Innsbruck Airport

Innsbruck Kranebitten Airport
IATA: INN – ICAO: LOWI INN Location of airport in Austria
Summary
Owner		Tiroler Flughafenbetriebs GmbH
Serves		Innsbruck
Elevation AMSL		1,906 ft / 581 m
Coordinates		47°15′37″N 11°20′38″E
Website		http://www.innsbruck-airport.com
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
08/26	6,562	2,000	Asphalt

Innsbruck Kranebitten Airport (IATA: INN, ICAO: LOWI) is the largest airport in Tyrol in western Austria. It handles regional flights around the Alps, as well as seasonal international flights to other destinations. During the winter, activity increases significantly, due to the high number of skiers travelling to the region. It is the main base of Welcome Air and Austrian Airlines' regional carrier Tyrolean Airways. The airport receives mostly mid-size and smaller jets and props, and see nothing larger than the Boeing 767.^{[citation needed]} Some airlines operate Boeing 757s out of LOWI, and connecting to major airport hubs, such as London's Heathrow International Airport. No commercial carrier operates from the United States to Innsbruck directly, but always connects via a European Airport. The approach is very difficult, even more so in the Winter, when the traffic soars. The approach and descent is a very complicated process -- the Alps create vicious winds and currents, which the pilot has to deal with throughout the process. Because there are mountains all around, the plane usually circles the airport, enters a pattern, to decrease both speed and altitude. The terminal is a "shotgun" style, typically using air stairs to deboard/board passengers -- no jetways are present. Their are several de-icing trucks, which de-ice the airframe typically right before engine start, or before obtaining clearance to takeoff.

The airport is approximately 2.5 miles from the centre of Innsbruck. It is connected to the city and to Innsbruck Central station by city bus F. The bus runs every 15 minutes and takes 18 minutes. The airport is being made more famous by being the starting airport on the X-Plane 9 Flight Simulator. Microsoft Flight Simulator X also has a mission where the user must make the challenging approach to land at Innsbruck in minimum visibility.

Innsbruck Airport is well known for having a difficult approach due to surrounding terrain, prohibiting certain aircraft types from operating at the airport.

Traffic statistics

Passenger statistics for Innsbruck Airport

Year	Total Passengers	% change
2007	859,832
2008	969,474	12.8
2009	956,972	1.3
2010	1,033,512	8.0

Airlines and destinations

Innsbruck Airport terminal building

Apron full of aircraft at the airport.

Airlines	Destinations
Aeroflot	Seasonal: Moscow-Sheremetyevo
Air Berlin	Düsseldorf Seasonal: Berlin-Tegel, Hamburg
Austrian Airlines	Vienna Seasonal: Birmingham, Bristol, Dublin, East Midlands, Exeter, Leeds Bradford, London-Stansted, Manchester
Austrian Airlines operated by Lauda Air	Bournemouth, Cardiff, Corfu, Dublin, Heraklion, Hurghada, Ibiza, Monastir, Reus, Sharm-El-Sheikh Seasonal: Bristol, Dublin
Austrian Airlines operated by Tyrolean Airways	Vienna Seasonal: Belfast-International, Bristol, Cardiff, East-Midlands
British Airways	Seasonal: London-Gatwick
EasyJet	London-Gatwick Seasonal: Bristol, Liverpool
Finnair	Seasonal: Helsinki-Vantaa
Flybe	Seasonal: Birmingham, Edinburgh, Exeter, Leeds/Bradford, Manchester
Lufthansa operated by Tyrolean Airways	Frankfurt
Monarch	Seasonal: London-Gatwick, Manchester
Niki	Seasonal: Palma de Mallorca
Scandinavian Airlines	Seasonal: Copenhagen, Stockholm-Arlanda
S7 Airlines	Seasonal: Moscow-Domodedovo
Thomas Cook Airlines	Seasonal: London-Gatwick, Manchester
Thomson Airways	London Gatwick, Manchester Seasonal: Birmingham, Edinburgh, Dublin, London Stansted, Newcastle upon Tyne
Transavia.com	Amsterdam Seasonal: Eindhoven, Groningen, Rotterdam
Welcome Air	Seasonal: Nice, Olbia

External links

• Innsbruck Airport