TERMINAL 3 - BUILDING THE FUTURE

With our new Terminal 3, we are expanding our capacity and reinforcing our position as an international aviation hub. 
Animated film about Terminal 3
Animated film about Terminal 3

 

Building the Future

The expansion project is to be essebtial for ensuring the future of Frankfut Airport. The project’s modular structure makes it possible to flexibly schedule the construction and inauguration of the terminal’s individual parts depending on how the actual need for extra capacity develops. By the time it’s completely finished, it will be able to handle up to 25 million passengers a year. It will then be possible to start operating with three piers with total capacity for up to 19 million passengers a year.

A combination of aesthetics and sustainability

The attractive new terminal’s architecture is ultramodern. Numerous large pane-glass windows flood the generously dimensioned halls and areas with daylight, making it possible to minimize the use of artificial light sources. Pipes and cables are integrated in the architecture without disrupting the large open spaces or diminishing their esthetics. The new terminal also sets standards on the sustainability front, requiring only minimal heating thanks to energy-efficient construction methods and state-of-the-art technologies.

The futuristic marketplace at the heart of Terminal 3, covering about 6,000 square meters, is eye-catching with a wide variety of retail outlets, restaurants, and cafés where passengers can shop or enjoyably pass the time. A lounge zone with a spectacular view of the apron also provides space for passengers to relax and unwind in while enjoying direct access to marketplace’s many shops and restaurants. Terminal 3 also boasts numerous entertainment opportunities and services. Children, for example, can romp and let off steam in any of several play areas while waiting for boarding to start. Business travelers can also take advantage of the time to get things done without distractions in Work & Connect areas before heading to the boarding gate.

The new terminal is optimally connected and can be quickly and conveniently reached by travelers. Fraport is building a new people mover line similar to the existing Sky Line to connect Terminal 3 with the other two terminals. The journey from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3, with a short stop at Terminal 2, takes just eight minutes. Terminal 3 will also be easily accessible by taxi, bus, and car. Passengers who drive their cars to Frankfurt Airport can take advantage of a parking facility with 8,500 spaces right next to the terminal. It also includes several hundred spaces for bicycles.

Click here to see the construction progress

Fraport is ensuring the long-term future of Frankfurt Airport with this strategic expansion project. Terminal 3 sets new standards, as the following figures show:

  • After Terminal 3 begins operating in 2026, up to 19 million passengers a year will be able to depart from and arrive there.
  • Schengen and non-Schengen passengers will be able to use three new piers with a combined length of 1,400 meters.
  • Terminal 3 will offer at least 33 aircraft parking positions alongside its piers.
  • The new terminal will have a footprint of about 176,000 square meters, the size of about 25 soccer fields combined.
  • Including all upper and lower levels, the main building and three piers will have total floorspace of around 403,000 square meters.
  • 112 check-in counters and luggage drop-off points.
  • A new luggage system will include up to 15 carousels at the baggage claim.
  • The trip on the new Sky Line will take eight minutes between Terminals 1 and 3 with a stop at Terminal 2.

The Terminal 3 construction project: frequently asked questions

Fraport AG is building the new Terminal 3 at Frankfurt Airport in one of Europe’s largest privately financed infrastructure projects.

Keep track the construction progress here

We’re building a gateway to the world – why not become part of this project?  

The construction of Terminal 3 will create a new flagship of excellence for Frankfurt Airport and the region, and we are looking for experts to build it.  

As a company, we are investing on a large scale in the construction of Terminal 3, which is an important piece of infrastructure for maintaining the international competitiveness of Frankfurt Airport – a major engine powering the local and regional economy. In doing so, we are drawing on the extensive experience we have gained with other infrastructure projects in Germany and other countries. We also benefit from the fact that we are a reliable partner to the companies we contract. After all, we are also entrepreneurs. Terminal 3 is set to become a new flagship of excellence for Frankfurt Airport and the entire region, and we are looking for experts to work together with our own specialists to build Terminal 3. Our intention is to bolster the (regional) economy as broadly as possible, and we have therefore decided to avoid entrusting all the building services to a single general contractor.

We’re looking for professional planners and builders for our new terminal!

To apply, please complete the attached PDF form (in German) and send it to initiativwerbung@fraport.de.
Please note that this can’t be done right in your browser, such as Chrome or Firefox. You’ll need to download the form and open it with Adobe Reader or another PDF tool.

MEDIA SECTION

08. October 2025

Frankfurt Airport’s New Terminal 3 to Be Inaugurated on April 22

Inspections by the authorities successfully concluded – Remaining work now being done – Preparations underway for trial operation with volunteers

Fraport AG will officially inaugurate the new Terminal 3 at Frankfurt Airport on April 22, 2026. The airport operator has just reached one of the expansion project’s key milestones by passing the official inspections, which include fire protection. As a result, the new terminal is now officially no longer a construction site – and Fraport can focus on getting it ready to start operations.

“This is a very special moment for Fraport and also for me personally,” said Dr. Stefan Schulte, Fraport AG’s CEO. “We held the groundbreaking ceremony for Terminal 3 ten years ago, and today we’re standing in one of Europe’s most advanced airport facilities with our sights set firmly on its inauguration on April 22. My thanks and respect go to everyone who has been involved in the project and also to the responsible authorities, all of which have contributed to the success of this mammoth construction project. I’m already looking forward to welcoming the first guests at Terminal 3.”

Final installations and test runs

Now that the authorities have given the green light, Fraport is entering the final stage of the work. Among other things, it includes installing the security check lanes (there will be a total of 21) with state-of-the-art CT scanners, completing the food and shopping areas, and ongoing testing of the baggage handling system. At the same time, Fraport is making preparations for comprehensive test operation of the new infrastructure. On 21 days between January 27 and April 16, 2026, around 8,000 test passengers are putting the terminal through its paces to make sure that all of its processes mesh seamlessly.

Successful construction despite huge challenges

Frankfurt Airport’s new terminal has taken shape during the decade since the groundbreaking ceremony in October 2015. In its initial configuration with Piers G, H and J it will have capacity for up to 19 million passengers a year. Fraport Ausbau Süd GmbH (FAS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fraport AG, has been in charge of the construction work. Harald Rohr, the technical director of FAS, explained: “The successful conclusion of this huge project under very challenging conditions sends the strong message that, despite the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and massive disruptions of global supply chains, we’ve succeeded in implementing the new terminal on schedule and on budget.”

“Credit for this success goes to the strong team spirit and commitment of everyone involved. I’m proud of the performance of every single one of them,” adds Stephanie Pudwitz, the commercial director of FAS.

After the new terminal opens in the south of Frankfurt Airport in April, airlines will begin using it to operate flights to and from Schengen and non-Schengen destinations. A total of 57 airlines currently based in Terminal 2 will move to Terminal 3 in four phases between mid-April and early June.

  

Facts on Terminal 3
  • The groundbreaking ceremony for Terminal 3 took place on October 5, 2015.
  • The new passenger terminal has a footprint of 176,000 square meters.
  • In the initial phase, Terminal 3 will operate with three piers:
    • G (Schengen and non-Schengen)
    • H (Schengen)
    • J (non-Schengen)
  • With all three, the terminal has capacity for up to 19 million passengers a year.
  • If required, Fraport has the option of implementing a fourth pier, designated by the letter K, at any time. This would increase the terminal’s capacity to 25 million passengers annually.
  • The new Sky Line people mover line connects Terminal 3 to the existing infrastructure in the north of the airport. It takes eight minutes to carry travelers, guests and employees between Terminals 1 and 3.
  • The new parking structure at Terminal 3 has 8,500 parking spaces.
  • The investment in Terminal 3 amounts to about four billion euros.
  • When Terminal 3 starts operating, all 57 airlines now based at Terminal 2 will move there on a long-term basis.
  • Prior to the start of operations, the terminal is being thoroughly tested by around 8,000 volunteers.  
Highlights T3

 

"This is a very special moment for Fraport and also for me personally. We held the groundbreaking ceremony for Terminal 3 ten years ago, and today we’re standing in one of Europe’s most advanced airport facilities with our sights set firmly on its inauguration on April 22. My thanks and respect go to everyone who has been involved in the project and also to the responsible authorities, all of which have contributed to the success of this mammoth construction project. I’m already looking forward to welcoming the first guests at Terminal 3."

Dr. Stefan Schulte, Fraport AG’s CEO

"The successful conclusion of this huge project under very challenging conditions sends the strong message that, despite the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and massive disruptions of global supply chains, we’ve succeeded in implementing the new terminal on schedule and on budget.”  

Harald Rohr, the technical director of Fraport Ausbau Süd GmbH

"Credit for this success goes to the strong team spirit and commitment of everyone involved. I’m proud of the performance of every single one of them."

Stephanie Pudwitz, the commercial director of Fraport Ausbau Süd GmbH

Andreas Mehring

Communications Manager – Terminal 3 and Digitalization

+49 69 690 70553 a.mehring@fraport.de
Fraport AG press office

The shopping experience in Terminal 3 at Frankfurt Airport defines “The Art of Retail in the Heart of Europe”. An unmistakable signature inspires shopping enthusiasts and travelers looking for something special:

Visualization of the new terminal at Frankfurt Airport

PTS-station

 

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PTS-station

 

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terminal 3 outside view

 

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inside view Check-in-hall Terminal 3

 

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terminal 3

Terminal 3 außen

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marketplace visualisation

 

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marketplace visualisation

 

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arrival hall

 

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boarding gate J

 

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boarding gate J

 

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lounge visualisation

 

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Images

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