The Cologne Bonn Airport is the largest low-cost hub in continental Europe. Over 10,5 million passengers took off from here to more than 130 destinations in 2007. In 2008 the figure will exceed 10,7 million. In terms of total air traffic, i.e. passenger and freight together, Cologne Bonn is the fourth largest airport in Germany. In terms of passenger numbers it ranks in sixth place and for freight in second place. Over 719,000 tonnes of freight will be handled here in 2007.
Over the past five years there has been a dramatic increase in passenger numbers, coinciding with the start-up of low-cost carriers in Cologne Bonn. Within this relatively short period the number of passengers has risen by an impressive 92 percent.
Today over 130 destinations are served by approximately 60 passenger airlines. And it is not only the business centres and tourist attractions of Europe that can be found on the flight schedules, but also long-distance routes, such as Iran.
With a catchment area of 15.5 million people within a radius of one hundred kilometres coupled with an excellent infrastructure, the Cologne Bonn Airport is one of few in Europe which has potential for further development. Three runways can handle the ever increasing air traffic resulting from the low-cost carriers without any difficulty. The longest runway, with a length of 3,815 metres, is the only genuinely intercontinental runway in North Rhine Westphalia. There is no shortage of slots to attractive destinations and at present there are around 420 takeoffs and landings daily. Over 12 million passengers can be handled in both terminals per year.
The Cologne Bonn Airport provides an ideal example of how air, rail and road transport can be combined. With its own motorway access it is directly connected to the complex motorway net in North Rhine Westphalia. Every day more than 180 intercity trains, interurban trains and local express trains arrive at the airport´s own railway station. It is located conveniently between both terminals, making it only a matter of a few steps from the platform to the check-in desk.
