Friedrichshafen - the cradle of aviation
The city of Friedrichshafen is known as one of the major cradles of aviation and aerospace. In 1900, Ferdinand Count Zeppelin built his first airship here. The Count's pioneering spirit helped the city to develop rapidly and to be home to companies with worldwide presence up to the present day.
Two of Zeppelin's heirs have been celebrating their 100th anniversary this year: ZF Friedrichshafen AG, a global leader in driveline and chassis technology as well as active and passive safety technology, and Bodensee-Airport Friedrichshafen, an important piece of infrastructure.
ZF is one of the top 3 in the global automotive supply industry. The technology company has 134,000 employees at about 230 locations in some 40 countries. ZF develops and manufactures innovative products for all people around the globe who want to move things reliably, comfortably, and safely and experience the ultimate in efficient mobility - on land, on water and in the air. Quality, technological leadership, and innovative power have always defined the Group's identity - today as much as ever.
Flughafen Friedrichshafen GmbH is the operator of Bodensee-Airport Friedrichshafen, the second oldest commercial airport in Germany behind Hamburg Airport.
On 7 June 1915, the first airship manufactured here took off on its maiden voyage. The airport was used for military purposes up until the 1990s. Scheduled air traffic commenced in 1978 and charter flights were offered from 1989. At present, about 590,000 passengers pass through Bodensee-Airport Friedrichshafen every year.