Graz Airport

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Graz Airport Flughafen Graz-Thalerhof
IATA: GRZ - ICAO: LOWG
Summary
Airport type		Public
Serves		Graz
Elevation AMSL		ft (337 m)
Coordinates		46°59′37″N, 15°26′24″E
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
Direction	ft	m	Surface
17L/35R		640	Grass
17C/35C		3,000	Asphalt
17R/35L		760	Grass

Graz Airport (IATA: GRZ, ICAO: LOWG) also known as Thalerhof, serves Graz, Austria.

1 Location and runways
2 Transportation
3 Airport history
- 3.1 Airlines
4 External link

[edit] Location and runways

Location: 46°59´37"N 15°26´24"E
Altitude: 337 m
Runway: 17/35 (HDG 348), 3000x45 m, Asphalt

[edit] Transportation

The airport is within walking distance of Flughafen Graz-Feldkirchen railway station (about 4 minutes on foot, exit to the right of the platform), on direct line between Graz and Spielfeld-Straß. The travel time to the airport from Graz main station is approximately 12 minutes by regional train

[edit] Airport history

The construction of the airport began in 1913 with the construction of a grass runway and the first hangars; the airport saw its first flight in 1914. The first passenger domestic flight in Austria, in 1925, serviced the route Vienna-Graz-Klagenfurt. In 1937 the construction of a terminal building began due to increase in the number of passengers.

After the end of the Second World War, however, Austria was forbidden to possess an aviation fleet, both military and civil. After reopening of Austrian airspace in 1951, a new concrete runway of 1500m was built in Graz. This runway was extended to 2000m in 1962. The route network grew quickly and the first international scheduled flight started in 1966 with a connection to Frankfurt. In 1969 the runway was again extended, this time to 2500m, and construction of a new, more modern terminal building became necessary. Special highlights of the airport were the landings of the Concorde in 1981 and the Boeing 747 on the occasion of its 70th anniversary of opening in 1984. 10 years later again a new building was constructed with a capacity of maximum 750,000 passengers per year. The latest extension of the runway was to 3000m in 1998.

In early 21st century the number of passengers exceeded the 750,000-mark and in 2004 is just below 900,000. This lead to the final extension of the current terminal building in 2003 and the construction of a second terminal in 2005.