Frankfurt intends to proceed with a third terminal to cope with future growth.
Airport operator Fraport plans to open this new Terminal 3 in 2020.
Frankfurt, Lufthansa’s main hub, already operates with four runways and two large terminals. Last year, it handled 57.5 million passengers although the airport’s designed capacity is currently 65 million passengers.
The original Terminal 1 is reserved for Lufthansa and other Star partners and enjoys the most convenient location, being linked to the airport’s train station.
The newer Terminal 2, adjacent to Terminal 1, is used by other carriers including those linked to Oneworld and Skyteam.
Terminal 3 will be located on land vacated by the closure of the USAF base situated to the south of the airport’s parallel runways.
Fraport says initial plans call for Terminal 3 to handle 14 million passengers a year. Construction will commence in 2015 with the first phase priced at €1.2 billion. It will cement Frankfurt’s status as one of Europe’s leading hubs.
Because Terminal 3 will lie on the other side of the airfield it will be necessary to plumb in new rail lines to link up with the existing S-Bahn and long distance ICE stations in Terminal 1.
Only 12km outside town Frankfurt is one of Europe’s most convenient hub airports.
