
2001:
Fraport becomes first German
airport company to be listed
on the stock exchange.
2002:
FRA is linked to the new highspeed
rail corridor (ICE trains)
between Frankfurt/Rhine-
Main and Cologne, Germany.
2004:
Zoning approval is received
for construction of the A380
maintenance base at the
southern side of FRA.
In 1950, when the reporting of
traffic statistics began, Frankfurt
Airport welcomed some
195,330 passengers. By 1957 the
one-million passenger mark
had already been reached. In
1971 the number of passengers
using FRA exceeded 10 million
for the first time. In 1985 pas-
2005:
A380 superjumbo makes
successful world premier at
FRA for first airport
compatibility tests; U.S. Air
Force closes air base after
60 years at FRA.
Frankfurter Kreuz (upper left) and Frankfurt Airport FRA.
senger traffic climbed to more
than 20 million. Then in 1992,
FRA served more than 30 million
passengers in a single year;
in 1997 the airport topped the
40 million passenger level for
the first time. FRA’s magical
figure of 50 million passengers
per year came in 2004.
MADE IN GERMANY
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