Eight Photographers Document 24 Hours in Vienna Airport

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A ground crew member in a yellow vest uses red batons to guide an approaching airplane on a sunny day. An airport service vehicle is parked nearby on the runway.

To celebrate its 70th birthday, Vienna Airport in Austria invited eight photographers to capture its comings and goings starting at 3 A.M. running through until the early hours of the following day.

The project was overseen by Lois Lammerhuber, a publisher and photographer, who has since turned the collection of images into a book titled The Dream of Flying. Lammerhuber tells PetaPixel that it is about showing the people who use the airport as well as highlighting the staff who ensure all the airplanes depart and land safely.

“They [the photographers] all arrived a day before the shoot to get to know the team of experts familiar with Vienna airport,” Lammerhuber explains. “After introducing them and explaining the general goals of the project they spent the rest of the day touring their designated shooting areas. So they got a clear picture where and what to expect the next day, starting at 3 a.m. in the morning and completing their task at 3 a.m. the next day.”

A man in a control tower holds a microphone and writes on a notepad, surrounded by control panels with colorful buttons. Another person is working in the background. The window shows a sunset sky.

A spacious aircraft hangar with several red and white airplanes, including Austrian Airlines planes. Workers and equipment are visible on the floor. Bright overhead lights illuminate the scene.

A person dressed in red, including a coat and high-heeled boots, is walking on an airport tarmac with a wheeled suitcase. The top of the person is obscured by an airplane's fuselage. The scene is dimly lit, suggesting evening or night.

Airport ground crew works under floodlights beside a parked airplane at night. Workers in yellow uniforms handle equipment near the nose of the aircraft, while a worker in an orange vest stands nearby. Various airport vehicles are parked around.

The photographers were given free rein at Vienna Airport and were accompanied by airport security who were equipped with all access permits. Lammerhuber, who shot photos himself, provided the others with transport when necessary, extra lenses, and of course, food. The other photographers are: Ana María Arévalo Gosen, Hans-Jürgen Burkard, Heinz Stephan Tesarek, Jérôme Gence, Martina Draper, Nadia Ferroukhi, and Ulla Lohmann.

A busy airport terminal with rows of seated passengers and travelers lining up. The shiny tiled floor reflects the bustling scene and information signs above. Large windows arch overhead, allowing natural light to fill the spacious area.

A person in a red shirt is working on a complex array of wires and pipes, possibly part of an aircraft engine. The person is focused, and the background shows parts of machinery and equipment.

A woman in an orange safety vest and yellow ear protection stands on an airport tarmac beside a plane engine. She is holding coiled cables and wearing a headset. The sky is clear and blue.

Firefighters are playfully interacting with foam during a training session. They are wearing full protective gear, including helmets and reflective stripes. The sky is clear and blue, and the scene is filled with motion and energy.

A woman sitting in a yellow chair, talking on the phone and using a laptop in a café. Reflected glass shows people walking in a busy indoor area. Red signage above lists news updates. Cups and a jacket are on the table.

A dog sits on a refrigerator between two standing women. One woman holds a leash, and the other holds a cup, both looking at the dog. The scene is indoors, with lockers in the background and a microwave on the fridge.

“The book was designed to document the history of the Vienna airport including an outlook to what’s ahead,” Lammerhuber says.

“From the concept point of view, it became very clear that airports have changed by becoming incredibly more diverse and more technical, more entertaining, and of course, much larger because of parking and shopping and the huge number of departures and arrivals. But in principle nothing has changed since day one: You arrive, go to the plane, depart, and vice versa.”

View of an airport gate from a terminal window. A plane is parked outside, while inside, passengers are seated and waiting. Reflections of lights and plants create a layered effect between inside and outside scenes.

A smiling woman and two children walk through an airport with suitcases. They are wearing casual travel clothes, and one child is pulling a blue and orange suitcase. The background shows airport signage and parked cars.

Airline workers in high-visibility vests load luggage, including wrapped suitcases and a bicycle, onto a conveyor belt at night. An aircraft with visible passenger seating is in the background.

Lammerhuber points out that only 20 percent of the world’s population has ever boarded a plane and there are only 1,200 big airports. “In other words, we are the first generation to explore and see and get to know the world truly. Thanks to the Wright Brothers and the airports.”

The Dream of Flying is published by Edition Lammerhuber and is available here.

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