Never before have there been so many flights in a European country in one day; on 10 July 2006, DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH controlled 10,137 flights in Germany. The high number of fans returning home after the World Cup was a major factor in achieving this record in German airspace, which is experiencing continuously high growth rates.

DFS controllers ensured that 7,400 additional flights reached their destinations safely during the World Cup - 2.4 per cent more than in the same period last year.

In the first half of 2006, air traffic in Germany increased by four per cent. Between January and June 2006, DFS controllers handled a total of 1,438,000 flights, with 777,000 of these flights handled in the second quarter of the year. Half of all flights took off or landed in Germany, while one third crossed Germany given its central location in the heart of Europe. The remainder were domestic flights. Germany has the highest traffic volume in Europe.
——-