In the course of the Second World War, Munich Airport was also bombed several times. On March 24, 1945, around 80 Allied planes headed for the airport area. The aim of the destruction was the airport itself, the radio transmission station between Gronsdorf and Salmdorf, as well as the railway line between Gronsdorf and Trudering and the surrounding area around the Munich district of Riem.

Between April 9 and May 1, 1945, further air raids followed on the new Munich-Riem Airport and the Munich-Riem district. At the end of the Second World War, Munich Airport was 70% destroyed, as a result, on April 9, 1945, the civil flight operations of the only two airlines Swissair and Lufthansa had to be discontinued.

In May 1945, the airport was occupied by American troops. The USA erected a runway made of steel plates over the grass runway that had been customary until then.