Hanover International Airport, also called Langenhagen Airport with reference to the nearby town, is situated 11km north of downtown Hanover, the capital of Lower-Saxony state, Germany. It is the eighth largest Airport in Germany.

History

Hannover Airport was opened in 1952. In 1973 two modern terminals were opened, which became famous because of their compact Design. They became the archetype for the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow. These terminals A and B, with stands for twelve aircraft, are still in service today. In 1998 the larger terminal C was opened to handle more passengers. Up to 33 aircraft can be served simultaneously. All three terminals are capable to take a Boeing 747. Terminal D is a rebuilt hangar which is exclusively used by the Royal Air Force to supply British troops in the north of Germany. In 2000 an S-Bahn connection was established between the airport and Hanover Central Station. Trains leave every 30 minutes for a 17 minute journey.

From 1957 to 1990 the airport hosted the Internationale Luft- und Raumfahrtausstellung, Germany's largest Airshow. After a fatal accident in 1988, when a Chinook Helicopter crashed into a terminal, and the German Reunification two years later, the Airshow moved to Berlin in 1992

Destinations

While in the early years most of the airports traffic was running through Frankfurt International Airport, today most destinations are served directly. There are services to most European capitals and major cities as well as to major holiday destinations as Mallorca or Egypt. In the 1990s trials to establish intercontinental services to the United States and Canada were stopped because of low passenger numbers. Since the end of Cold War Hanover International has become Germany's major airport for services to countries of the former Eastern bloc next to Frankfurt International.

Hanover International is one of very few German airports, literally available for almost 24 hours, but in general there are just a few flights between 1 AM and 5 AM.