Since 1954, Vienna Airport has been the gateway to the world of Austria! The first scheduled flights departed from Vienna Airport 70 years ago. This has been on the rise ever since!
A small airport became the international hub of Europe: it all started with the transfer of the then Spartan airport facility by the British occupying forces to the Republic of Austria in 1954. The take-off and landing of the few aircraft set the course for an incredible development: in the first year of operation, 64,000 travelers visited the airport – today the number of passengers has grown to approximately 30 million passengers per year.
Originally used as a military airfield for the German air force, the starting gun for Vienna Airport as we know it today was only given after the end of World War II. During the occupation, the British transferred the Royal Air Force Station Schwechat, which they had taken over in 1945, to Austria. January 1, 1954 was the hour of the birth: Flughafen Wien Betriebsgesellschaft mbH became operational. At the time, 50 percent belonged to the federal government, and 25 percent to Lower Austria and Vienna.
era of growth
The aviation industry flourished in the late 1950s and 1960s. When Austrian Airlines AG was founded in 1957, Vienna Airport became its proud home base to this day. The first flight to London took place on March 31, 1958. Terminal 2 opened in 1960 and is still in use today.
14 airlines provided regular air traffic. Just six years later, the airport broke the 1 million passenger mark for the first time. In 1969 – the year of the moon landing – Austrian launched its first transatlantic flight to New York.
Dark times
During the reign of the National Socialists, monstrous crimes were committed in what is now the area. A monument designed by artist Arik Brauer commemorates the horrific suffering of thousands of concentration camp prisoners and forced laborers. They had to build Heinkel aircraft under inhumane conditions. The terrorist group Abu Nidal’s attack on the check-in counter of the Israeli airline EL AL on December 27, 1985 also brought dark hours. Three people were killed and dozens were injured.
A mood of optimism
The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 is considered a positive milestone. This event brought the airport even further to the center of Europe – it became the most important hub in the east. This revival was reflected in the IPO in 1992. Today, this share is one of the most successful airport shares in the world with a value of 4.3 billion euros.
Continuous expansion
But the absolute flying height has still not been reached. Another success story: in 2011 the 20 million passenger mark was exceeded. At the same time, the location also changes significantly. The construction of the tallest airport tower in Europe to date, the opening of the new Terminal 3 and the expansion of AirportCity with Office Park 4 impressively form the silhouette.
Due to its high quality, the airport has received a 4-star rating from Skytrax and has been named “Best Airport Staff Europe” several times. In 2019, the highest passenger record to date was achieved with 31.7 million. However, a few months later, the pandemic brought things to a grinding halt. The biggest crisis in global aviation does not spare Vienna airport: at the height of Covid, the number of passengers fell by 99% to a few hundred travelers per day.
New passenger tree
But the airport is recovering quickly: as restrictions continue to be eased, travelers are returning and passenger numbers are returning to pre-crisis growth. This year the airport expects approximately 30 million passengers.
More than 60 airlines currently operate direct flights from Vienna to 190 destinations in 67 countries around the world. With more than 23,000 employees spread over 250 companies, the location is the largest employer in the East region. The airport has been communicating well and solution-oriented with its neighbors for more than twenty years. With the commissioning of one of the largest PV systems in Austria and other measures, Vienna Airport has been operating with CO2 emissions since 20232-neutral.
The construction of the southern terminal extension (to be put into service in 2027) and the legally binding approval for the third runway have set the course for the future. Experts expect the number of passengers worldwide to double by 2050. 80 percent of the world’s population has never flown and wants and will travel. And hopefully many of them through Vienna Airport…
All information online at viennaairport.com/70jahre
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
