Up, up and away, and in all directions

In summer 2002 the low-cost carriers Germanwings and TUIfly announced that the one-time “Konrad Adenauer” government airport was to become their home base, marking the start of a rapid rise for the Airport company. Passenger volume doubled in only five years, with the number of destinations exceeding the 130 mark. In the meantime Cologne/Bonn is on its way to becoming a hub airport for inner-European connecting flights. More than 100,000 people from all over the world use the Airport as a stopover. At www.cologne-bonn-connect.com you will find more than 100 connections only a mouse click away.

Geographically Cologne/Bonn is situated at the centre of one of the most densely populated regions in Europe. Some 15.5 million people live and work within a 100-kilometre radius of the Airport. This fact, plus the excellent traffic infrastructure and a 24-hour operating licence, is the Airport’s capital and accounts for the

substantial growth potential it enjoys, unlike the majority of its European competitors. The three runways offer enough capacity for even more growth in future. What’s more, the largest runway - 3815 metres long – is the only real inter-continental airstrip in North Rhine-Westphalia.

No long distances, no long waits

To make sure our passengers reach their destination as quickly and comfortably as possible there are 86 check-in desks in the terminals and a modern baggage handling system transporting up to 3000 bags and cases an hour. 55 gates and 19 boarding bridges bring the passengers to their aircraft. Since the end of last year the passenger security control point in Terminal 1 has been extended from 10 to 18 lanes now. “We want to reduce our passengers’ waiting time to a minimum and make their journey as pleasant as possible. I’m sure that with faster security checks we can make flying from Cologne/Bonn even more attractive for our passengers,” explained Michael Garvens, CEO of Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH.

The motorway connection to Cologne/Bonn is ideal and after the opening of the underground railway station in 2004 there is not only an easy link between Terminals 1 and  2, on a daily basis 170 trains – mainline intercity, regional and suburban – pass through the station. This concept is an excellent example of how nowadays road and rail can be smartly brought together. With this network Cologne Bonn Airport is well connected to the Ruhr Area conurbation in the north and also to the Rhine-Main Region around Frankfurt in the south. And for travellers arriving by car there is a total of 11,200 parking places in three car parks.

New FedEx cargo hub construction

Although the Airport did feel the departure of the major customers DHL and Lufthansa Cargo to Leipzig/Halle in 2008, Cologne/Bonn is still only second to Frankfurt in the German air cargo sector. In UPS and FedEX the Airport company has two worldwide operating logistic companies among their customers and is therefore making further investments in extending its infrastructure. The new 25-million-euro Cologne Bonn Cargo Center with a handling area of 12,500 m² for daily cargo will be opened in March. “We are combining this investment with a certain change in our strategy, so we will be concentrating more on air cargo in general,” said Airport CEO, Garvens. The modern cargo centre will make the processes between carriers, clearance agencies, the Airport and the airlines much easier, and the time-consuming security checks will no longer be necessary.

In 2010 Cologne/Bonn will see another investment for the future finalised: the logistics expert FedEx will transfer its main hub for Central and Eastern Europe from Frankfurt to Cologne Bonn Airport. Construction work on the new hall has already started; both the Airport and the US carrier have invested 70 million euros. The new cargo and sorting centre will be handed over to FedEx on May 1, 2010.

Non-Aviation creates jobs

Non-aviation business is becoming more and more important for the Airport. Since 2002 the proceeds from parking, gastronomy and shops have increased by about 70 percent to almost € 72 million. The retail space in the terminals and the number of shops and restaurants has almost doubled. In September 2008 a new row of shops was opened in Terminal 1, which was the first stage of construction in converting this terminal into a modern shopping
mall. More stores will be opened in early 2009. All in all, the non-aviation sector in Terminal 1 will increase by more than 1100 m² to more than 3000 m².
With the extensive renovations, Terminal 1 will, little by little, be transformed into a true shopping mall with that special “airport flair”. These shops are outside the security area – on what we call the landside, so the Airport is always worth a visit even if you don’t have a flight ticket. Currently Cologne Bonn Airport boasts 50 shops, bars and restaurants in its two terminals. The product line-up of the shops ranges from up-market men’s fashion through original ladies’ accessories to the delicious Starbucks coffee specialities.

All this creates more jobs and gives the labour market a new impetus: some 12,500 people are directly employed at Cologne/Bonn Airport. In the local region 24,000 jobs are dependent on the Airport and studies have shown that nationwide this figure actually reaches 37,000. The Airport company itself has approximately 1800 employees.