Lake Constance, known in German as the Bodensee, is a collection of bodies of water that, on different sides, borders three countries, namely Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. The lake, and the broader region as a whole, sees a good deal of tourism throughout the year, aided, in part, thanks to the presence of an airport.

The history of Friedrichshafen Airport

The facility is Friedrichshafen Airport (FDH), and it sits on the northern shore, just outside the city of the same name. As well as being Germany's southernmost airport, it is one of the country's oldest and dates back to the mid-1910s. However, the reason for its establishment had nothing to do with fixed-wing aircraft.

Instead, it was built to handle Zeppelin airships, and fixed-wing passenger flights didn't arrive until the interwar period in the late 1920s. A decade later, just before the start of the Second World War, Military Airfield Directory notes that Deutsche Luft Hansa was operating daily Junkers Ju-52 flights to and from Stuttgart.

Photo: Simso/Shutterstock

However, the conflict put a stop to these, and successful scheduled passenger flights didn't return to Friedrichshafen until the late 1970s. In the decades immediately following the Second World War, the airport had instead been occupied by, among others, an aerial division of the French army. Towards the turn of the century, the facility received upgrades to its terminal and runway.

Who flies there today?

Since then, a new terminal has opened at the airport, as well as a dedicated railway station on the line from Ulm to Friedrichshafen. According to data from ADV, its pre-pandemic passenger numbers peaked at just under 650,000 in 2009 before dropping below 120,000 in 2021. They have since been on the rise, climbing first to just under 126,000 in 2021 before almost tripling to 340,000 in 2022.

Given the region's dependence on tourism, which also extends to the winter season due to its proximity to the Austrian Alps, most of its flights are seasonal. However, year-round services from Lufthansa and Wizz Air connect Friedrichshafen with Frankfurt, Skopje, and Tuzla. That being said, Ex-Yu Aviation reported last month that the latter would cease due to Wizz's closure of its Tuzla base.

Photo: flightlog via Flickr

In terms of seasonal flights, the majority of these take place in the summer, with Friedrichshafen's 2,356-meter-long runway 06/24 handling departures to holiday hotspots. These include destinations like Greece, Spain, and Turkey, with flights operated by carriers such as Aegean, AlbaStar, Condor, and Corendon.

Direct flights from the UK operate in the winter

Meanwhile, winter seasonal traffic sees Friedrichshafen receive direct links to the UK for a few months yearly. For example, easyJet's website lists the facility as a destination from its base at London Gatwick Airport (LGW) between December and March, with flights costing as little as £33 per person for a base fare.

This winter, German flag carrier Lufthansa will also launch a new seasonal route from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) to Friedrichshafen. Like easyJet's offering, these will also run from December to March. As Simple Flying reported last month, the flights will use Airbus A320neos and run on Saturdays.

Sources: ADV, easyJet, Ex-Yu Aviation, Friedrichshafen Airport, Military Airfield Directory