TERMINAL 3 - BUILDING THE FUTURE

The expected long-term growth in air traffic will eventually exceed the capacities of Terminal 1, which opened in 1972, and Terminal 2, which began operating in 1994. In 2019, more than 70 million passengers already departed from or arrived at Frankfurt Airport. The Covid-19 pandemic that broke out in early 2020 has inflicted an unprecedented setback on the aviation sector. But, as other crises have shown in the past, it will eventually resume expanding over the medium to long term.

This is why the new Terminal 3, conceived as a long-term expansion project, continues to be important for the future of Frankfurt Airport. Thanks to its modular design, the individual construction phases can be closely aligned with the growth in the need for capacity.

Construction of the terminal has been divided into three phases, each of which can be flexibly adapted depending on capacity requirements. The main building and Piers H and J are being built in the first construction phase, which began in 2015. Up to and including 2019, passenger volumes expanded even faster than predicted. To shift some of the load off Terminals 1 and 2 relatively quickly, following an in-depth analysis of various options the decision was made to move forward the second construction phase consisting of Pier G. More information on Pier G is available here.

Additional projects are being carried out to link the new terminal to the existing infrastructure. They include expanding the Zeppelinheim interchange on the A5 motorway, building a parking facilities with room for 8,500 motor vehicles, and creating a new people mover system to complement the existing Sky Line. The new terminal is also being integrated into Frankfurt Airport’s existing technical infrastructure.

Fraport expects aviation volumes to return to precrisis levels by 2026. The airport operator therefore doesn’t plan to begin operating Terminal 3 (with Pier G) until then. At that time it will be   possible to inaugurate it with capacity for 19 million passengers annually. As the airport returns to precrisis levels, attention will initially focus on using the capacity that’s available at the two existing terminals. Later, as the construction project advances, the situation will come into sharper focus. Follow the current progress of the construction project here: www.terminal3.info

Terminal 3 is being built at the site of a former U.S. military base in the south of Frankfurt Airport. The Rhein-Main Air Base was the main facility used by the United States Air Force in Germany between 1945 and 2005. In the Berlin Airlift in the late 1940s during the Cold War, so-called “candy bombers” took off from here to carry vitally needed supplies to the residents of Berlin. After the airbase was closed down on September 30, 2005, the area was turned over to Frankfurt Airport.

Terminal 3 will be easy and convenient to reach. This is being ensured by connecting it to the existing road network via an enlarged Zeppelinheim interchange on the A5 motorway. Passengers and visitors arriving by regional or long-distance rail will also be able to get there by riding the new Sky Line from Terminal 1 via Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 in just eight minutes.

Terminal 3 is one of Europe’s largest privately funded infrastructure projects. Fraport AG is using own financial resources to build the new terminal and its connections without interrupting ongoing airport operations.

Fraport, the airport’s operator, is talking with various airlines. There is already considerable interest in Terminal 3 and the feedback received is positive. Terminal 3’s state-of-the-art design and good connections with Terminals 1 and 2 are particularly appealing to airlines that attach importance to ensuring a good experience for passengers, customer-focused services, and efficient handling processes. However, airlines have considerably shorter planning cycles. So there won’t be clarity on which airlines will move to Terminal 3 until just one or two years before it opens.

Despite unforeseen circumstances like the Covid-19 pandemic, the construction work is proceeding on schedule. Pier G is practically finished and being put into a kind of tended hibernation in the second quarter of 2022. It will therefore be possible for it to begin operating earlier than Terminal 3 as a whole if needed. The work to build Piers H and J, the main terminal building, the Sky Line, and the road connections is also advancing on schedule for the entire terminal to be commissioned in 2026.

Detailed information on the current progress of the construction project is available here:  www.terminal3.info     

Sustainability considerations already played a major role back when the plans for Terminal 3 were being drawn up. The new terminal, which is being equipped with advanced technology, will produce significantly fewer emissions than Terminals 1 and 2. Among other things, it will feature a highly thermally insulated outer shell, adaptable protection from sunlight, maximum use of daylight, efficient heat recovery, an efficient displacement ventilation system, and exclusive use of LED lighting to ensure sustainable operation. Solutions for installing large-scale photovoltaic systems on the roofs of Terminal 3 and the new parking facility are now being developed.

Terminal 3 will also feature an extensive “dual-plumbed” system for sustainable reuse of water. A retention basin for rainwater is being installed along with an associated purification system. Runoff from the new terminal’s roof will be channeled into the basin and processed into service water.

Fraport has optimally met the prerequisites by creating a dedicated project company. Lessons learned from Fraport’s own projects and comparable infrastructural projects elsewhere have made it clear that it’s best to tackle the implementation phase as far as possible via a separate, autonomous entity. In September 2016, Fraport Ausbau Süd GmbH was therefore created as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fraport AG, which is ultimately responsible for the construction project. The daughter company is equipped with all required resources, and its lean organizational structure ensures fast, transparent decision-making processes.