   | | March saw the opening of the Cologne Bonn Cargo Center (CBCC) and with it a new chapter in the cargo sector at Cologne Bonn Airport. The new 25-million-euro building is situated outside the security area which means that, unlike before, the Airport customers can reach the cargo centre without going through interim security checks. The CBCC has an annual capacity of 130,000 tonnes.
On the roof of the Cargo Center a photovoltaic system with 1685 solar modules generates 265,200 kilowatt hours electricity every year. In December a second system was installed on the future FedEx Express Cargo and Sorting Hall with one of the largest photovoltaic systems in North-Rhine Westphalia going into the public grid. It produces 800,000 kilowatt hours of clean electricity.
To reduce the noise exposure for the local residents during the night hours the Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) was introduced in February. This is a particularly quiet approach procedure practised between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. that reduces the ground noise level by between 4 and 6 decibels over a radius of 20 - 50 km around the Airport.
In April the Airport Company acquired the proprietary rights to the Airport terrain (1000 hectares). The acquisition of this land means a strategic advantage for the long-term future planning of the enterprise and also puts an end to the long dispute about the leasehold.
Planning flights and getting to the airport has been simplified: July saw the start of the free information service “SMS & Fly“. If required, Cologne/Bonn, as the first airport in NRW, gives information on the latest arrival and departure times per email or SMS. As of April passengers can book their parking space in advance on the Internet and pay either via credit card, Paypal or direct bank transfer.
In May the Airport was the first low-cost airport in Europe to become transit-compatible. A new transit area in Terminal 1 makes all transfers possible between non-EU, non-Schengen and Schengen destinations. Some 100,000 people book transit flights via Cologne/Bonn on the online portals “smart connect“ and “Cologne Bonn Connect”.
In July the REWE supermarket group opened a branch in Terminal 1 – the first REWE supermarket at an airport. Here passengers can buy food, drinks, cosmetics etc. seven days a week, from five in the morning until midnight, and that at normal REWE supermarket prices. This completed the new shopping mall in Terminal 1.
In September the Airport had a special celebrity visit: on the German Aerospace Day the Airbus A380, the world’s largest serial-built passenger aircraft, landed in Cologne. Only very few German airports can host the A380 without restrictions.
At the end of the year the Technical Director, Wolfgang Klapdor, who had held this position since 1996, took early retirement. Projects realised during his term of office included the extension of Terminal 2, the railway connection and the expansion of cargo capacities. His successor is Thomas Schwarz.
As a consequence of the economic crisis the Airport reported an obvious decline in passenger and cargo statistics in the first three quarters. As of November the situation had clearly eased: the Airport is once again on a growth curve, with cargo operations increasing by 11 percent in December. All in all in 2009, 9.7 million passengers and 560,000 tonnes of cargo were checked through at Cologne/Bonn.
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 | | In the course of the year Terminal 1 got a complete new makeover for € 13 million. To reduce the waiting time for passengers the central security check point was extended from ten to 18 lanes (opened in December 2008). The Non-Aviation sector was also extended: by spring 2009 two shopping walkways were opened, increasing the sales area by 1100 m² to 3000 m².
On 7 February the course was set for safeguarding the future of the airport on a long-term basis. The North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Transport, Oliver Wittke extended the night flight regulation for Cologne Bonn Airport by a further 15 years until 2030. For the cargo enterprises whose operations depend on night flights this decision was an important signal for tackling the planned investments amounting to more than USD 200 million in the next five years.
In spring 2008 construction work started on the new FedEx Cargo and Sorting Hall as the corporation’s hub for central and eastern Europe and on the Cologne Bonn Cargo Center for cargo traffic in general. The Airport invested more than € 100 million in these projects.
A further milestone in the cargo sector was the consolidation of all cargo operations in a separate business unit under the management of the Dutch cargo specialist, Franciscus Johan Heuckeroth van Hesse, who assumed office on 1 April 2008.
July was the new record month with more than 1.095 million passengers starting or landing in Cologne/Bonn in any one month. That is around 34,000 more passengers than in the previous record month of September 2007. During the main holiday season some 1.91 million passengers used the Airport - 80,000 more than in the previous year (+4%).
From September passengers can – before takeoff - offset the CO2 emissions caused by their flights by making a donation to Myclimate, an organisation that supports environmental projects in India. Donations can be made at the green painted “climate counters” in the waiting areas of both terminals.
The economic crisis did not leave Cologne Bonn Airport unscathed: for the first time in six years it had a downturn in traffic figures. Nevertheless, with 10.35 million passengers, it was still able to maintain its position in the ranking among the major German passenger airports (position 6).
An extensive empirical study commissioned by the Airport Company, Flughafen Cologne/Bonn GmbH and carried out by the management consultants Booz Allen Hamilton, the economic research institute Prognos and the Airport Research Center showed the importance of the Airport as an employer and economic driver for the local region and the entire German economy. The Airport creates an annual macroeconomic added value of € 1.8 billion. 12,500 people are employed directly at the Airport, with a further 24,000 jobs in the entire surrounding region. On an economic whole 37,000 jobs are dependent on the Airport. The outlook of the study is positive: for 2020 it forecasts the added value increasing to € 3.5 billion with the number of Airport-related jobs rising to 66,000.
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UPS opens the more than 135 million-dollar extension to its European cargo gateway at Köln Bonn Airport in the presence of NRW’s Prime Minister, Jürgen Rüttgers. New technology doubles sorting capacity to date. The building is the largest foreign investment of the US air cargo corporation.
International survey among flight passengers shows that Köln Bonn Airport is top of the class in Europe. Of the 165 airports considered in the study, Köln/Bonn was worldwide number 4.
Continental Airlines, the sixth largest airline in the world, starts a daily non-stop service between Köln/Bonn and New York. Via the major hub airport at Newark Liberty passengers can connect to more than 230 cities in the USA, Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean. High-ranking officials from the world of politics and economy were on the first non-stop Atlantic flight on May 11, 2006.
Köln Bonn Airport, Deutsche Lufthansa and KG Luftflotte celebrate 80 years of aviation with the people of Cologne. Highlight of the festivities was the touch down of an historical seaplane (DO-24 ATT) on the River Rhine.
During the FIFA World Cup Köln Bonn Airport chalked up its first 40,000 passengers in one single day. This record figure was repeated a few days later at the beginning of the summer holidays.
Destination: Rio de Janeiro - the second long-haul route from Köln Bonn Airport in 2006. The Brazilian airline BRA services this route twice a week. |
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 | | At the beginning of February the FedEx Cargo Express starts with four daytime flights a week from Köln/Bonn to Memphis.
Volker Hauff, representing the Land NRW, is elected Chairman of the Supervisory Board (16.3.).
The World Youth Day reigns supreme in Cologne: Pope Benedict XVI lands at Köln/Bonn on 18 August.
Continental Airways announces the new long-haul flight from Cologne to New York (27.10.); the daily service to start on 11 May 2006.
The Minister of Transport, Oliver Wittke opens the airport’s new DHL Cargo Sorting Centre (28.10.).
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 | | In a tragic accident in Terminal 2 an 18-month-year-old boy is caught in a revolving door and fatally injured (4.3.). All revolving doors are immediately taken out of service and replaced by sliding doors in the course of the year.
A study carried out by the University of Cologne and commissioned by the Köln Bonn Airport and the Chambers of Commerce of Cologne and Bonn/Rhein-Sieg confirms the positive effects the low-cost traffic has on the economy and labour market in the region.
Opening ceremony of the airport railway station with Manfred Stolpe, the Federal Minister of Transport (12.6.); a day later more than 25,000 visitors test the new connection and come and visit the airport on this trial day. EasyJet, Europe’s largest low-budget airline, starts with a flight to Liverpool (22.06.); flights to Nottingham and London Gatwick follow in the weeks to come. With 878,000 passengers September proves to be the boom month of the year, topping August’s previous record (857,000 passengers).
In December Ursula Hackenbruch from Düsseldorf is the 8 millionth passenger in 2004, as she checks in with her husband on a Germanwings flight to Prague (7.12.).
Köln Bonn Airport gets its own "Starwalk": opening ceremony of the new Terminal 1 building designed by the star architect Helmut Jahn. Participants in the ceremony include Minister of Transport for NRW, Axel Horstmann, Cologne’s Lord Mayor, Fritz Schramma, Head of the Airport Michael Garvens, Helmut Jahn and Germanwings CEO, Joachim Klein (17.12.).
During an Open Day on the fourth Sunday in Advent more than 10,000 visitors stroll along the "Starwalk" (18.12.).
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 | | Joint reception given by Düsseldorf Airport and Cologne/Bonn Airport at the ITB in Berlin (10 March).
Burger King opens a fast-food restaurant (28 March).
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| | Michael Garvens takes up his position as new commercial manager of Cologne/Bonn Airport (1 February).
Partnership with Izmir Airport (September).
The Art-Foyer is extended to include an exhibition on the history of aviation and becomes the "Air-Art-Foyer" (6 May).
Germanwings is the first low-cost airline at Cologne/Bonn (27 October).
With the launch of Hapag-Lloyd-Express, Cologne/Bonn becomes the hub for low-cost airlines in Germany (November). |
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 | | The one hundred millionth passenger in the history of Cologne/Bonn Airport boards a Swissair flight bound for Zurich (12 March).
One of Cologne's most modern police stations is officially opened at the airport (10 May).
Werner Schniedermann resigns his position at Cologne/Bonn Airport for health reasons (31 May).
The "Art-Foyer" of the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany is opened at Terminal 2 (June).
The trainees at Cologne/Bonn Airport as a "Young Service Team" form their own junior company and open a service centre on the departures level of Terminal 1 (June).
UPS announces its plans to build a new, fully mechanised baggage sorting facility (June).
The new LSG in-flight catering kitchen on Nordallee goes into service (August). Michael Garvens is appointed new commercial manager (19 September).
A survey of places of work shows that 9,568 people work in 164 companies at the airport (September).
The baggage service is the first department in the operations and transport division to be certified according to ISI 9001 (11 October).
The annual meeting of the Aviation Press Club is held at Cologne/Bonn (16 -19 November). A new image film is presented (November).
The noise prevention programme is expanded. 1,300 homes in Wahnheide are fitted with ventilation systems as protection against ground noise (December). |
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| | Demolition of the old tower in spring. Extension of passive noise prevention. First "Ramp Safety Information Exchange" in March is very well received.
The new Stockheim in-flight catering facility on Nordallee goes into service (March).
The German Border Guard assumes responsibility for air security in April.
The Federal State Geology Office carries out drilling work at the site of the airport, the results are included in the making of geological maps.
The airport operating company becomes a party to the initiative set up by the German business community "Remembrance, Responsibility, the Future" to provide compensation for slave labourers of the Nazi regime.
Terminal 2 becomes operational on 21 June. Official opening of Terminal 2 on 21 September.
Heinz Gombel steps down as the commercial manager of Cologne/Bonn Airport (31 December).
Werner Schniedermann becomes the new commercial manager of Cologne/Bonn Airport (1 October).
Ground-breaking ceremony for construction of the airport loop at Porz-Wahn Station on 3 December.
Münster higher administrative court rejects an action to prevent apron D. |
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| | The new fuelling centre is opened on 1 March.
Cologne/Bonn is represented at the ITB Berlin in March.
Multi-storey car park 3 is opened on 26 March.
Summits take place in Cologne: the EU summit and G8 summit from 2 to 21 June.
Building of apron D in September.
The agreement to build the ICE / S-Bahn airport loop is signed on 20 September.
The improved Internet presence goes online at the beginning of December.
17 December sees the 6 millionth passenger.
Y2K: No problems on 31 December 1999 / 1 January 2000. |
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| | The arrivals area at Terminal 1 is modernised (work begins in January).
Building of multi-storey car park P3 starts in mid-February.
After more than 10 years, TNT discontinues its operations at Cologne/Bonn Airport and moves to Lüttich (28 February).
The airport has its own stand at the ITB in Berlin, the world's largest trade fair of the tourist industry (07-11 March). Multi-storey car park P2 goes into operation (16 March). |
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| | The drainage system of the airport is restructured - an 18,000 cubic-metre buffer basin is built.
The foundation stone is laid for Terminal 2 and the topping out ceremony for multi-storey car park P2 takes place on 30 June in the presence of Matthias Wissmann, the German Transport Minister.
New, more stringent regulations on night flights come into force on 1 November.
The airport "goes to school": Cologne/Bonn Airport produces teaching material for the higher grammar school stage (December).
The foundation stone is laid for a new administrative building and storage area of Lufthansa CityLine on 16 December. |
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| | Following a major fire at Düsseldorf Airport on 11 April, nearly all its air traffic is re-routed to Cologne/Bonn. Cologne/Bonn management and the airport staff show their abilities and commitment in the days immediately following the blaze.
A Canadair regional jet of the Tyrolean is christened "Stadt Köln" (26 April).
Lufthansa CityLine decides to move its entire business operations to Cologne/Bonn and, in addition to its technical and flight operations basis, intends to relocate its administrative section to Cologne/Bonn by the end of 1998.
The Norumat and Secur computer systems go into service at the fire station.
Building of a UPS maintenance and spare parts centre.
The noise prevention system goes into service at a ceremony attended by Minister President Wolfgang Clement (4 July).
Building of Terminal West, the terminal becomes operational in July.
The foundation stone is laid for multi-storey car park P2 (6 November).
A cabin for the new apron control is lifted onto the 6th floor of Terminal 1 (9 November).
Cologne/Bonn has over 5 million passengers for the first time in one year. Karin Götz from Karlsruhe is welcomed on 9 December as the 5 millionth passenger. |
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| | Renewal of the main runway - 2nd section - 2,050 m (June to September).
With 536,514 passengers in August, the airport passes the 500,000 mark for a single month. Election of Assessor Wolfgang Klapdor as technical manager and successor of Dipl.-Ing. Günter Schade, who retires on 31 December.
A study by the Ministry for Mid-range Industry, Technology and Transport of North Rhine Westphalia shows that a rail link to the airport makes economic sense.
Extension of the fire station - the operations centre is equipped with cutting-edge technology. |
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| | The airport is officially renamed "Flughafen Köln/Bonn-Konrad Adenauer" (Cologne/Bonn-Konrad Adenauer Airport) in the presence of the German Chancellor, Helmut Kohl, Federal Government Minister Norbert Blüm, Regional Minister Kniola, the Mayor of Cologne, Norbert Burger, the Mayor of Bonn, Hans Daniels, and the artist Yrsa von Leistner on 4 October.
Millionth tourist passenger: On 24 October, the airport has, for the first time, more than 1 million tourist passengers in a single year.
Renewal of the main runway - 1st section - 1,750 m (August to October). Presentation of the Wahner Heide development concept. Completion of cargo terminal 7.
The new tower goes into operation.
Mayor Burger stands down from the supervisory board (12 December) - he is succeeded as chairman by Lothar Ruschmeier, Cologne's chief executive official. Re-election of manager Heinz Gombel (12 December) - manager Dipl.-Ing. Günter Schade to retire on 31 December |
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| | Breakthrough for the new rail link.
Central issue: liberalisation of ground services.
A shareholder meeting on 7 December resolves to add the designation "Konrad Adenauer" to the name of the airport.
Long-distance Condor flights (Florida, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Rep.) have positive effects for the airport's charter business as a whole. The shell of the new tower building is completed.
10-year agreement with UPS. |
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| | Architecture competition for a design of terminal 2.
Completion of the new administrative building and opening for use in November. 1st building stage of station 1 E.
Survey of places of work: approx. 6,400 employees in 127 companies, service units and public authorities.
Decrease in air traffic due to the Gulf War.
A passive noise prevention project group is set up. |
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| | The increase in passenger numbers is halted by the Gulf War.
The maintenance centre of DLT (today: Lufthansa CityLine) at hangar 2 is completed and put into operation.
The foundation stone of the new administrative building of the airport operating company is laid.
Renewal work on the short runway is finished.
Construction of a noise barrier between hangar 6 and the hall of the TÜV - organisation carrying out technical inspections - (protection against ground noise).
Building work on the new tower begins. |
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| | Extension of areas A and D of the terminal.
Lufthansa starts scheduled flights from Cologne/Bonn to New York-Newark and the airport again has regular connections to the USA.
The number of passengers exceeds the 3-million mark for the first time.
A central issue: priority given to environmental compatibility.
Decision to pay voluntary subsidies to finance passive noise barriers. |
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| | Extension of terminal A and the check-in area D.
The simulation chamber for security checks of cargo goes into operation.
Co-operation agreement with Deutsche Lufthansa.
Extension of terminal area A and the baggage reclaim facilities.
Completion of the simulation chamber and the transshipment area, the customs building, cargo terminal 6 and of the extension of the ITS office building. |
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| | The express carrier TNT takes Air de Cologne over and sets up its European hub at Cologne/Bonn - 14 flights daily from the airport as of September.
The forwarding hall is built.
The cargo apron is extended by 22,000 square metres.
Renewal work on the short runway begins.
Further development of the simulation chamber.
LTU begins services in November with 4 weekly connections. |
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| | UPS commences freight service between Cologne/Bonn and the UPS US hub (17 February).
Pope John Paul II lands at Cologne/Bonn on 30 April.
US President R. Reagan departs from Cologne/Bonn (17 June).
Cologne/Bonn Airport and Lufthansa present "BAP on Airport" for 10,000 travel agency employees (26 September).
Cologne/Bonn Airport organises the annual ADV meeting (5/6 November).
The office building at cargo terminal 5 becomes operational.
The apron at the GAT and winter equipment hall are built. |
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| | Heinz Gombel becomes the new commercial manager of Cologne/Bonn Airport (as of 1 January).
An Air France Concorde lands, for the first time, at the airport on 21 June.
UPS set up a European hub at Cologne/Bonn (16 September).
Death of Carl Mudlagk, former commercial manager of Cologne/Bonn Airport for many years (25 September).
Growth in air traffic is limited due to the decline in the dollar, the reactor disaster at Chernobyl and threats of terrorist attacks following events in connection with Libya.
The parking area at the arrivals level is completed.
Cargo terminals 5 / 6 and an office building are built (ground-breaking ceremony at the beginning of July).
The Hapag Lloyd travel agency opens a counter at the passenger terminal.
The GAT becomes operational in June.
Purchase of the CargoMaster (lifting equipment for heavy loads). |
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| | Cargo terminal 4 is inaugurated on 12 March in the presence of the German Transport Minister, Dr. Dollinger.
The new terminal means an increase in cargo-handling facilities of 4,000 square metres to 16,000 square metres. The cargo apron is extended. Hangar 1 is built to accommodate light aircraft.
Establishment of the general aviation terminal (GAT).
Building of a hall for apron equipment and extension of the vehicle depot for fire-fighting vehicles (for SIMBAS).
Extension of office space at the terminal for airport administration.
A contract for a flight and aircraft information computer is awarded. Removal of obstacles (approx. 4 ha) in approach 25 (remaining obstacles area of approx. 50 ha extends as far as Hasbacher Strasse).
Open day with 65,000 visitors on 19 May.
Manager Dipl.-Kfm. Wolfgang Diederich leaves Cologne/Bonn Airport.
SAS sets up the European cargo hub (2 December).
The first SIMBA is acquired for the fire service.
The WDR television channel produces the TV film "Kennwort Möwe" (Codeword Gull), the story of a hijacking based on the Keppel case (see 1979). |
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| | Leave is taken of the old building of the "Flower-Airport" terminal on 28 October and it is demolished in December.
Norbert Burger, the mayor of the city of Cologne, becomes the chairman of the supervisory board of the airport operating company (19 December).
A British Airways Concorde lands, for the first time, at Cologne/Bonn Airport on 20 December.
A new kitchen for in-flight catering services of Stockheim is set up in the basement of the passenger terminal.
Cargo terminal 4 is built.
The topping-out ceremony takes place on 20 November.
Protection of facilities and closing off the inner security area are improved by a code card system.
Cologne/Bonn becomes a subscriber to the view data service of the German postal authorities, offering its own programme under the number *22301#. |
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| | 1st Cologne/Bonn travel market at the terminal (15 / 16 January).
A NASA delegation and the "Enterprise" space shuttle visits Cologne/Bonn at Whitsun. Over 300,000 visitors watch the landing or inspect the space shuttle mounted atop a Boeing 747.
The "Weltreise" (World Travel) series of the WDR television channel is produced at C7-10.
A survey of places of work shows: There are 91 companies and service units and 2,547 employees at Cologne/Bonn Airport. |
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| | Growing unemployment, negative effects on the development of numbers of flights.
The airport advertises "Fly from Cologne/Bonn" on a tram for the first time (first tram in Cologne with all-over advertising). |
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| | Demolition of the old tower in the military section in October.
The airport receives a category III B licence (1 December). |
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| | Difficult international economic situation, decline in demand. Open day on 18 May.
Pope John Paul II lands at Cologne/Bonn on 15 November. |
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| | Building of the E and A3 taxiways.
VASIS is installed for the 07, 25, 14L, 32R, 32L approaches.
A survey of passengers shows: The "typical" Cologne/Bonn passenger is aged 40 (36 in the case of charter passengers), male and flies over 10 times a year.
Hijacking on 12 September of the "Münster", a Lufthansa Boeing 727, on flight FRA-CGN, hijacker: Raphael Keppel (30).
Manager Prof. Dr.-Ing. Wilhelm Grebe leaves CGN on 31 October. Dipl.-Ing. Günter Schade becomes his successor as the new technical manager on 1 December. |
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| | Cologne/Bonn has, for the first time, more than 2 million passengers in a single year.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry holds the first examinations leading to qualification as a "certified aircraft dispatcher" (8 December). |
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| | Construction of the third cargo terminal and a high-bay warehouse, and enlargement of the office building. Capacity increases to 100,000 tons. On 18 March, the airport has its 20 millionth passenger since it began flight operations. Survey of places of work on 1 October: 90 companies, 2,487 employees at the airport. |
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| | New fee schedule as an incentive to use less noisy equipment on 1 April.
Extension of the cargo facility.
Launch of the "Green Airlift" for agricultural products between Tel Aviv and Cologne/Bonn by Israeli Cargo Air Lines (1st flight lands on 2 November). Expansion of Lufthansa Service GmbH (LSG). |
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| | Annual meeting of the ADV in Cologne is organised by the airport operating company (13 / 14 November).
25th anniversary of "Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH".
An aircraft noise measurement system with 12 stationary measuring units and 1 mobile one goes into operation.
The fuel depot company builds the first overground tank (13 m high, diameter of 16 m) in addition to 13 underground tanks. |
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| | The Holiday Inn Airport Hotel is opened on 18 December.
The C7-10 check-in areas in the passenger terminal are extended.
An apron hall and a hall for winter equipment are built.
State visits:
US Secretary of State Kissinger (4 March), Yugoslavian head of state Tito (27 June), the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Mrs. Bandaranaike, (9 September). |
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| | The new buildings public authority hands its responsibilities over to the Cologne public construction authority and leaves the airport (26 November).
A survey of places of work is carried out: 67 companies, service units; 2,100 employees. Hereditary building agreement with the regional tax authority on return of the old terminal, replaced by hall VI (hangar 6) with ancillary buildings and aprons.
Extension of the "B" baggage reclaim facility and conversion of the entire baggage transportation system. (conveyor belt from outside on the apron side).
The Arrivals "C" parking area is built. |
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(from 20/5 - 16/6 and 26/6 - 12/7).
State visits:
General Idi Dada, Ugandan head of state (7 February), King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden (8 May), Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sophia of Spain (25 September). Extension of the "C" baggage reclaim system Building of the "B" Arrivals parking area Construction of the noise barrier A Lufthansa Boeing 727 is christened "Leverkusen"
Premiere of the travelling exhibition of the airport operating company.
Internal news:
Kurt Raufuß, the commercial manager and authorised representative of Cologne/Bonn Airport, retires. |
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| | The cargo building with the warehouse (capacity of 25,000 t / p.a.) and office buildings are handed over to the airlines, customs and forwarding agencies on 20 April.
A passenger survey is carried out in July and October.
Air traffic controllers "work to rule".
State visits:
President Pompidou (France) on 6 July, the Emperor of Japan on 11 October, President Sunay (Turkey) on 19 October, the Queen of the Netherlands on 26 October, the Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, on 10 November, the German Chancellor, Willy Brandt, flies to Oslo on 9 December to receive the Nobel Prize for Peace. |
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| | The German President, Gustav Heinemann, opens the new terminal on 20 March.
The fuelling service plant becomes operational on 1 July.
Topping-out ceremony for the cargo centre on 17 September.
Completion of the ITS building in October.
Lufthansa begins a daily jumbo-jet service to New York on 1 November.
Jumbo christening of the "Nordrhein-Westfalen" by Minister President Kühn and his wife. |
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| | Topping-out ceremony for the new terminal on 23 January.
The airport operating company moves into the new administrative building in March. The airport fire service also moves into its new premises in March.
LSG (Lufthansa Service GmbH) begins operations with the new in-flight catering service on 1 July.
The first men on the moon - Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin Aldrin - land at the airport on 12 October. |
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| | The company operating the airport is renamed and now called "Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH" (Cologne/Bonn Airport Ltd.).
New air traffic control centre / tower is inaugurated on 25 March.
Aircraft hall G1 (today hangar 3) goes into operation on 17 October.
Completion of the district heating plant in December.
Tourist flights: 14 departures a week (9 more than in summer '67).
The shell of the building for the new fire station is completed. |
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| | Wolfgang Diederich takes over from Carl Mudlagk as commercial manager of the airport operating company (on 1 January).
Building work on hall G 1 (today hangar 3) begins. |
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| | Building work on a "drive-in" terminal with a decentralised check-in system begins in August. |
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| | The foundation stone of the new terminal is laid on 8 July. Building of the radar tower. |
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| | Station 1 goes into operation with three emergency service aggregates.
The airport director, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heinrich Steinmann, retires on 22 September.
Dr.-Ing. Wilhelm Grebe becomes the new technical manager of Cologne/Bonn Airport on 2 November. |
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| | John F. Kennedy at Cologne/Bonn with the German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer (23 June).
Presentation of the functions, building and land use programme for the new terminal B. North Rhine Westphalian Minister of Regional Planning, Housing and Public Works.
Annual meeting of the ADV in Cologne in November. 500,000th passenger at CGN (undated). |
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| | Charles de Gaulle arrives at Cologne/Bonn for a state visit (with the German President Heinrich Lübke - 4 September). |
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| | The major runway is formally opened by North Rhine Westphalia's Minister of Economics, Mid-range Industry and Transport, Dr. Lauscher, on 17 March.
The first long-distance flight is an Air France charter flight for Japanese miners via Anchorage to Tokyo on 20th March.
Deutsche Lufthansa is the first airline to use the new runway for intercontinental flights, flying from Cologne/Bonn to New York (30 April).
Opening of a duty-free shop in June.
A hereditary building agreement is concluded with the German state on 9 October.
A bus service between Bonn and the airport operated by the Bonn public transport authority starts (as of the end of the year).
Preliminary ideas developed for an underlying planning concept for a new terminal; a study trip in this connection to the USA by a committee of the supervisory board in May. Introduction of the night airmail service in September. |
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| | The fiscal year is changed: now the calendar year. Topping-out ceremony for the extended runway (14 October).
Extension of the terminal buildings.
Finnair uses Caravelles for the first time (Copenhagen-Helsinki as of 1 April).
Swissair flies DC 8s to New York for the first time (as of 1 April). |
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| | State visit by US President Eisenhower on 26 August.
Formation of the new buildings public authority to oversee the extensions to the airport (1 April).
Extensions to the airport begin with work on the 3,800-m runway (13 September). |
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| | The government of North Rhine Westphalia grants permission to develop the airport to give it capacities for international flights.
Carl Mudlagk becomes the commercial manager (as of 1 May). |
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| | Restrictions on commercial flights are lifted. The volume of air traffic increases steadily from 18 July onwards. The need to expand the airport's facilities is recognised. At this time the airport only has inadequate makeshift terminal facilities capable of handling 300,000 passengers a year.
The RAF hands the airport over to the Economics and Transport Minister of the Federal State of North Rhine Westphalia on 2 October.
The airport establishes its own fire service.
Three VW minibuses provide a shuttle service between Bonn and the airport.
The German weather service sets up a station at CGN (1 August). |
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| | Restriction of commercial air traffic by the British Royal Air Force from 1952-1957, while all other commercial German airports systematically became part of the steadily growing air traffic network. Initially 8 and later 14 non-military flights are permitted per week. |
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| | "No business report was drawn up due to lack of time" for the 6th financial year (01/4/1955-31/3/1956) (quoted from the business report dated 21/11/1957). |
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| | The crosswind runway 07 / 25 (2,460 m) goes into operation. |
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| | The world's first jet aircraft, the De Havilland "Comet 1", lands at CGN. Foreign ministers including Schuman, Poncet, Acheson und Eden fly to the airport to attend a meeting of foreign ministers.
Building of the crosswind runway 07 / 25 (2,460 m - making it the longest runway in Germany at the time). The airport was closed from 24 April to 11 May to enable work on the takeoff runway to be carried out and from 23 to 30 July for manoeuvres. |
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| | The licence granted by the CAB is valid in full until 31 July. A Flyers' Festival takes place on January 6. Annual meeting of the ADV (German Association of Commercial Airports) in Cologne on 8/9 March. Opening of the airmail co-ordination centre on 1 March.
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| | BEA begins a daily service on the London - Cologne/Bonn - Berlin route on 1 January.
The airport facilities are handed over to German administrative authorities on 1 February. The airport operating company (Köln-Bonner Flughafen Wahn GmbH zu Porz) is entered in the commercial register on 2 March.
The licence granted by the Civil Aviation Board expires on 31 December. After just under one year, the airport and its facilities are returned to the jurisdiction of the British armed forces. Civil aviation has to take second place to military uses. Commercial takeoffs and/or landings are restricted to eight a day. Sabena begins services to and from Cologne/Bonn on 1 April. |
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| | The Civil Aviation Board, British Element gives the cities of Cologne and Bonn a licence to use the facilities of Wahn Airport for a one-year period. Cologne and Bonn transfer exercise of their rights and duties to a private limited company named "Köln-Bonner Flughafen Wahn GmbH zu Porz" formed in 1950.
The initial shareholders are the Federal Republic of Germany, the Federal State of North-Rhine-Westphalia, the city of Cologne, the city of Bonn, the Sieg district, and the town of Porz. Rheinisch-Bergisch district became a further shareholder. The airport's first director was Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heinrich Steinmann (until 1964). The airport's manager begins preparatory work in October 1950. Flights begin in September. BEA flies to Berlin for the first time (23 September). |
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| | First discussions on a commercial airport to give Bonn, which had just become the provisional German capital, the business city of Cologne and the greater Cologne/Bonn area international air links. |
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| | The German Airforce establishes a military airfield at a former artillery shooting range in the Wahner Heide.
The airfield is enlarged by the occupying powers, a takeoff runway with a length of 1,866 m, a control tower and a number of hangars are built. |
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