Stuttgart Airport

STR originated in 1939, built to replace Böblingen Airport. It was taken over by the US Army in 1945 and was returned to German authorities in 1948. That year, the runway expanded to 5,906 feet, then again to 7,382 feet in 1961, and again to 10,974 feet in 1996. The original terminal building, completed in 1938, was replaced in 2004 (there are now four terminals in all). Moreover, there has been intense debate over a second runway. On June 25th, 2008, Minister-President Günther Oettinger announced that it would not be built for at least the next 8 to 12 years and that restrictions on night operations would remain. In November 2013, former Stuttgart mayor Manfred Rommel died. Local politicians wanted to name the airport after him, as he was very popular and respected for his work on intercultural affairs. However, public disputes arose, as he was also the son of Erwin Rommel, the infamous Desert Fox of the German and Nazi military. Nonetheless, in July 2014, it was announced that the airport would be renamed Flughafen Stuttgart - Manfred Rommel Flughafen (in September 2016, as part of a rebranding, the official name was changed from Flughafen Stuttgart to Stuttgart Airport. STR has enjoyed a variety of routes over the years, including several long-haul routes. In September 2014, United canceled its route to Newark due to low demand. However, in October easyJet announced that they would begin to service STR, and in December, Ryanair also added six weekly flights to Manchester. That same month Air Berlin announced service to Abu Dhabi (which was canceled on May 31st, 2016, followed by the closure of the Air Berlin maintenance facilities at STR in October due to cost-cutting measures). In October 2020, Lauda closed its base at STR, which had been operated as a wet lease for Ryanair after the base staff rejected a new labor agreement. Furthermore, in October 2021, Delta Air Lines terminated its route to Atlanta (after it had not been in operation since 2020), leaving STR without scheduled long-haul operations. However, the route is planned for resumption in March 2023.

The airport is located 6.1 miles south of Stuttgart, lying on the boundary between the nearby town of Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Filderstadt and Stuttgart itself. 

• The US Army shared the facilities and runway throughout the Cold War. The base was known as Echterdingen Army Airfield, operating helicopters, the Grumman OV-1 Mohawk, and other fixed-wing aircraft. It still operates a small helicopter base at the southern end of the airport, known as Stuttgart Army Airfield. 
• The global headquarters of car parking company APCOA Parking is located at STR. 
• The Stuttgart Trade Fair, the ninth-largest exhibition center in Germany, is located on the grounds next to the airport. 
• STR has a general aviation terminal, and one of its prominent FBOs is SAS Stuttgart Aviation Service.