The railway to Dresden Airport developed from a siding to the Air War School Klotzsche, which was finished in 1936.

A station was opened at Grenzstraße for the peak hour services to the Aircraft Works (Flugzeugwerke).

From 1972, double-deck push-pull trains operated to Dresden Grenzstraße to cope with the extensive commuter traffic for the first time.

The total projected cost amounted to 84.3 million Deutsche Marks and was funded by the Free State of Saxony [2] On 25 March 2001, the new line was opened simultaneously with new Terminal 1 at the airport.

Trains run every 30-minute intervals towards Dresden Hauptbahnhof and on weekdays continue to Heidenau and Pirna.

The zoning plan includes an option for an additional station on the existing line near Königsbrücker Landstraße to enable interchange.

This would allow connections to Dresden tram line 7 at the Industriepark Klotzsche stop and urban and regional bus services.

Like all stations newly built for the Dresden S-Bahn, it has a usable platform length of 140 metres; this is located on an island between the two terminating tracks.

The line was first operated (from 2001 to 2004) with low-floor diesel Siemens Desiro Classic railcars of class 642.