FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. With a series of events and a website entitled "100 years as if in flight", public events in the summer and specialist congresses, the MDax group wants to bring the company's history and the fascination of airports closer to the people.

Fraport CEO Stefan Schulte said at the launch: "The airport has shaped the region, stimulated economic growth, created jobs and promoted cultural exchange. But the airport is more than just a logistical hub. It is a symbol of connections - connections between cultures, people and ideas."

To kick off the series of celebrations this Thursday (February 15), Schulte has invited former Minister President Roland Koch and former Mayor of Frankfurt Petra Roth (both CDU), among others, to the talk. The State of Hesse and the City of Frankfurt are the main owners of Fraport AG.

Fraport's predecessor company "Südwestdeutsche Luftverkehrs-AG" was founded on July 2, 1924 by the city with the participation of Frankfurt merchants and companies. The first of its own aircraft and those of co-owner and aircraft manufacturer Junkers took off from the Rebstock site near the city. The airport was only moved to its current location during the Nazi era and rebuilt by the US Army after the Second World War./ceb/DP/zb