DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH is responsible for air traffic control in Germany and is headquartered in the town of Langen close to Frankfurt. It is a company organised under private law and 100% owned by the Federal Republic of Germany. DFS, which was officially founded in October 1992, is the successor of the Federal Institute of Air Navigation Services (BFS), a government authority, since 1 January 1993. The German Constitution and the German Aviation Act (LuftVG) had to be amended by the Bundestag to make this possible.
In Germany, military and civil air traffic controllers work side by side. Since 1994, DFS has been responsible for the handling of both civil and military air traffic in peacetime. Only military aerodromes are exempted from this integration.
Throughout Germany, DFS is represented at 16 international airports, and at nine regional airports by its subsidiary DFS Aviation Services GmbH. Controlling air traffic from the towers and control centres is the core business of the German air navigation service provider.