Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace manufacturing |
| Predecessor | Hamburger Flugzeugbau (HFB) |
| Founded | 1939 |
| Headquarters | Hamburg , Germany |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Aircraft assembly (Airbus A320 family, A330, A350 XWB fuselage sections) |
| Owner | Airbus Operations GmbH |
Number of employees | 15,000 |
Airbus Hamburg-Finkenwerder, frequently referred to as Hamburg Finkenwerder Airport, is a dedicated aircraft production facility and private airfield situated in the Finkenwerder district of southwestern Hamburg, Germany. This airport is a crucial component of the Airbus-owned complex, serving exclusively corporate, cargo, test, and delivery flights. The final assembly of the Airbus A320 family takes place directly on this site.
History
The origins date back to 1933 when the shipbuilding firm Blohm & Voss expanded into aircraft manufacturing, anticipating a market for all-metal, long-range flying boats, particularly for the German national airline Deutsche Luft Hansa. Utilizing its expertise in marine construction, the company established the Hamburger Flugzeugbau (HFB) subsidiary. Initial manufacturing occurred within Blohm & Voss shipyards, while final assembly and an inland airfield were located at the Wenzendorf Aircraft Factory.
By 1937, HFB was incorporated as an operational division of Blohm & Voss, and in 1939, the Finkenwerder aircraft plant and airfield were founded. Despite suffering significant destruction during World War II, production continued under the HFB name with ongoing growth and modernization efforts. Nearby, remnants of the Fink II submarine bunker remain visible adjacent to the runway.
During the Berlin Airlift, detachments from No. 201 Squadron RAF and No. 230 Squadron RAF operated Short Sunderland V flying boats from this location.
In 1964, this site witnessed the maiden flights of both the HFB 320 Hansa Jet and the third prototype of the Transall C-160. Following subsequent mergers and acquisitions, HFB along with its Finkenwerder facilities became integrated into Airbus.
Between April 2006 and July 2007, the runway length was increased from 2,684 meters to 3,183 meters to support operations for the anticipated cargo variant of the Airbus A380.
Airbus provides guided factory tours at this location. Additionally, visitors can access a viewing terrace overlooking the runway.
Manufacturing
The Finkenwerder facility functions as Airbus Operations GmbH's primary hub, employing approximately 15,000 staff members. This factory produces and outfits both forward and rear fuselage sections for the Airbus A330 and A350 XWB models. It is also responsible for completing final assembly of all Airbus A320 family aircraft, including interior outfitting and painting prior to delivery. The site hosts a global spare parts center stocking around 120,000 components and offers maintenance training specifically for the A320 series. The adjacent private airport plays an essential role in supporting these manufacturing activities.
Airlines and destinations
Finkenwerder does not offer public scheduled flights; it manages roughly 10 to 15 daily aircraft movements primarily related to transfer, cargo, and test operations associated with Airbus production. Since November 2019, Spanish carrier Volotea has operated a twice-daily corporate shuttle service to Airbus’s Toulouse facility under a five-year agreement, taking over from former operators Germania and PrivatAir.
Incidents and accidents
- In 1967, a pilot operating a Spantax Convair 990 Coronado confused the 1360-meter runway at Finkenwerder with the significantly longer 3000-meter runway at Hamburg Airport in Fuhlsbüttel, managing to halt just before reaching the runway's conclusion.