Europe’s skies have been buzzing with activity for over a century, and in that time, European airports have evolved from simple grass fields and military outposts into sophisticated hubs connecting millions across the globe. Names like London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport (CDG) are familiar to travelers around the world, but there are other airports that have been operating far longer than these modern hubs.

Brighton City Airport is generally considered the oldest airport in Europe, with the first recorded flight taking place in 1910. Today, it is a jewel of aviation history with its Art Deco terminal being a listed building, but the airfield is now purely a center for pilot training, pleasure flights, and private charters. Another notable example is Paris-Le Bourget Airport, which began commercial operations in 1919 and famously hosted Charles Lindbergh’s historic transatlantic landing in 1927. But the only commercial aircraft it sees these days are at the Paris Air Show every couple of years.

Yet, there are commercial airports in Europe that have histories stretching back almost as far as Brighton. So let’s take a closer look at Europe’s oldest airfields that still conduct commercial aviation today, handling millions of passengers every year.

Hamburg Airport: The Oldest Commercial Airport In Europe

Credit: Hamburg Airport

Hamburg Airport is the oldest continually operating commercial airport in the world. Established in January 1911 on the city’s northern outskirts, it initially served as a base for the Zeppelin airships of DELAG, the world’s first airline. During World War I, it functioned as a military airfield, and by the 1920s, it had transitioned to full civilian use. Post-World War II, under British occupation, it was renamed and expanded, becoming a key gateway for Northern Europe.

Today, Hamburg Airport is a far cry from a grassy Zeppelin field. It is Germany’s fifth-largest airport, serving a wealthy catchment area in the country’s north. The airport handled roughly 14.8 million passengers in 2024, a 9% increase over the year prior. The dominant force at HAM is the Lufthansa Group. While Lufthansa itself connects Hamburg to its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, its low-cost subsidiary, Eurowings, has established Hamburg as a major base, offering extensive point-to-point European connections. The airport’s longest route is to Dubai, flown twice daily by Emirates with its Boeing 777-300ERs.

The most significant recent development is Hamburg’s ambition to become a leader in sustainable aviation. In 2023, the airport announced major steps toward becoming a “Hydrogen Hub,” partnering with Airbus (which has a massive production facility at nearby Finkenwerder) to develop infrastructure for future hydrogen-powered aircraft. It seems fitting that the airport, which began with hydrogen-filled Zeppelins, is now looking to hydrogen as the fuel of the future.

Bucharest Băneasa: Re-Emergence As A Low-Cost Hub

Credit: Bucharest Băneasa

Bucharest’s Băneasa Airport started operations in 1912 with Romania’s first flight school. It served as Bucharest’s sole commercial airport until 1969, handling international traffic throughout the communist era. After a decade-long closure for renovations from 2012, it reopened in 2022, focusing on low-cost and regional flights as a complement to the larger Bucharest International Airport.

In 2024, Băneasa handled just over 100,000 passengers, nearly doubling its volume from a year prior, but still well short of what a typical secondary airport would handle. However, Wizz Air established a base at the airport this year and has been steadily adding destinations, with three new routes set to launch in March 2026. Ryanair has also begun flying from the airport and now serves five destinations. Predictions are that the airport will surpass 500,000 passengers in 2025.

Băneasa still operates using its original terminal building that opened in 1952, built in the shape of a plane propeller with three blades radiating from a central hub. The main hall is resplendent with a large dome, making it one of the more magnificent airport spaces in the world. This historic architecture and the airport’s status as a protected building limit opportunities for expansion, but having just been ranked among Europe’s fastest-growing small airports in 2025, Băneasa exemplifies how historic sites can rebound in the low-cost travel era.

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Bremen: The City Airport For “Airport City”

Credit: Bremen Airport

Bremen Airport was established in 1913, with a history deeply intertwined with the German aviation manufacturing industry. It was the home base for Focke-Wulf, the legendary aircraft manufacturer, which was eventually absorbed into what is now Airbus. The massive Airbus Defense and Space commercial site is located directly adjacent to the airport grounds, as is the Lufthansa Aviation Training school and one of Germany’s four air traffic control centers. So you can understand why Bremen and its surrounding aviation cluster have earned the nickname of “Airport City.”

In the modern commercial landscape, Bremen is a secondary German airport, handling just under 2 million passengers last year. Its market share is heavily skewed toward low-cost carriers and charter airlines. Ryanair has long maintained a base at Bremen, while Sundair provides the most extensive network of leisure destinations. The primary legacy carrier presence is Lufthansa connecting to Frankfurt Airport and Munich Airport, alongside KLM, Austrian Airlines, SWISS, and Turkish Airlines connecting to their respective hubs.

Bremen’s recent developments have focused on refining its convenience niche rather than massive expansion. Situated just 2 miles south of the city center, a 10-minute ride by tram, the airport’s terminal infrastructure is compact and noted for short walking distances and quick processing times. As a result, the airport heavily markets its convenience for business travelers, connecting them to the city’s thriving aviation, space, and maritime industries.

Poznan–Lawica: Poland’s Oldest Airfield

Credit: Poznan–Lawica Airport

Poznan-Lawica Airport was established as an Imperial German military airbase in 1913. It transitioned to Polish control in 1919 and began commercial passenger connections in 1921, making it one of the first airports in the country to offer regular civilian flights. The facility has historically maintained a split personality, with the northern section serving military aviation until 2009, and the southern part dedicated to civilian purposes.

Poznan–Lawica is a key regional hub for western Poland, and has been growing rapidly in recent years. Last year it served 3.6 million annual passengers, a 29% increase over the prior year, and this year it surpassed that mark in October already and is on track to grow beyond 4 million passengers. This growth has been driven by low-cost carriers, which make up nearly 60% of the traffic, notably with Ryanair as the largest carrier at the airport, with increasing competition from Wizz Air.

The airport is conveniently located just 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the city center, but this is a bone of contention for local residents as its primary flight path takes aircraft directly over the city. Another quirk is that it is regularly confused with the nearby Poznan–Krzesiny air force base, which also has a 2,500-meter (8,200 ft) runway with nearly the exact same orientation. Numerous commercial flights have landed in error at the air force base over the years, with a record seven such instances in 2006 alone.

Rome Ciampino: The Roman Survivor

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The history of Rome’s Ciampino Airport is a tale of glory, decline, and unlikely rebirth. Established in 1916 as a military airship base, it is situated conveniently just southeast of the Italian capital. For the first half of the 20th century, Ciampino was the gateway to the Eternal City, hosting the golden age of propeller-driven airliner traffic in the post-WWII era.

But Ciampino’s fortunes changed dramatically in 1961 with the opening of Rome Fiumicino Airport. Almost overnight, all major international carriers decamped to the newer facility, and Ciampino languished for decades, serving mostly government transports and general aviation. Its commercial rebirth began with the advent of low-cost carriers, where it was able to offer cheap landing fees and quick turnarounds close to the city center. Today, it is exclusively the domain of Ryanair and Wizz Air, serving nearly 4 million visitors a year.

Ciampino is a fascinating, albeit stressed, example of an early 20th-century airfield trying to cope with 21st-century mass tourism. Its terminal infrastructure still feels like the 1950s, and is often crowded and semi-functional at best. And its status as a historical airport is also its greatest constraint, as the city has grown around it over the last century, and the airport is now hemmed in by dense residential areas. The airport authorities and local residents frequently clash over traffic levels, leading to a cap on the number of daily movements, and ongoing pressure to eliminate commercial flights altogether. ​​

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Amsterdam Schiphol: From Mud Field To Megahub

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Amsterdam Schiphol Airport presents the most dramatic contrast between humble beginnings and modern reality. Established in 1916 as a military airbase, it opened to civil aircraft in 1920, with early pilots famously dreading the airfield, which was little more than a muddy paddock where aircraft frequently bogged down. KLM, the world’s oldest airline operating under its original name, has been the primary tenant since the very beginning, forging a symbiotic relationship that defines Dutch aviation.

Today, Schiphol is a European megahub. But unlike competitors that have multiple sprawling terminals, Schiphol operates under a celebrated “one-terminal” concept. While vast, all piers radiate from a central plaza, designed to facilitate easier connections for passengers transiting between continents. KLM and its partners remain the dominant market force, using AMS as their fortress hub to connect Europe to the Americas, Asia, and Africa.

However, Schiphol has recently been at the center of a vociferous debate around airport growth. After decades of relentless expansion, the Dutch government announced plans to cap and eventually reduce the number of annual flights allowed at Schiphol. This unprecedented move, largely driven by noise pollution concerns and environmental targets, has sent shockwaves through the industry. While legal challenges are ongoing, Schiphol is facing a future where development means optimizing within fixed limits rather than simply pouring concrete for new infrastructure.