Bremen’s DFS Control Center Celebrates 50 Years of Sky-High Growth

A half-century of keeping skies safe: How Bremen’s air traffic hub transformed from modest beginnings to managing nearly half a million flights annually. The pandemic couldn’t ground its progress.

, and Administrator

2025 November 8 . 5:18 PM

1 min read

In this image we can see traffic poles, traffic signals, street poles, street lights, buildings and... — In this image we can see traffic poles, traffic signals, street poles, street lights, buildings and sky.

Bremen’s DFS Control Center Celebrates 50 Years of Sky-High Growth

The DFS control center in Bremen is set to mark its 50th anniversary on Wednesday, April 3. Since its opening in 1974, the facility has seen a remarkable surge in the number of flights it manages, from around 200,000 in its first year to over 480,000 in 2023.

The Bremen facility employs approximately 500 staff, including air traffic controllers, flight data specialists, and engineers. These professionals coordinate up to 1,800 flights daily, ensuring the safety of airspace. The DFS center in Bremen is one of four such facilities in Germany, with others located in Langen, Karlsruhe, and Munich. The increase in air traffic movements in German airspace last year was notable, with around 2.8 million controlled flights, a 7.7% rise from the previous year. This growth follows significant declines in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, German airspace recorded around 3.3 million flight movements.

As the DFS Bremen control center approaches its 50th anniversary, it reflects on its growth and the crucial role it plays in maintaining airspace safety. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, air traffic is recovering, and the facility continues to manage a substantial number of flights daily.