Airport Guide

History of Vienna International Airport

Like most major European airports, Vienna International started life as
a military base when it was constructed in 1938.

After the end of the Second World War, Britain briefly took over the
running of the airport, overseeing the launch of international flights,
though Austria soon regained control of what quickly became its
principal air base.

Work on a new main airport building capable of dealing with the rising
passenger demand caused by the dawn of jet travel started in 1960, with
the 1970s also seeing sustained growth.

Currently, work is underway on a new terminal at Vienna International,
specifically geared towards being able to handle larger planes such as
the Airbus A380, with this likely to boost passenger numbers from the
current level of just over 18 million a year.

Travelling to Vienna International Airport

Located in the town of Schwechat, some 11 miles south-east of the centre
of Vienna, the international airport boasts excellent transport links
both to the Austrian capital and to elsewhere in the region.

The easiest way of getting between the airport and downtown Vienna is on
the S-Bahn, with the S7 line running directly between the two
destinations, though at present trains only run once every 30 minutes.

Other means of getting from the terminal to the historic centre of
Vienna include taking the City Airport Train, though this is more
expensive than the S-Bahn and passengers can only get so far as the Wien
Mitte station, a few minutes' walk from the main tourist highlights.

At the same time, numerous bus services run to all parts of Vienna, as
well as to most of Austria's main cities and nearby towns, while those
travellers planning on heading into the country are able to choose from
several hire car companies at the airport.

Airlines flying from Vienna International Airport

Unsurprisingly, Austrian Airlines operates by far the largest proportion
of both domestic and international flights out of Vienna International
Airport.

The national carrier offers direct services to dozens of destinations
across the globe, including Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Copenhagen,
Hamburg, Istanbul, London, Moscow, Tbilisi, Tehran, Tel Aviv, New York
and Washington.

In addition, Lauda Air operates flights to numerous summer sun
destinations, including Corfu, Kos, Malaga, Rhodes and Sharm el-Sheikh,
while its Tyrolean Airways arm also offers bargain flights to most of
the leading cities in Europe.

Perhaps less surprisingly is the fact that Austria's Niki has the
second-largest presence at Vienna International Airport, flying to more
than 20 European destinations, including most capitals and holiday
resorts.

At the same time, national carriers such as Aeroflot, Air France, Aer
Lingus, British Airways, Air Moldova, Bulgaria Air and KLM all offer
direct flights to their respective European capitals, while longer-haul
services are offered by Korean Air, Iran Air, El Al, Qatar Airways and
Royal Jordanian.

Over recent years, the number of low-cost airlines offering bargain
flights to Vienna has increased markedly.

Among those budget carriers flying in and out of the Austrian capital
are easyJet, German Wings, Blue Air and Air Berlin.

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Another article in this series is on London Heathrow Airport or you could use our search for more help