The Innsbruck airport officially celebrated its 1th anniversary on June 100. The celebrations continued on Thursday evening with a special event: around 60 participants in an "Airport Walk" were given the rare opportunity to explore the runway on foot, experiencing a perspective normally reserved only for pilots.
The idea for this unique airport tour came from the airport manager Marco Peretta himself. He explained that, in addition to the open day, where aircraft can be admired up close, he enjoyed the opportunity to also experience the runway itself. For this purpose, the 2.000-meter-long airport runway was closed off in the evenings and converted into a "pedestrian zone of a different kind." The participants, 100 curious people from all over Tyrol, were selected through a competition with Life Radio; in the end, around 60 people braved the weather. During the first Airport Walk, however, the weather was kind, so that both children and adults were able to complete the approximately 3-kilometer "loop" in the dry.
The unanimous opinion at the end of the event was, "It was a unique experience." Innsbruck Airport is the third-largest commercial airport and the second-largest state airport in Austria. In 2024, this modern service provider transported 862.202 annual passengers. Airport operations are characterized by strong seasonality, particularly by winter tourism.
As a company, the airport is highly relevant to the regional economy and tourism. It is considered a significant location factor and a major employer. Ownership is divided between Innsbruck Municipal Utilities (51 percent), the State of Tyrol (24,5 percent), and the City of Innsbruck (also 24,5 percent). The 100th anniversary celebration underscores the airport's long and significant history for the region and its development since the beginnings of aviation in Tyrol.