Dortmund Airport [The airport has the IATA Airport Code , IATA: DTM, ICAO: EDLW] is a small international airport situated 10 km [6.2mi] east of Dortmund in North Rhine-Westphalia. It caters to the eastern Rhine-Ruhr region, which is the largest urban area in Germany, and primarily handles low-cost and leisure charter flights. In 2023, the airport welcomed nearly 3 million passengers. The closest major international airport is Düsseldorf Airport, located about 70 km [43mi] to the southwest.
In the following decades, Düsseldorf Airport and Cologne Bonn Airport emerged as the primary commercial airports serving the Rhine-Ruhr Area. Hannover Airport also played a role in meeting some of the air travel demands of the region. Additionally, the Sauerlandlinie, a 257km [160mile] highway, was opened in the late 1960s, allowing travelers to reach Frankfurt Airport from Dortmund in under two hours by car.
Commercial service resumed in 1979 with daily flights to Munich operated by Reise - und Industrieflug. Nuremberg and Stuttgart were added shortly after. After German Reunification in 1990, flights to Dresden, Leipzig, Berlin, and London were introduced. In 1990, Reise- und Industrieflug merged with Nürnberger Flugdienst to form Eurowings, which continues to be headquartered in Dortmund.
Construction of a new terminal began in 1998 and was completed in 2000. This multi-level terminal set the stage for the airport's revival.