The southern side of the airport ground was home to theRhein-Main Air Base, which served as a majorair base for the United States from 1947 until its closure on 31 December 2005. The US personnel moved toRamstein Air Base (extended from 2004 to 2006). The property was acquired by Fraport (now occupied by Terminal 3).
Frankfurt Airport in 1936, with one Ju 86, two Ju 52/3ms and one Fw 200 of Deutsche LufthansaRhein-Main Air Base during theBerlin AirliftCivil air traffic at Frankfurt Airport in 1951Frankfurt Airport in 1983AGaruda IndonesiaBoeing 747-400 taxiing at Frankfurt Airport in 2000Terminal 2
Aerial view of the central airport buildings includingThe Squaire in the back
Since 2012, thepeople mover "The Squaire Metro" connects the Squaire with the nine-storey parking structure. On a length of about 300 metres the so-calledMiniMetro system with its two cabins can carry up to 1,300 passengers per hour.[11] The constructor of the system was the Italian manufacturerLeitner Ropeways.
In 2012, the websiteAirport Watch reported weekly protests had been occurring at the airport since the opening of a fourth runway a year previously.[12]
The new runway officially went into operation on 20 October 2011, with an aircraft carryingChancellorAngela Merkel, performing the first landing on 21 October. The centre line separation from the existing north runway is about 1,400 m (4,593 ft). This allows simultaneous instrument landing system (ILS) operations on these two runways, which has not been possible on the other parallel runways, which do not meet the 3,500 feet (1,100 m) minimum separation for ILS operations.[13] This allowed the airport to increase its capacity from 83 to 126 aircraft movements per hour.[14][15]
On 11 October 2011, the Hessian Administration Court ruled that night flights between 11pm and 5am (the so-calledMediationsnacht) are no longer allowed at Frankfurt Airport after the inauguration of the new runway, and therefore overrode the approval from the Hessian government from 2007 which allowed 17 scheduled flights per night. On 4 April 2012, the German Administrative Court confirmed the decision of the Hessian Administration Court, banning night flights between 11pm and 5am.[16]
To handle the predicted passenger amount of about 90 million in 2020, a new terminal section adjacent to Terminal 1 for an additional six million passengers opened on 10 October 2012. It is calledFlugsteig A-Plus and is exclusively used by Lufthansa mainly for their long-haul flights. Flugsteig A-Plus features eight parking positions that are able to handle four Airbus A380s or sevenBoeing 747-8/747–400 simultaneously.[17]
In November 2016,Ryanair announced the opening of a new base at Frankfurt Airport with four routes to Spain andPortugal. This move by Ryanair was heavily blasted, especially by Lufthansa, as Ryanair was granted high discounts and incentives regarding the airport's fees.[18]
Albanian citizen, Arid Uka, a 21 year old at the time, targeted aUnited States Air Force bus parked outside the terminal building that was supposed to transport fifteen U.S. airmen toRamstein Air Base.[19] He reportedly walked up to a waiting airman, asked him for a cigarette, and wanted to know whether the airmen were bound forAfghanistan.[20] When the airman said yes, according to German prosecutor Rainer Griesbaum, Uka waited for the airman to turn away and then shot him in the back of the head, killing him. Shouting "Allahu Akbar!"[21][22] the attacker then entered the bus, shooting and killing the driver, and continued to fire three shots at two other airmen, wounding them.[20] When he pointed his pistol at the head of another airman and pulled the trigger, the weapon jammed. Uka fled, but was pursued by the civilian airport employee Lamar Joseph Conner and Staff Sergeant Trevor Donald Brewer and shortly afterwards overpowered by two German police officers.[23] He was subsequently arrested.[20]
Portions of the airport were closed in early 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The Northwest Runway and Runway 18 West were closed on 23 March and re-purposed for parking unused aircraft. Terminal 2 was also closed, and all passenger operations were concentrated in Terminal 1. The Northwest Runway re-opened in July to handle summer tourist demand, while Runway 18 West remained closed.[24] With almost no passenger traffic in the spring months, Frankfurt's total passenger volume in 2020 fell to 18.8 million, the lowest figure recorded since 1984.[25]
Frankfurt Airport features two large main passenger terminals (Terminals 1 and 2), with Terminal 3 under construction, as well as a much smaller dedicatedFirst Class Terminal which is operated and exclusively used byLufthansa. As is the case atLondon–Heathrow,Tokyo–Narita and other major airports, terminal operations are grouped for airlines andairline alliances rather than into domestic and international routes. However, there are dedicated sections for Schengen and non-Schengen routes.
Terminal
Concourse
Schengen gates
Non-Schengen gates
Location
1
1A
A1-A42, A50-A69
Terminal 1, Western Concourse, lower departure level
1Z
Z11-Z25, Z50-Z69
Terminal 1, Western Concourse, upper departure level
Check-in concourse in Terminal 1Airside area inside Terminal 1
Terminal 1 is the older and larger one of the two passenger terminals. Thelandside is 420 metres long. It has been enlarged several times and is divided into concoursesA,B,C andZ and has a capacity of approximately 50 million passengers per year. Terminal 1 is functionally divided into three levels, the departures level on the upper floor with check-in counters, the arrivals level with baggage claim areas on the ground floor and, underneath, a distribution floor with access to theregional station and underground and multilevel parking. Departures and arrivals levels each have separate street approaches. A bus station is located at the arrivals level. Terminal 1 has a total of 103 gates, which include 54 gates equipped with jetways (25 in Concourse A, 18 in Concourse B, 11 in Concourse C). ConcourseZ sits on top of ConcourseA sharing the same jet bridges between both concourses. Flights to non-Schengen destinations depart from theZ gates and Schengen flights depart from theA gates.
Pier A was extended by 500 metres in 2000, and a link between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, as well as the Hall C extension opened in 2008.[26]
On 10 October 2012, an 800-metre-long westward expansion of Terminal 1 calledPier A-Plus went into operation. It provides more stands forwide-body aircraft like the Airbus A380.[27]
Terminal 1 is primarily used by theLufthansa Group and itsStar Alliance partners, amongst themAir Canada,All Nippon Airways,Ethiopian Airlines andUnited Airlines. Some airlines that are not part of the Lufthansa Group or Star Alliance however also use Terminal 1, of which the largest isCondor (a former Lufthansa subsidiary). Since the secure gates for flights to Israel are located in ConcourseC, Israeli flag carrierEl Al also uses Terminal 1.[citation needed]
Terminal 2, which has a capacity of 15 million passengers a year, was opened in 1994 and is divided into concoursesD andE. A continuous concourse between Terminal 1C and 2D provides direct but non-public access between the two terminals. It has eight gates with jetways and 34 apron stands, a total of 42 gates and is able to handle wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A380.[citation needed]
Fraport announced in late 2022 that Terminal 2 will be temporarily closed for refurbishment starting in 2026. All tenants are to be relocated into the then fully completed Terminal 3.[28]
Airport map with planned and already constructed expansionsFinished Concourse G of Terminal 3Concourses 3J and 3H of Terminal 3 under construction
In 2009, the German government decided to create third terminals for both Frankfurt Airport andMunich Airport in order to handle expected passenger flows of 90 million in Frankfurt by 2020 and 50 million in Munich by 2017. The new terminal is scheduled to be built by Fraport, south of the existing terminals on the grounds of the former Rhein-Main Air Base. The newTerminal 3 is to accommodate up to 25 million passengers and will feature 75 new aircraft positions when completely constructed. An extension of theSkyLine people mover system is planned to connect the new terminal to Terminals 1 and 2 and the airport train stations.[citation needed]
In August 2014, the city of Frankfurt granted building permission for the first phase of Terminal 3.[29] The groundbreaking for the new terminal took place on 5 October 2015. Its first phase, consisting of the main building and two of the planned four piers (concourses 3H and 3J), is planned to open by 2026 and will be able to handle 15 million additional passengers per year. Total costs are estimated at 3 billion euros.[30]
In 2017, Frankfurt Airport first indicated that the second-phase construction of the easternmost pier (concourse 3G) could be moved forward so that low-cost carriers can use this pier from 2021.[31] After approval by municipal authorities in 2018,[32] the piers will be constructed and used according to the following timetable:[33]
In March 2021, Fraport announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the opening of the new terminal had been postponed to 2026.[34]
Concourse 3G (easternmost pier for low-cost carriers):
Phase 1 Construction of first twelve bus gates, reachable via shuttle buses from terminals 1/2, Completed 2022[35][better source needed] but not yet operational[citation needed]
Phase 2 Construction of additional twelve bus gates by 2024[citation needed]
Check-in area, concourses 3H and 3J (central piers): Construction is well under way for opening with 3G in 2026 including transport systems for visitors, passengers and luggage to the other terminals.
Concourse 3H is planned for Schengen flights
Concourse 3J is planned for non-Schengen flights[36]
Frankfurt Airport has four runways of which three are arranged parallel in an east–west direction and one in a north–south direction. In 2010 three runways (Runways North, South and West) handled 464,432 aircraft movements, which equated to 83 movements per hour. With the start of operation of the Northwest Runway in October 2011 the airport was predicted to be able to handle 126 movements per hour.
During normal operation, the two outer parallel runways (07L/25R and 07R/25L) are used for landings and the central parallel runway (07C/25C) and the Runway West (18) for take-offs. The three parallel runways have two markings because they can be operated in two directions while the Runway West can only be used in one direction.
Lufthansa and theirStar Alliance partners account for the majority of all traffic at Frankfurt Airport.[37] The following airlines offer year-round and seasonal scheduled and charter flights at Frankfurt Airport:[38][39][40]
Frankfurt Airport is the second-largestmultimodal transport airport in Europe and has several logistics facilities. These facilities are grouped at two areas
CargoCity Nord (North) is the headquarters ofLufthansa Cargo. Additional facilities here are a Perishables Centre for fresh produced goods and the Frankfurt Animal Lounge for the transport of living animals.
The airport ground and the surrounding area of Frankfurt Airport offer a large variety of on-airport businesses as well as airport-related businesses, including office space, hotels, shopping areas, conference rooms and car parks. The development of anairport city has significantly accelerated in recent years.[citation needed]
The Frankfurt Airport Centre 1 (FAC 1) near Terminal 1 offers office and conference facilities, the newer FAC 2 is located within Terminal 2 and offers office space for airlines. FAC Building 234 accommodates the head office ofDiscover Airlines, previously named Eurowings Discover.[180]
The Airport City Mall is located on the landside of Terminal 1, departure hall B. It offers national and international retailers and label stores, a supermarket and several restaurants.[citation needed]
The Squaire is an office and retail building with a total floor area of 140,000 m2 (1,506,900 sq ft). It is directly connected to Terminal 1 through a connecting corridor for pedestrians. The accounting firmKPMG, Lufthansa and twoHilton Hotels (Hilton Garden Inn Frankfurt Airport[181] with 334 rooms andHilton Frankfurt Airport with 249 rooms) occupy space in The Squaire.
The Main Airport Centre, named after theMain river, is an office building with ten floors and about 51,000 m2 (549,000 sq ft) of office space. It is located at the edge of the Frankfurt City Forest near Terminal 2.[citation needed]
Gateway Gardens is a former housing area for the US Air Force personnel based at the Rhein-Main Air Base, close to Terminal 2. Like the air base, the housing area was closed in 2005. Since then the area is being developed into a business location for airport-related companies. Lufthansa moved itsairline catering subsidiaryLSG Sky Chefs to Gateway Gardens, Condor andSunExpress are headquartered here.DB Schenker, the logistics company ofDeutsche Bahn, have built a 66 m (217 ft) high-rise building.[citation needed]
Fraport's facilities are on the property of Frankfurt Airport.[183] Its head office building is by Gate 3.[184] The newly constructed[185] headquarters were inaugurated there in 2012.[186] The Fraport Driving School (Fraport Fahrschule) is in Building 501 of CargoCity South (CargoCity Süd).[187][188]
Lufthansa's corporate headquarters, where the board of directors is seated, is theLufthansa Aviation Centre (LAC), Building 366 at Frankfurt Airport.[189][190][191] Several company departments, including Corporate Communications,[192] Investor Relations,[193] and Media Relations,[194] are based at the LAC. Lufthansa also uses several other buildings in the area, including theLufthansa Flight Training Center forflight training operations and theLufthansa Basis BG2[195] as a central base and for crew briefing. As of 2011Lufthansa Cargo has been headquartered in Building 451 of the Frankfurt Airport area.[196] As of 2012 Lufthansa Cargo is located at Gate 25 in the CargoCity Nord area,Lufthansa Technik is located at Gate 23 and in the CargoCity Süd area.[197]
Airmail Centre Frankfurt, a joint venture of Lufthansa Cargo, Fraport, andDeutsche Post forairmail transport, has its head office in Building 189, between Terminals 1 and 2.[198]
Now defunct German leisure airlineAero Lloyd had its head office in Building 182.[199][200]
TheStar Alliance also had its headquarters at the Frankfurt Airport Centre 1 until its relocation toSingapore in 2023.[201][202]
Frankfurt Airport can be accessed by car, taxi, train or bus as it features an extensive transport network. There are two railway stations at the airport: one for suburban/regional trains and one for long-distance trains.
Passengers and visitors can change terminals with the people mover systemSkyLine which has three stops in Terminal 1 (at gates A/Z, B and C) as well as one in Terminal 2 for all gates. Some stops can only be used by passengers in or outside the Schengen zone which is achieved by separated cars and station entrances. The travel time between the terminals is 2 minutes with trains arriving every 2–3 minutes during the day. Each train has two cars, one airside (outside the Schengen area) and one landside (within the Schengen area). Most stations have a platform on each side of the train, so landside passengers can only step out onto the landside platform, and airside passengers can only step out onto the airside platform. Additionally, there is a regular bus service between the terminals.[citation needed]
A new passenger transport system is also under construction for the connection of the new terminal 3 and the existing terminals 1 and 2. It will use a track which is separate from the existing SkyLine people mover but will allow for interchanges between them. It is scheduled to have four stops in the final stage near the airport's two railway stations, at Terminals 1C and 2DE as well as the new Terminal 3.[208]
Frankfurt Airport long-distance station (Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof) was opened in 1999. The station is squeezed in between themotorway A 3 and the four-laneBundesstraße B43, linked to Terminal 1 by a connecting corridor for pedestrians that bridges the Autobahn. It is the end point of the newly builtCologne–Frankfurt high-speed rail line, which links southern Germany to theRhine-Ruhr metropolitan area, theNetherlands andBelgium viaCologne at speeds up to 300 km/h (190 mph). About 10 trains per hour depart in all directions.[209]
Frankfurt Airport is located in the Frankfurt City Forest and directly connected to an Autobahn intersection calledFrankfurter Kreuz where the A3 and A5 meet. It takes a 10–15 minutes by car or taxi to get to Frankfurt Central Station or the centre of the city.[211]
Passengers driving their own cars can park in multilevel parking garages (mostly underground) along the terminals. A long term holiday parking lot is located south of the runways and connected by shuttle bus to the terminals.[citation needed]
Various transport companies provide bus services to the airport from the surrounding areas as well as by coach to long-distance destinations.[212]
PreviouslyAll Nippon Airways operated a bus service to Düsseldorf exclusively for ANA customers; that way Düsseldorf passengers would be transported to Frankfurt Airport to board their ANA flights.[213] In 2014 ANA established a separate flight from Tokyo to Düsseldorf,[214] causing the bus services to end.[215]
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(December 2025)
In 2006, 29.5% of the 12,299,192 passengers whose air travel originated in Frankfurt came by private car, 27.9% came by rail, 20.4% by taxi, 11.1% parked their car at the airport for the duration of their trip, 5.3% came by bus, and 4.6% arrived with a rental car.[citation needed]
On 4 January 1938, aDeutsche LufthansaJunkers Ju 52 crashed in a snowstorm on approach to FRA due to icing. All three crew and three passengers were killed.[216]
On 29 September 1938, aLuftwaffe Junkers Ju-52 crashed due to a preliminary ground contact caused by a wrong estimation of height. One occupant of the four on board was killed.[217]
On 22 March 1952, aKLM Royal Dutch AirlinesDouglas DC-6 on a return flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam crashed 7 km NE of FRA into a forest. Nine crew and 36 passengers of the 47 total on board died.[218]
On 14 October 1953, aSabenaConvair CV-240 crashed near Kelstenbach shortly after takeoff following loss of engine power 1 km N of FRA. All four crew and 40 passengers died.[219]
On 21 January 1967, an Air FerryDouglas C-54, a cargo flight, struck trees some 2700 metres short of the runway while on a night-timeinstrument landing system approach. Both occupants were killed.[220]
On 24 November 1972, anAir CanadaMcDonnell Douglas DC-8 bound forMontreal, Canada was hijacked on the ground at FRA and a hijacker demanded a release of prisoners. The plane was stormed and the hijacker arrested. One person died.[221]
On 22 May 1983, during anair show at Rhein-Main Air Base, a CanadianRCAFLockheed F-104 Starfighter crashed into a nearby road, hitting a car and killing all passengers, a vicar's family of five. His niece escaped the burning car but died 81 days later from serious burns. The pilot was able toeject.[222]
On 19 June 1985,a bomb cloaked in a canvas bag was detonated approx at 14:42 in the afternoon in Hall B of the Rhein Main Frankfurt Airport, decimating that section of the airport. The blast resulted in three deaths and 32 injuries, of which four were considered serious.[223]
In May 1999, a violent illegal immigrant was being deported by police, from Frankfurt to Cairo. He was restrained before the flight took off and when an officer attempted to talk to him later, he found that he was no longer alive.[224][225]
In September 2007, German authorities arrestedthree suspected terrorists for plotting a "massive" terror attack, which posed "an imminent threat" to Frankfurt Airport and the US Air Force base inRamstein.[226]
On 2 March 2011,a gunman opened fire on a bus carrying US Air Force personnel at Frankfurt Airport, killing two and wounding two others.[227]
On 11 June 2018,Lufthansa Flight 426, anAirbus A340, preparing for a flight toPhiladelphia International Airport sustained damage on pushback from the gate, the tow tug caught fire and the aircraft sustained damage to the nose and cockpit section. Ten airport staff, consisting of ground crew and emergency responders, suffered minor injuries as a result of smoke inhalation. The aircraft was written off.[228]
Jinder Mahal pinnedR-Truth at the Frankfurt Airport for the 24/7 Championship. This title change was shown on WWE.com and WWE's official social media accounts.[230]
^"ImprintArchived 21 January 2013 at theWayback Machine." Lufthansa Aviation Center. Retrieved on 15 November 2012. "Gebäude 366 Airportring 60546 Frankfurt/Main"
^"ImprintArchived 28 July 2011 at theWayback Machine." Lufthansa Cargo. Retrieved on 28 May 2011. "Lufthansa Cargo AG Flughafenbereich West Tor 25, Gebäude 451 D-60546 Frankfurt am Main"
^"Contract sheet"(PDF).www.lufthansa-technik.com. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 18 November 2018. Retrieved16 December 2013.
^""Legal – Star Alliance". Archived fromthe original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved12 May 2013.."Star Alliance. Retrieved on 12 December 2013. "Star Alliance Services GmbH Frankfurt Airport Centre, Main Lobby 60546 Frankfurt/Main."
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