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Klagenfurt Airport (LOWK) lies on the northern edge of the Carinthian capital, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, in southern Austria, at an elevation of 1,460 feet. It has served as an aerodrome since 1914 and today combines a small scheduled international operation with general aviation activity on its long paved runway and a parallel grass strip.
Klagenfurt Airport, ICAO code LOWK and IATA code KLU, is the principal airport for the city of Klagenfurt am Wörthersee and the wider Austrian province of Carinthia. It is a long-established aerodrome that traces its origins back over a century, and while it now handles a modest schedule of airline services to destinations such as Vienna, Cologne, London Stansted and Palma de Mallorca, its substantial runway and ILS approach also make it an interesting and useful destination for visiting simulator pilots flying VFR or IFR in the Alpine south of Austria.
The airport sits in the borough of Annabichl, about 1.5 nautical miles north-north-east of Klagenfurt city centre, close to the shores of the Wörthersee and near the A2 motorway on the northern outskirts of the city. As an international airport handling scheduled jet traffic, it lies within controlled airspace served by its own radar and tower service.
Klagenfurt has two parallel runways aligned 10/28. The main runway is a hard-surfaced, lit strip of roughly 8,900 feet (with the reciprocal threshold listed at around 8,253 feet), equipped with an ILS on the 28 approach. Alongside it runs a shorter grass runway, also oriented 10/28, measuring about 2,328 feet, unlit and without instrument approach aids, suited to lighter general aviation traffic.
Inbound and outbound traffic is worked by Klagenfurt Radar on 123.325 MHz for approach and radar services, with the tower, Klagenfurt Tower, operating on 118.1 MHz. An ATIS broadcast is available on 126.33 MHz. The main runway is served by an ILS on runway 28, providing an instrument approach for arrivals from the west.
Aviation at Klagenfurt dates back to before the First World War, when early aviators including Georg Count of Khevenhüller of Hochosterwitz Castle and Joseph Sablatnig, an aircraft and engine manufacturer, were among the first to fly over Carinthia. The airfield itself was founded as a military airport in 1914 and served in that role through both World Wars. Its civil opening came on 17 May 1925, a significant occasion for the city of Klagenfurt and the province of Carinthia. From June 1929 until 1939, the First World War flying ace Julius Fedrigoni Edler von Etschthal served as the airport's flight director, a period during which Klagenfurt was connected by air to Germany, Italy, Yugoslavia and cities across Austria. In more recent decades the airport's fortunes have fluctuated: Austrian Airlines closed its ticketing and service counters in spring 2014 amid falling demand, and the Austrian Air Force announced in October 2015 that it would end operations and close its helicopter base at the airport by the close of that year. In 2022 the airport's then majority owner, the Lilihill Group, announced plans for a new Klagenfurt-based regional airline, Liliair, intended to expand European connections from the field.
Klagenfurt remains an active international airport with a modest scheduled network, including Austrian Airlines flights to Vienna, Eurowings services to Cologne, Ryanair routes to London Stansted and Palma de Mallorca, SkyAlps connections to Hamburg and Rome, and seasonal charter flights operated by Springer Reisen and Avantiair to Greek destinations such as Paros and Skiathos. Alongside this airline traffic, the airport's apron can accommodate both mid-sized jets, such as the Airbus A320 family, and smaller general aviation aircraft, making it accessible to a range of simulated traffic for pilots exploring the southern Austrian Alps.