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Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

Vienna International Airport

Compiled by Bill Gao

Vienna, Vienna (Austria)

IATA: VIE ICAO: LOWW

Longest Active Runway

11,811 ft

3,600 meters

Field Elevation

600 ft

183 m MSL

Runway Inventory

2 active

Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

48.1103°, 16.5697°

LARGE AIRPORT

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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

How ranks work →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

tied #219 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#373 of 7558

Top 5.2% percentile worldwide

For airports with equal runway length, the worldwide order does not indicate a length difference.

National Standing (Austria)

#1 of 2 in AT

#1 of 7 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+18.1%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 VIE in numbers: 11,811 ft longest runway · tied #219 of 650 published · #373 of 7,558 worldwide (top 5.2%) · #1 in Austria.

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Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: Vienna International Airport (VIE)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Vienna International Airport (Schwechat) acts as the primary eastern crossroads for the Star Alliance network into Central and Eastern Europe. Both paved runways measure 11,811 ft, offering identical heavy widebody takeoff capabilities regardless of whether prevailing easterly or northwesterly winds dictate active runway selection. Modern high-speed exit taxiways optimize landing runway occupancy times during peak arrival banks.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments

Intersecting open-V dual runway system: 11/29 (11,811 ft / 3,600 m) and 16/34 (11,811 ft / 3,600 m).

Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities

Originally constructed in 1938 as a military training facility. Handed over to Austrian civil authorities in 1954; opened the Skylink terminal (Terminal 3) in 2012 and secured approvals for a long-planned parallel third runway (11R/29L).

Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role

Centrally positioned European transfer hub, located only 26 NM from Bratislava Airport (BTS) in Slovakia—the closest capital airport pair in Europe.

Data Nuances & Operational Quirks

The intersecting runway layout is managed through a specialized Noise Mediation Pact, routing morning and evening operations away from densely populated Vienna suburbs.

📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Austria National Civil Aviation Authority · State Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP) & ICAO Annex 14 Standards

Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Longest runway ≥10,500 ft

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Elevation & National Context

Lowland Aerodrome (<2,000 ft)

VIE lies at 183 m (600 ft), #259 of 650 published airports by elevation and 54.8 percentile among 7,558 worldwide. It is 190 ft below the Austria median (790 ft, 2 airports); LNZ is highest at 980 ft, 380 ft higher than VIE.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

2 Qualifying Aerodromes in Vicinity

Closest of 2 paved-runway (≥5,000 ft) neighbours within 100 NM: M. R. Štefánik Airport (BTS), 26 NM, 10,466 ft. Next: LNZ 95.6 NM. VIE has the longest runway in this radius, 1,345 ft over BTS.

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Runway Inventory & National Standing

Primary Runway: 11,811 ft (3,600 m)

VIE runways: 16/34 11,811 × 148 ft asphalt (asp); 11/29 11,483 × 148 ft asphalt (asp). National standing: #1 of 2 in Austria; 1,968 ft ahead of LNZ (9,843 ft). +18.1% vs the 10,000 ft baseline.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
16/34	11,811 ft (3600 m / 3.600 km)	148 ft (45m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
11/29	11,483 ft (3500 m / 3.500 km)	148 ft (45m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active

🧭 Comparative Aerodromes (100 NM Radius, ≥5,000 ft Paved)

Great-circle Haversine spatial proximity matching for commercial facilities with paved runway capacity within 100 NM.

Aerodrome Name	IATA	Distance	Longest Runway	Lighting
M. R. Štefánik Airport (Bratislava)	`BTS`	26 NM (48.2 km)	10,466 ft	✅ Lighted
Linz-Hörsching Airport (Linz)	`LNZ`	95.6 NM (177.1 km)	9,843 ft	✅ Lighted

🛡️ Source: OurAirports Open Aviation Database, snapshot 2026-09-01 · Provenance →