Originally Posted by spartacus

Whatever the roots of FRA it certainly never stopped growing. In the 1990's when it became apparent that growth would continue, talks moved into full gear that led to the eventual closing of Rhein-Main Air Base. It started with taking over a youth sports complex close to the edge of the airport and finished with what was once the military's largest overseas transit point, in term of passengers, closing completely. Truly another Reagan legacy.

The large presence of the American military in the greater Frankfurt area fueled early growth. The emergence of Frankfurt as the financial capital of Germany and perhaps the EU was another big reason for continued expansion. The close proximity to the Ruhr Valley industry makes it a convenient shuttle hop but the regions are not codependent and both survive on their individual merits. Infrastructure tie-ins, such as rail and being on major autobahn routes east-west and north-south, not to mention the seaports, has cemented FRA's place in air travel lore.

MUC is still a destination heavy on tourism. Before the Wall came down Templehof was the only way to get into West Berlin. Due to airspace restrictions to the east it was quite a wild ride down and the military priority here would always limit commercial aviation, which is why Tegel has emerged as the dominant airport.