Cologne Bonn Airport (German: Flughafen Köln/Bonn, also known as Flughafen Köln‑Wahn; IATA: CGN, ICAO: EDDK) serves both Cologne, Germany’s fourth-largest city, and Bonn, the former capital of West Germany. Located in the Porz district, about 14.8 km southeast of Cologne and 16 km northeast of Bonn, the airport is surrounded by the Wahner Heide nature reserve. It operates 24 hours a day and is a major hub for Eurowings as well as cargo carriers such as UPS and FedEx. The airport also hosts the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the European Astronaut Centre (EAC), part of the European Space Agency, providing astronaut training facilities.
Cologne Bonn Airport handled over 10 million passengers in 2024, recovering strongly from the pandemic and maintaining its position as one of Germany’s largest airports by both passenger and cargo traffic. In 2023, it handled approximately 870,000 tonnes of freight, making it one of the country’s leading cargo hubs. Its infrastructure supports a wide range of aircraft, with three runways: the main runway 13L/31R is 3,815 m long, the secondary runway 06/24 is 2,459 m, and runway 13R/31L is 1,863 m long, all surfaced with asphalt or concrete. The airport sits at an elevation of 92 m above sea level.
Over the past decade, Cologne Bonn has invested heavily in modernization and expansion. Its “Next Chapter” program has committed more than €300 million to enhance passenger experience, upgrade terminals, and implement advanced security technologies. While domestic traffic has not fully returned to pre-pandemic levels, the airport continues to expand international and cargo operations, solidifying its role as a key gateway for passengers and freight in Germany.