Frankfurt Airport

Aviation history in Frankfurt began in 1912, but air traffic hadn't grown sufficiently to have a strong impact on the economy until 1924. In 1947 the site was named "Verkehrsaktiengesellschaft Rhein-Main Airport." Parallel runways were completed, and the airport company was renamed "Flughafen Frankfurt /Main AG" (FAG) in 1949. In 1961, overnight mail services were inaugurated. A new passenger terminal and the Airport Train Station were opened in 1972. Terminal 1 was expanded in 1993, and in 1994 this new terminal was opened to the public.

Frankfurt Airport's location in the center of Europe has given it an important role in the global transportation industry. Over two hundred scheduled airlines and charter carriers are served every year, and 12,000 employees are responsible for the airport's upkeep and general operations. Lufthansa German Airlines, the airport's most important business partner, is based here. It employs over 45,000 people globally, and has an operating fleet of 200 aircraft. It was recently estimated that more than 32.5 million visitors travelled via Frankfurt airport in 1993.