Hamburg set for take-off: European Green Capital 2011 to open the first CO2-free airport

Dubai, 16 June 2011 – From the beginning of May, Hamburg took the leading role in international air
traffic. With its “Knuffingen Airport”, situated in Miniatur Wunderland, the European Green Capital 2011
showcased the world’s first CO2-free airport. Very soon, climate-neutral airplanes will arrive in and depart
from the Hanseatic City, thereby living up to its title of European Green Capital.

After six years of planning and development, May 4th saw the opening of the world’s first CO2-free
airport. “No doubt the new airport will be one of Hamburg’s main attractions – where else can you
observe emission-free arrivals and departures of planes”, says Thorsten Kausch, Managing Director of
Hamburg Marketing GmbH, with a cheeky glint in his eyes.

“Knuffingen Airport” is one of the exhibition’s major attractions, and it opens just in time for Miniatur
Wunderland’s 10th anniversary. Being a one-to-one reproduction of Hamburg Airport, it marks a new era
in model construction. More than 150,000 hours of work and around €3.5 million were invested to build
this airport. An aircraft catapult assists 40 aircraft models in landing and launching. A specially designed
satellite system enables the airplanes to taxi over the runway. The construction of the terminal alone took
nearly a year to build, with tens of thousands of miniature details involved.

The exhibition stretches over a total of 1,500 square metres, covering attributes from Scandinavia and the
USA, the Hamburg quays as well as the high mountains. “Knuffingen Airport” not just complements this
worthwhile exhibition – it will also enrich Hamburg as a tourist destination.

For more information on European Green Capital 2011: www.hamburggreencapital.eu
For more information on Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg: www.miniatur-wunderland.de