Running Header: Frankfurt Airport The World’s Most Important Hub 1 Frankfurt Airport The World’s Most Important Hub 26 October 2016 Abstract Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is one of the wold’s most important air transportation hubs and plays a significant role in the main European hub in the dense global network of the Star Alliance airlines. Frankfurt is not only known for its expedite transfer airport but for it’s prestigious intermodal connection, linking air, rail and road transportation. Discussing the brief history and significant events will outline what makes this airport important to Europe. Identifying the ownership structure and administration and management of the airport will give insight how management manages the daily operations of this airport. Knowing the annual statistics of the airport and the major passenger and cargo airlines of who uses this airport will give a calculation of the total traffic and detail what major airlines operates at this airport. Identifying the significant challenges faced by the airport environmental, noise, limited land, ownership, financial issues will bring awareness of how management battle with the daily challenges in their operations. Illustrating how the airport builds relationship with the local community, business, partners, and passengers will bring light of the presence, involvement and professional leadership. History of Frankfurt Airport The Early History of Old Frankfurt Past Frankfurt Airport was founded in 1924, formally known as Südwestdeutsche Luftverkehrs. Frankfurt Airport initially operated at the Rebstock site, which is a recreation park with pond and bathing facility. The Rebstock site was founded in 1300 and named after its patrician Frankfurt owner family and later inherited by the Domherr Wicker Frosch. In 1335, he later donated Rebstock to Katharinenkloster, who was repeatedly threatened by plundering knights from surrounding villages. During 1501, the Pope intervened to protect Rebstock from it’s avaricious neighbors. In 1788, the Rebstock Manor house was developed but destroyed by the avaricious neighbors. Graf Zeppelin landed the first airship “LZ II” on Rebstock on July 31,1909. In 1910 the city of Frankfurt leased the Rebstock to the German Airship Transportation Company (DELAG). Rebstock was the home of the flight pioneers and pilots who would gathered for the first International flying competition “Flyer Week” as part of the “International Airship Exposition”. On March 4, 1912 the DELAG opened the “Airship Harbor Frankfurt” on the Rebstock grounds, using the remodeled Manor house as headquarters. On August 1926, FrankFurt Airport was established on Rebstock grounds and was the second largest airport in Germany, subsequent with Berlin. “Rebstock airport was closed in 1936 after the Rhein-Ma.

1. Running Header: Frankfurt Airport The World’s Most Important
Hub 1
Frankfurt Airport The World’s Most Important Hub
26 October 2016

2. Abstract

3. Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is one of the wold’s most important air
transportation hubs and plays a significant role in the main
European hub in the dense global network of the Star Alliance
airlines. Frankfurt is not only known for its expedite transfer
airport but for it’s prestigious intermodal connection, linking
air, rail and road transportation. Discussing the brief history
and significant events will outline what makes this airport
important to Europe. Identifying the ownership structure and
administration and management of the airport will give insight
how management manages the daily operations of this airport.
Knowing the annual statistics of the airport and the major
passenger and cargo airlines of who uses this airport will give a
calculation of the total traffic and detail what major airlines
operates at this airport. Identifying the significant challenges
faced by the airport environmental, noise, limited land,
ownership, financial issues will bring awareness of how
management battle with the daily challenges in their operations.
Illustrating how the airport builds relationship with the local
community, business, partners, and passengers will bring light
of the presence, involvement and professional leadership.
History of Frankfurt Airport
The Early History of Old Frankfurt Past
Frankfurt Airport was founded in 1924, formally known as
Südwestdeutsche Luftverkehrs. Frankfurt Airport initially
operated at the Rebstock site, which is a recreation park with
pond and bathing facility. The Rebstock site was founded in
1300 and named after its patrician Frankfurt owner family and
later inherited by the Domherr Wicker Frosch. In 1335, he later
donated Rebstock to Katharinenkloster, who was repeatedly
threatened by plundering knights from surrounding villages.
During 1501, the Pope intervened to protect Rebstock from it’s
avaricious neighbors. In 1788, the Rebstock Manor house was
developed but destroyed by the avaricious neighbors. Graf
Zeppelin landed the first airship “LZ II” on Rebstock on July
31,1909. In 1910 the city of Frankfurt leased the Rebstock to
the German Airship Transportation Company (DELAG).

4. Rebstock was the home of the flight pioneers and pilots who
would gathered for the first International flying competition
“Flyer Week” as part of the “International Airship Exposition”.
On March 4, 1912 the DELAG opened the “Airship Harbor
Frankfurt” on the Rebstock grounds, using the remodeled Manor
house as headquarters. On August 1926, FrankFurt Airport was
established on Rebstock grounds and was the second largest
airport in Germany, subsequent with Berlin. “Rebstock airport
was closed in 1936 after the Rhein-Main-Airport was built, and
the buildings destroyed during the war that followed (
Rebstockpark.ffm.de 2007)”. During the late 50’s, Rebstock was
reestablished as a public park and 1982 a public bathing facility
was added.
The Significant Events, WWII
On 1939, the beginning of World War II (WWII), all
international airlines left the airport and air traffic control
responsibilities was transferred to the Luftwaffe. During May 9,
1940 the first bombers took-off to engaged an attack on France.
Concentration camps was constructed in Walldorf, which was
within proximate distance of Frankfurt Airport, where Jewish
females was forced to work at the airport. The airport's runway
was destroyed by heavily ordinance. On March 25, 1945, the
United States Army rebuilt the airport with prisoners of war by
building the first runway and repaired power and water supply.
The airport was used as the U.S. Air Base and Südwestdeutsche
Luftverkehrs was contracted to rebuild and expand the airport
facilities. After the major infrastructure and services has been
rebuilt, an American Overseas Airlines aircraft landed on the
runway for the first time since the war in May 1946. This
airport was a main hub for the U.S. Air Force Airlift to supply
two million tons of goods to West Berlin, which was under
siege by the Soviets. The Cargo planes would take off every
three minutes 24 hours throughout the day, which caused a
second runway to be built for civilian use in 1950. The U.S. Air
Force moved to the southern area of the airport. Germans were
banned to participate in any aviation activities immediately

5. after war and the Allied Control Council prohibited Germany
from Rhein-Main Airport (Frankfurt Airport) and to cancel all
related contracts with German companies, including
Südwestdeutsche Luftverkehrs.
History of Expansion
In 1951, the probation rule was lifted for German air travellers
and civil air traffic begin to grow again. In 1952 Frankfurt
Airport handled more than 400,000 passengers but within a year
later the number grow to a half a million. Also the first radar
equipment was installed, an air traffic control tower was built
and the runway system was expanded. During 1958, newer jets
required longer runways and the airplane load was much
heavier, which prompt the the airport facilities to expand and
modernized. A new underground fuel station was built, which
sped up the time needed to refuel an airplane, a new passenger
hall was equipped with separate check-in, and a new terminal
was built with the approval of the stakeholders. During the
1970s to the 1980s the airport became one of the world’s major
hubs for air cargo handling and transitioning flight passengers.
In 1972, another terminal was added call Terminal Mitte and job
opportunities increased by hiring 5,000 employees. Also a new
partly underground electronic baggage system was installed
cutting the transfer between flight down to 45 minutes. In the
late 1980s, another terminal was added and the fall of Berlin
Wall opened up the Eastern European countries, which
decreased the costs of air travel and increased the international
air traffic. In 1989 the FAG’s board of directors endorsed a $7.4
billion ten-year investment program to expand the airport
facility. By October 1994 the new Terminal 2 and the airport
elevated train Sky Line connected to the main terminals were
completed. In the 1996, the U.S. Air Force was vacating the
South of the airport so that the airport’s new freight handling
area can be constructed. By the late 1990s, the new construction
could not handle the new traffic coming in so another large
construction program was approved.In 2000 Pier A was
extended and begins operating, the company changes it’s name

6. to Fragport. In 2005 the airport hosted the world’s first A380
airport compatibility tests and the U.S. Rhein Main Air Base
closed. In 2006 the cargo volume exceeds two million tonnes
and in 2007 the construction of the AIRail center ( The Square)
starts. In 2008 Pier C and D extension reopened and in 2009 the
construction work for the airport program for the new Runway
Northwest begin. The airport opened up two new aprons control
towers in 2010. The new pier A-Plus begins operating in 2012
and in 2015 the construction of terminal three begin.
The Airport Ownership
Frankfurt Airport was a joint stock company, which is partly
owned by the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Hesse
and the city of Frankfurt. In June 2001, the airport transitioned
to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange with an initial public offering
(IPO) to operate in the form of a public-private owned.
Privatized and institutional investors including employees
acquired a 29.4 percent stake. “In October 2005, the Federal
Government sold 12 percent stake (out of 18.20 percent) and
Lufthansa acquired a 4.95 percent stake ( ICAO 2013)”.
Lufthansa has 9.1 percent, the State of Hesse owned 20.1
percent , the City of Frankfurt via Stadtwerke owns 10 percent,
and the remaining shares are owned by private and institutional
investors.
Daily Operations
Management Insight
Frankfurt airpor have a massive operations that requires to have
management in each sector of airport activity, rather it’s non
aviation and aviation related. There are many airport
management positions such as Terminal and Traffic
management, parking management, IT service management,
Airside managment, maintenance management, Real Estate and
Facility management, Airport Security Management,Global
Investment management, marketing management, environmental
and sustainability management, contract management, and etc.
Terminal managers is responsible for the overall safety,

7. efficiency, and cleanliness of the terminal facilities and
passenger process and services at Frankfurt Airport. In 2014
alone the airport had an estimate of 59.6 million passengers that
pass through the airport and 89% are international flights.
Approximately 20,000 baggage are successfully transferred per
hour at a speed of 2.5 meters per second on Frankfurt Airport
unique automatic baggage conveyor. What makes this conveyor
unique is the size, the functionality, performance, and the
cornerstone that allows for the short transfer times for
connecting passengers and their baggage. The mishandling of
baggage rate is at 1.3% and 40% of the bags temporary goes
astray. Passengers has ninety days to reclaim their baggage at
the lost and found, if items are not reclaim, Frankfurt Airport
auction off the items.I n 2014 approximate 81,165 tons of
airmail is transferred per year and 2,083,495 tonnes of cargo
per year. “About 60% of air freight is carried by cargo planes
and 40% is transported as belly-hold cargo on passenger flights
( Fraport 2015 Facts and Figures on Frankfurt 2015).” The
Traffic Manager on the Airside is to ensure the safe and
efficient operations on the aircraft movement areas to meet
customers’ needs such as coordinating of ice and snow
clearance, planning and assigning aircraft positions and gates,
guiding aircraft on apron, and gathering and processing all
relevant scheduling, operational, and status data. In 2014, an
estimate of 469,026 aircraft a year has arrived at or departed
from Frankfurt Airport. In a single day there has been a record
of 1,457 takeoffs and landings. There are 104 passenger
services airlines with 297 destinations and 104 different
countries. There are 24 different freight airliners with 82
destinations and 46 different countries. Aircraft fuel is supplied
at the airport by Hydranten-Betriebs OHG (HBG) a joint
venture of various oil companies and a Lufthansa subsidiary.
There are ten storage tanks with a total capacity of 186 million
liters of jet fuel. The system is an underground pipeline that
flows from a large central fuel farm on the airport straight to
each aircraft positions. The pipeline is an hydrant system that is

8. computer controlled and can immediately detect leaks as small
as one liter per hour, which automatically close the valves.
Administration Insight
Frankfurt has more than 80,000 employees and is label as
Germany’s largest place of employment at a single location. To
improve the moral at work, Fraport provides assistance for
planning parental leaves, childcare services, counseling on
home nursing, and flexible working hours. In 2014 employees
satisfaction ( on a scale from 1= excellent and 6 = poor) is at a
3.14 satisfaction rate. Airport employees provide assistance in
fifty different languages to resolve misunderstanding and ensure
travelers have a stress free experience. There has been 742
work-related accidents but no major incidents resulting into
death. There are a total of 19,858 of vehicles and equipment.
The Airport Rescue and Firefighting Services is equipped with
an outpatient clinic with full and part time physicians, nurses,
paramedics, and medical assistant. The facilities is equipped
with x-ray unit, operating room, laboratory, quarantine rooms,
ENT, ophthalmological and optometric examination. The
emergency vehicles serves as intensive care units and the clinic
operates 24 hours and 7 days a week The Fire rescue is
equipped to handle any type of fire such as gas, electric, and
other fire. Frankfurt has their own police, postal services,
airport tours, pharmacies, dental, nine conference facilities with
more than 200 conference rooms that can fit up to 1,200
participant, optometry, dog hotel, shopping mall that has 230
stores and services, banks, restaurants, lounges, VIP services,
78 restaurants and cafes, eight airport hotels, nine play areas,
casino, hair salon, dry cleaners, showers/bathtubs, chapel,
special assistance and parking.
Airport Expansion
Frankfurt Airport is a global competitive airport that it is
building a fourth runway in the northwest of the airport, which
was completed in 2011 and adding a third terminal in the south
of Frankfurt on the land formerly occupied by the U.S. Rhein-
Main Air Base, which will be open in the summer of 2022. FRA

9. is predicting that they will have an increase of traffic flow
approximately handling 88 million passengers a year and
700,000 flights. The airport is opening a new Pier A-Plus that
will extend 800 meter westward with a total space of over
185,400 square meters. It will offer seven positions for a wide-
body aircraft. An A380 Maintenance Hangar is also being
constructed that will accommodate two Airbus 380 aircraft. The
hangar will be dedicated maintenance for Lufthansa fleets,
which is exclusively used for flights within the Frankfurt area.
Community Outreach
Aircraft Noise Abatement
As a responsible leader within the community FRA is
committed to minimize the airport's noise since 1964. FRA uses
a comprehensive measuring and monitoring system, which is
made up of 29 stationary measuring points and three mobile
measuring containers, The airport uses an program incentives
called emission-based airport charges that induce air carriers to
use airplanes with low pollutant and noise output. The FRA uses
a positive balance voluntary Casa program, were FRA purchases
residential property where planes fly particularly low. The
airport also gives a one time grants to those residents who has
to reduce utilization of their outdoor facilities. Not only FRA
monitored the noise but they also monitored the air quality.
The measuring station was installed in 2002 and changes
periodically in order to explore the spatial structure of the
concentration field.
Community Engagement
FRA is committed to developed and sustained an effective two-
way relationship within its community. FRA sponsored more
than 481 social projects by donating money to children affected
by cancer and other illness, the German Red Cross, and other
local programs. FRA supports schools, sport teams, and other
projects by donating sporting gear or monetary donations. FRA
established an Environmental Fund in 1997 to preserve nature
and environmental protection outside the airport premises. This

10. fund is to provided environmental education and developed a
biodiversity in the Rhine-Main region pertaining to climate
change. The airport has been granted 36 million euros to
developed 900 environmental initiatives projects. Each year
there is an Annual General Meeting that talks about the
approved budget, resolution on formal actions by the Executive
Board and other issues and upcoming projects.
Conclusion
Frankfurt Airport has a rich history but
Work Cited
http://www.icao.int/sustainability/CaseStudies/Germany.pdf
http://www.fraport.com/content/fraport/en/misc/binaer/press-
center/publications/2015/2015-facts-and-figures-on-frankfurt-
airport/jcr:content.file/facts-and-figures_2015.pdf