The company is based at Vienna Airport.The concept of the train type was presented to the public at the 2003 Danube Island Festival, and operations commenced on 14 December 2003.

In Vienna, the departure point called City Air Terminal with the Check-in counters for various airlines is located at ground level in the entrance area of The Mall shopping centre, near the Marxergasse exit.

[3] Passengers can check in their baggage at the City Air Terminal at the railway station Wien-Mitte and get their boarding passes.

[4] The CAT offers particularly wide aisles, ample luggage space, free Wi-Fi, power outlets and TV screens on the train providing visitors with information about Vienna.

[5] As of 2025, each CAT trainset consist of three bilevel Siemens Viaggio Twin [de] carriages hauled in push-pull configuration by a monosystem ÖBB Class 1016 locomotive.

All carriages are air-conditioned, with free Wi-Fi, power sockets at solo seats, storage space for luggage and an infotainment system on board.

ÖBB also operates suburban trains under the "Schnellbahn" brand to the airport as S7, calling at multiple stations downtown, including Wien Mitte.

Since December 2014, long-distance trains (initially ICE, then Railjet services) also reach the airport, offering a competitive schedule to Wien Hauptbahnhof, with significantly cheaper tickets.