Bremen Airport

Bremen Airport (German: Flughafen Bremen), also known as City Airport Bremen, IATA: BRE, ICAO: EDDW) serves the city of Bremen, in Northern Germany. It is located 3.5 km (2.2 mi) south of the city and handled 2.56 million passengers in 2011. It mainly features flights to European metropolitan and leisure destinations and serves as a base for Germania and Ryanair.

History

Early years

The beginnings of the airport date back to the early 20th century. The Bremer Verein für Luftschiffahrt, a local aerospace club, conducted the first experimental flights at the present site in the summer of 1910, on what was then the parade ground of the local garrison. The Senate of Bremen supported the establishment of an airfield to connect Bremen to the growing airship route network. Official permission for the opening of an airport was granted on 16 May 1913. The initial infrastructure was geared towards aircraft operations instead of the initially envisaged airships. Several wooden hangars were erected.