Fantastic photo memories of Munich Riem

On May 16, 1992, Munich's Riem Airport closed after 53 years, to be replaced by the city's brand-new "Franz Joseph Strauss International Airport." In today's blog post, we revive Riem's memory with some amazing images from the period 1972-1992!

A 1980s airside view of Riem Airport's terminal building, featuring a couple of Lufthansa classic jets. Many older Munich-based "Lufthanseaten" remember the characteristic airport with great affection.

Construction of Riem began in 1937. The airport was put in operation on October 25, 1939, when the first civilian flight , a Lufthansa Junkers Ju 52/3m arrived from Berlin.

A 1988 aerial of Munich Riem, looking northeast. From this view it is apparent that the airport did not have any room to expand and the search for a new airport kicked off as early as 1963. 

​In 1969, runway 07R/25L was lengthened to its final length of 2,804 meters (9,199 feet).

Pan Am Boeing 747-121 "Clipper Midnight Sun," photographed visting Riem sometime during the late 1970s/early 1980s.

A 1980s landside view of the passenger terminal. ​The building was designed by German architect Ernst Sagebiel, who also designed Berlin Tempelhof, Dresden, and Stuttgart, which were being built at the same time. 

A 1970s view of the check-in area. How cool that back then you could open a window for some fresh air!

A mid-1970s aerial of Riem's terminal complex. In 1971, a DM 36 million expansion was completed, doubling the airport's capacity to 7 million annual passengers and readying the airport for the influx of visitors during the Summer Olympics of 1972.

​The expansion included six gates equipped with boarding bridges, which were still pretty much a rarity at airports in Europe at the time.

British Airways Concorde with the registration G-BOAD during a visit to Riem on August 10, 1983. 

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An undated view of one of the gate holding lounges.

An mid-1970s overview of the apron. Visitors include a KLM DC-8 and DC-10. KLM was also the first airline to start transatlantic flights from Riem.

​In 1951, the airline started scheduled flights to New York's Idlewild Airport using a Lockheed Constellation.

A busy apron scene in the late 1980s. Visitors include a Boeing VC-137C United States Air Force aircraft, one of two customized Boeing 707s, which were specifically configured and maintained for use by the president of the United States. 

An airside view of the terminal building taken a few days after the closure of Riem. In 1991, its final full year of operation, 10.8 million passengers were handled.

After closure, Riem was redeveloped into an office and convention area. This aerial view looks west toward Munich.

Thankfully, Riem's air traffic control tower has been preserved and is now part of the corporate headquarters of Brainlab AG, a Munich-based technology company.

​The company rents out the tower as an event space. Better still, the tower cabin contains a bar. Now that's the way to do preservation, folks! For more information and images follow this link.

Bonus: It's movie time!

A cool 1992 video about Riem's history and closure. Also briefly covers the new airport. It's in German, but there's lots of cool footage! Credit: Flughafen München GmbH.

Another, longer 1992 documentary on Riem's history, closure, and the new airport. In German but well worth the footage! Credit: Flughafen München GmbH.

Did you travel through Riem Airport? What was the experience like? Share your impressions in the comments below!

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