Copenhagen Airport (CPH) in Denmark is celebrating its 100th birthday after first opening its doors on April 20, 1925, laying the foundations for the title as one of the world’s oldest aviation hubs.
It is an incredible journey for an airport that began its life with a wooden house, a grass pitch and a single route to Berlin in Germany.
According to Copenhagen Airport, the flight to Berlin from the Danish capital took seven hours, with two stops required and apparently a “good deal of patience”.
“They made their way past Gedser and Warnemünde, and it was not unusual for the pilot to sit in an open cockpit while the passengers sat in the back, trying to keep warm at speed,” a spokesperson for the Copenhagen Airport said on April 20, 2025.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) joined in the celebrations with a video posted on its social media channels showing staff handing out small cakes with the Danish flag on them.
Today, @CPHAirports turns 100! We celebrate it with birthday cake for the incredible staff who keep the airport running every day. Happy Birthday, CPH – here’s to many more! pic.twitter.com/q0k82I3op9
— SAS – Scandinavian Airlines (@SAS) April 20, 2025
“Today, @CPHAirports turns 100! We celebrate it with birthday cake for the incredible staff who keep the airport running every day. Happy Birthday, CPH – here’s to many more,” the airline wrote.
In 2024, Copenhagen Airport welcomed 29.9 million passengers and recorded its best ever December with 2.2 million customers, a year-on-year increase of 11%.
Also last year, 5.7 million transfer passengers travelled via Copenhagen, representing a 19% year-on-year increase.
“We have upgraded from field and mud to being among Europe’s most attractive airports. We have gone from 252 passengers in the first year to almost 30 million in 2024. And from one route to Berlin to connections across the globe – now with jet engines, air conditioning and coffee,” the airport said.
It added: “Today, Copenhagen Airport is an international transport hub, but we never forget where we came from. History is our runway – the future is our departure. Thank you to all passengers, partners and colleagues at the airport for 100 years. We look forward to the next 100.”
To help celebrate its 100th birthday AeroTime thought we would share five facts about Copenhagen Airport – Let us know if you have any more.
- Sheep were used to keep the original airport’s grass runway nice and trimmed.
- The top destinations flown to by passengers from Copenhagen are London, followed by Oslo and Stockholm.
- Copenhagen Airport is regularly voted the most efficient airport in Europe.
- The airport’s original terminal was designed by architect Vilhelm Lauritzen and is recognized as a protected heritage site.
- Scenes from Brian De Palma’s 2019 thriller ‘Domino’ were filmed at the airport.
