Germany: a boost for Bonn Expansion of Cologne/Bonn airport plays key role in transforming Germany's ex-capital BONN, Germany, 3 February 2000 /News Aktuell-AsiaNet/-- Many people prophesied that Bonn would become a sleeping beauty again after the departure of the federal government. But the former capital is looking to the future with composure: as one of the most attractive business locations in Germany, the region has much to offer. In and around "boomtown Bonn" (the German weekly "Der Spiegel") both public and private investors are banking on growth, the neighbouring city of Cologne already has an established role as a leading media centre and commercial metropolis. A key role here is played by the Cologne/Bonn airport, which is greeting the new millennium with a new terminal and transport concept. Thanks to its favourable location, and because it is a gateway to a flourishing region, Cologne/Bonn airport is well on the way to becoming a "top gateway" for the European market. In its broadest sense, the catchment area of the airport embraces, as well as the Rhine/Ruhr economic area, the whole of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany's most populous state. This is a base for more than 30 per cent of the strongest German exporting companies, which between them produce a good quarter of all exports. This makes a direct effect on air traffic: despite the government's move to Berlin, steadily rising passenger numbers have made it necessary to expand Cologne/Bonn. In spring 2000 a new terminal will be completed which can serve an additional six million passengers a year. "The airport operator invested a total of DM 600 million in the ultramodern Terminal 2000, which was designed by Chicago-based star architect Helmut Jahn. An additional sum of around DM 1 billion is being provided by the federal government, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the airport operator to improve infrastructure," reports managing director Heinz Gombel. A link to the high-speed ICE train network in 2002 will make Cologne/Bonn one of the most modern transport hubs in Europe. High-speed connections in all directions will mean that Paris, Amsterdam or Frankfurt, for example, can be reached in the shortest possible time. This is also benefiting Bonn: established today in the former seat of government are five UN organisations, six federal government ministries and many top-class institutions, particularly in the areas of science and research. Private business is investing primarily in sectors of the future such as biotechnology, high-tech and telecommunications. Contact:Flughafen Koeln-Bonn (Cologne-Bonn Airport) Press Officer Walter Roemer Phone: +49-2203-404065