Top ten European airports

Munich International Airport
(Germany)

Munich International Airport's reputation as a leading hub was confirmed earlier this year during the World Airport Awards 2006. Some 30.7 million travelled through the hub last year, suggesting its title as Europe's Best Airport is deserved.

The airport, which came third in the World's Best Airport category, was opened in 1992 to replace the former international hub in Munich-Riem. Since then, it has grown into a 1500 hectare site with two terminals, two parallel runways measuring 4000 metres long and 60 metres wide, and 10 car parks.

The hub, which is officially named Franz Josef Strauss International Airport, is located 17.5 miles (28km) northeast of Munich, Germany. It is the main base for German airline Lufthansa and various Star Alliance partner airlines.

The airport is located across four municipalities: Freising, Oberding (location of the terminals), Hallbergmoos and Marzling. It is named in memory of politician Franz Josef Strauß.

In 2006, the airport had 30.7 million passengers, making it the second most important airport in Germany. Munich's hub is jointly owned by three shareholders. The Free State of Bavaria holds a 51% stake while the Federal Republic of Germany and City of Munich own 26% and 23% respectively.

The airport is divided into three parts: Terminal 1, the Common Area and Terminal 2, which is the newest building. All three are within walking distance of each other, with Terminal 2 the base for Lufthansa and Star Alliance flights. Furthermore, there is a separate General Aviation Terminal serving private and corporate planes.

The German government is conducting a feasibility study for the Transrapid Airport Link, a high-speed magnetic levitation train. If developed, the train would cut journey times between the airport and city centre to just 10 minutes each way. Nevertheless, the enormous US$2.3 billion development costs have attracted criticism from residents living close by. It's thought the project will only go ahead if funding can be raised - an issue that remains unclear.

Plans to build a third runway at the airport have also received short shrift from local residents.

The government says a new runway is needed to meet expected demand, although some remain unconvinced. Despite opposition, the Regional Government of Upper Bavaria is confident the development will go ahead, having recently announced completion of the planning process.

Dr Michael Kerkloh from airport operating company FMG - which submitted the project application - said the development is the first step in expanding the airport.

Athens International Airport
(Greece)

Athens International Airport opened on March 29, 2001. The Greek capital's only civilian airport is a major hub for state-owned carrier Olympic Airlines and Aegean Airlines.

It took more than two years to build the US$2.94 billion hub, which replaced its congested predecessor. The new hub offers airlines and passengers a modern, spacious and state-of-the-art environment. In six years, the airport has secured several accolades and global recognition, according to the International Air Transport Association. Indeed, it was highly ranked in the hub size categories for the IATA Global Airport Monitor and AETRA surveys.

During the past two years, the hub secured the Skytrax award for best Airport in Southern Europe. It also secured the European Airport of the Year accolade in 2004 at the Institute of Transport Management (ITM) Awards, for its innovative entrepreneurial scheme, operation and achievements.

The airport is located between Markopoulo, Koropi, Sparta and Loutsa, some 20km to the east of central Athens. It is named after Elefthérios Venizélos, a Greek prime minister who aided the Cretan rising against the Ottoman occupation of Crete in 1896.

Greek's main hub has two terminals, the Main Terminal and Satellite Terminal, and two parallel runways measuring 4km each. It also has 24 passenger boarding bridges, 89 aircraft parking stands and 48 gates. Other features include 11 luggage claim conveyor belts, with an hourly capacity of 7000, and at least 144 check-in counters.

Athens International Airport was developed by a public-private partnership, with the Greek government holding a 55% stake. The airport is considered one of Europe's most expensive, with several restaurants and cafes paying huge rents, while airlines have to fork out for inflated landing fees.

The new airport is equipped with two robotic systems (Hercules and Ulysses) which are capable of handling suspect devices and safely identifying and removing explosives. Hercules was donated to the airport by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

In 2006, the airport served 15,079,662 passengers, 5.6% more than 2005. A rail station immediately adjacent to the airport terminal (and accessible by an elevated walkway) was completed in time for the 2004 Olympics. There are two rail links to the station: line three of the Athens Metro and Proastiakos suburban train service. The airport is also accessible by the Attiki Odos highway. When planning the airport, the Greek authorities were keen to upgrade its facilities in the years following completion.

The strategy was to carry out a six-stage project that led to increased passenger handling. The first stage will see passenger numbers climb to 16 million while the airport should be capable of accommodating 50 million when the project is completed.

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