Cologne's Airport Options: A Comprehensive Guide

Cologne, Germany's fourth-largest city, has two notable airports: Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) and Cologne Hauptbahnhof Airport (QKL). Cologne Bonn Airport is the larger of the two, with two terminals, three runways, and approximately 12.4 million passengers passing through in 2017. It is one of the few 24-hour airports in the country and is centrally located in the Cologne Bonn Region, 18km from the centre of Cologne. The smaller Cologne Hauptbahnhof Airport, on the other hand, is served by airlines such as Air Arabia Maroc and Aegean Airlines.

Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) is the main airport in Cologne

The airport covers 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) and features two terminals for passenger traffic and various cargo halls and hangars. It has three runways, 85 check-in counters, 50 gates, and around 50 shops and restaurants. Terminal 1, a 1970s building, features a U-shaped main building with shops, restaurants, check-in and service facilities, and a visitors' deck on its roof. Terminals 1 and 2 are adjacent to each other and are linked by a courtesy shuttle bus service. Terminal 2, a modern-style rectangular building made of glass and steel, has the majority of the facilities and gates. Both terminals operate over three levels, with Level 1 dedicated to arrivals and Level 3 for departures.

Cologne Bonn Airport is one of Germany's few 24-hour airports and serves as a hub for several airlines, including Eurowings, FedEx Express, and UPS Airlines. It is easily accessible by road, with its own exit on the A59 motorway, and by rail, with the Cologne/Bonn Airport station providing connections to long-distance trains, including ICE services. The airport also has its own coach terminal, with bus services to other German cities and European countries.

It is 18km from the city centre

Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) is the international airport of Cologne, Germany's fourth-largest city. It is located 18km from the city centre. The airport is named after Cologne native Konrad Adenauer, the first post-war Chancellor of West Germany. It is one of the few 24-hour airports in the country and is a hub for several major airlines and cargo operations. With approximately 12.4 million passengers passing through in 2017, it is Germany's seventh-largest airport in terms of passenger traffic.

The airport covers 1,000 hectares and features two terminals and three runways. Terminal 2 handles most of the traffic, with carriers such as Air Berlin, British Airways, and easyJet. Both terminals have three levels, with the second floor dedicated to arrivals and the third floor for departures. Terminal 2 also has a mezzanine level.

Cologne Bonn Airport is easily accessible from the city centre. It has its own exit on the A59 motorway, connecting it to Cologne and Bonn. Additionally, the airport has a 4-track railway station with direct connections to both terminals. Local bus lines, such as route 161 to Cologne and route SB60 to Bonn, also serve the airport.

The airport is centrally located in the Cologne Bonn region. It is surrounded by Wahner Heide, a nature reserve. The airport is just 49 km south of Düsseldorf Airport, the main airport of the Rhine-Ruhr region. Cologne Bonn Airport competes with Frankfurt Airport, Germany's largest international airport, which is accessible within 47 minutes by the Intercity Express high-speed train.

It has two terminals for passenger traffic

Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) is the international airport of Cologne, Germany's fourth-largest city. It is located 12 km (7.5 mi) southeast of the city centre and 16 km (9.9 mi) northeast of Bonn, the former capital of West Germany. The airport covers 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) and features three runways. Notably, it is one of the few 24-hour airports in the country.

Cologne Bonn Airport has two terminals that handle passenger traffic. Terminal 1, inaugurated in 1970, is characterised by its U-shaped main building, featuring shops, restaurants, check-in facilities, and a visitors' deck on the roof. Piers B and C extend from the main building, each providing five aircraft stands. A central airside hall, added in 2004, connects the two piers and offers additional security checks, shops, and restaurants, as well as three more aircraft stands. Terminal 1 primarily serves Eurowings, Lufthansa, and Austrian Airlines.

Terminal 2, located north of Terminal 1, commenced operations in June 2000. It features a modern, rectangular design made of glass and steel, with eight stands equipped with jet bridges and several stands for bus-boarding. Terminal 2 handles a larger volume of traffic and serves various airlines, including Ryanair and Iran Air. It also provides an interdenominational prayer room on its base level.

Both terminals are connected by a landside walkway and a courtesy shuttle bus service. They are also conveniently linked to the airport's railway station, with Terminal 2 offering a direct connection via the basement level, and Terminal 1 featuring its own dedicated connection.

The efficient design of the two terminals allows Cologne Bonn Airport to handle a significant volume of passenger traffic, with approximately 12.4 million passengers passing through in 2017, making it the seventh-largest passenger airport in Germany.

The airport is one of Germany's few 24-hour airports

Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN) is one of Germany's few 24-hour airports. Serving the cities of Cologne and Bonn, the airport is located in the suburb of Porz, just 16 km from Bonn. It is surrounded by the Wahner Heide nature reserve, a popular tourist attraction.

As one of Germany's few 24-hour aviation hubs, Cologne Bonn Airport plays a crucial role in accommodating the travel needs of one of the country's most densely populated areas. This status as a 24-hour airport sets it apart from most other airports in Germany and makes it a convenient option for travellers arriving at or departing from the region at any time of day.

The airport offers a range of services to cater to the needs of travellers during both daytime and nighttime hours. Facilities include restaurants and cafeterias, shops, duty-free shopping, ATMs, currency exchange, and an observatory deck. Additionally, the airport provides free WiFi access throughout the terminal, allowing passengers and visitors to stay connected at all times.

Cologne Bonn Airport also stands out for its historical significance. The site was first used as an airfield in 1938 by the German Luftwaffe. After World War II, the British military took over and expanded the airport, operating it as RAF Wahn. The airport was later opened for civilian air traffic in 1950, serving both Cologne and what was then West Germany's capital, Bonn.

Today, Cologne Bonn Airport is a bustling transportation hub, handling approximately 12.4 million passengers in 2017 and ranking as Germany's seventh-largest airport in terms of passenger volume. It also serves as a major cargo hub, being a base for FedEx Express and UPS Airlines. With its convenient location, rich history, and 24-hour operation, Cologne Bonn Airport is an important gateway to the region for travellers from around the world.

It is also a hub for cargo, hosting FedEx Express and UPS Airlines

Cologne Bonn Airport is a major cargo hub, hosting FedEx Express and UPS Airlines. The airport is one of Germany's largest in terms of cargo operations. UPS Airlines has operated its European air hub at Cologne Bonn Airport since 1986. The facility connects small, mid, and large businesses and consumers to the world's markets and international trade. The air hub is a key component in UPS' global air operation and is one of the largest and most advanced sorting facilities in the world, with more than 3,000 employees. Every night, UPS handles more than 40 freighter movements at its European hub. The operating area covers over 105,000 square meters, and the hub has a sorting capacity of 190,000 packages per hour, or around 53 packages per second. The conveyor system covers a distance of about 40 kilometres (25 miles), with a package taking just 15 minutes to move through the hub from the unload to load point.

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp., is also a major presence at Cologne Bonn Airport, operating its international hub for destinations to and from Central and Eastern Europe. The hub is a vital facility in the FedEx worldwide network, acting as a central conduit for packages arriving by ground or air from Central and Eastern Europe en route to the U.S. or Asia via the FedEx Europe hub in Paris. The hub in Cologne is one of the most modern in the world, with a fully automated sorting system that can process up to 18,000 packages and documents per hour. The hub's location enables FedEx to expand its operational capacity in Germany and across Europe and pursue its long-term ambition of increasing its footprint in Eastern Europe and facilitating access to other markets. The number of employees at the Cologne hub has grown rapidly, from approximately 35 to more than 680.

In addition to UPS and FedEx, other cargo companies have a presence at Cologne Bonn Airport. DHL Express operates a state-of-the-art logistics centre at the airport, covering 15,000 square meters. The hub features the latest sorting technology and an innovative system to heat and cool the warehouse and office spaces. DHL completed an upgrade in August 2019, investing €123 million in the new hub facility, demonstrating its commitment to the Cologne-Bonn region. The hub has a direct motorway connection and offers dedicated airside access, making it an important part of DHL's international network. Sovereign Speed and Schlimgen Logistics also operate cargo handling facilities near the airport, providing additional capacity and services for the transport and logistics industry.

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