Frankfurt Airport: A Sprawling German Aviation Hub

Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) is Germany's main international airport by passenger numbers, located in Frankfurt, Germany's fifth-largest city. The airport covers an area of 2,300 hectares (5,683 acres) of land and features two passenger terminals with a capacity for approximately 65 million passengers per year; four runways; and extensive logistics and maintenance facilities. Frankfurt Airport is Germany's busiest airport and the 6th busiest in Europe by passenger traffic. The airport is centrally located in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region, Germany's third-largest metropolitan region, which itself is centrally located in the densely populated region of the west-central European megalopolis.

Terminals and concourses

Frankfurt Airport has two large main passenger terminals (Terminal 1 and Terminal 2), with Terminal 3 under construction, as well as a much smaller dedicated First Class Terminal operated and exclusively used by Lufthansa. The older and larger Terminal 1 is divided into three concourses (A, B, and C) with 56 gates and an electric baggage handling system. It has been enlarged several times and now also includes concourse Z, with 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 the regional station.

Terminal 2, though smaller, is divided into concourses D and E and can handle 54 million passengers per year. The new Terminal 3 is expected to accommodate up to 25 million passengers and will feature 75 new aircraft positions when completely constructed. The 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.

The airport has a total of four runways, with three runways handling 83 aircraft movements per hour. With the opening of the fourth runway in October 2011, the airport was predicted to be able to handle 126 movements per hour. The airport is the busiest in Germany by passenger traffic and the busiest in Europe in terms of cargo traffic.

Runway and baggage system

Frankfurt Airport, Germany's main international airport, covers an area of 2,300 hectares (5,683 acres) of land. The airport has four runways, with the first one built in 1935, receiving a grass cover over approximately 100 hectares of land. The runway was used by the two largest German airships, LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ 129 Hindenburg, which were based at the airport in 1936.

During World War II, the runway system was destroyed by Allied airstrikes in 1944, and the US Army subsequently built a new temporary runway. In 1948, the Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Hannover airports served as the primary bases for the Berlin Airlift, causing damage to the runway and necessitating the construction of a second parallel runway. The northern runway was extended in 1957 to accommodate jet aircraft, and in 2011, the airport gained a fourth runway. Currently, the northwest runway is being expanded to enable aircraft to land in all weather conditions.

Frankfurt Airport has implemented a decentralised baggage handling system, utilising Beumer equipment to manage tens of thousands of totes circulating between the terminals via a tunnel network. This system covers 70 kilometres of conveyor routes and can handle over 99,000 units of baggage on peak days. The baggage handling process involves receiving, screening, sorting, and loading baggage, all within tight connection times. To enhance efficiency, the airport has adopted Crisplant's tote-based CrisBag system, which enables rapid movement of bags from check-in to security screening. Additionally, a new transfer monitor tool devised by Crisplant helps the airport stay on top of delayed incoming flights with baggage requiring transfer, ensuring that bags reach their connecting flights even under time constraints.

Transport links

Frankfurt Airport is centrally located in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region, Germany's third-largest metropolitan region. The airport is Germany's main international airport by passenger numbers, serving Germany's fifth-largest city. It covers an area of 2,300 hectares (5,683 acres) of land and features two passenger terminals with a capacity of approximately 65 million passengers per year.

Frankfurt Airport is well-connected to the surrounding region and beyond by an extensive network of transport links. These include strong rail and motorway connections, making the airport a major transport node for the greater region.

By Train

The airport has its own long-distance train station, which offers connections to destinations within Germany and neighbouring countries. The train station is located on the ground floor of the airport, below Terminal 1, and offers easy access to the arrivals area. Local trains, such as the S-Bahn (S8 and S9) and the Regional Express (RE2, RE3, and RE59), connect the airport to nearby cities such as Frankfurt, Hanau, Aschaffenburg, Mainz, and Wiesbaden. The airport is also served by regional trains, providing connections to other areas within the Rhine-Main region.

By Road

Frankfurt Airport is easily accessible by road, with a strong motorway connection. It is located within a two-hour drive of several major cities, including Cologne, Stuttgart, and the Ruhr Area. The airport also has a large parking structure with nine storeys, providing ample parking spaces for travellers.

By Air

Frankfurt Airport serves as the main hub for Lufthansa, including Lufthansa City Airlines and Lufthansa CityLine, and Lufthansa Cargo, as well as other airlines such as Condor and AeroLogic. With four runways and extensive logistics facilities, the airport handles a significant volume of air traffic, making it a key transport hub for the region.

Size and capacity

Frankfurt Airport is Germany's main international airport by passenger numbers, located in Frankfurt, Germany's fifth-largest city. The airport covers an area of 2,300 hectares (5,683 acres) of land and features two passenger terminals with a capacity of approximately 65 million passengers per year. The older and larger Terminal 1 houses concourses A, B, C, and Z. It is split into three levels: departures on the top floor, arrivals and baggage claim on the ground floor, and transport below. Terminal 2 is the more modern terminal and houses concourses D and E. A third terminal, expected to open in 2023, will increase the airport's capacity to handle up to 100 million passengers per year.

Terminal 1, also known as Terminal Mitte (Central Terminal), has 56 gates and an electric baggage handling system. It opened in 1972, along with the airport's first railway station, Frankfurt Airport station. The airport now has two railway stations, both located at Terminal 1. The Airport Regional Railway Station offers metro, regional, and local trains, while the Airport Long-Distance Railway Station provides high-speed intercity trains (ICE).

Frankfurt Airport currently has four runways, with a fourth runway becoming operational in 2011. The centre line separation from the existing north runway is about 1,400 m (4,593 ft), allowing simultaneous instrument landing system (ILS) operations on these two runways. This increased the airport's capacity from 83 to 126 aircraft movements per hour.

In addition to its terminals and runways, Frankfurt Airport is an enormous complex that includes a shopping mall and The Squaire, Germany's largest office building with 140,000 m2 (1,500,000 sq ft) of floor space. The Squaire is built on top of the Airport Long-Distance Railway Station and is home to KPMG and two Hilton Hotels. The airport also offers a variety of premium lounges, including first-class lounges, senator lounges, and business lounges.

History and expansion

Frankfurt Airport, or Flughafen Frankfurt Main in German, is Germany's main international airport. It is located in Frankfurt, Germany's fifth-largest city, and covers an area of 2,300 hectares (5,683 acres). The airport is centrally located in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region, Germany's third-largest metropolitan region, which itself is located centrally within the densely populated megalopolis of west-central Europe. Frankfurt Airport is Germany's busiest airport by passenger traffic and is the fourth busiest in Europe.

Frankfurt Airport has a long history, with the world's first airline, Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft (DELAG), founded in Frankfurt am Main in 1909. DELAG then built Frankfurt's first airport, the Airship Base at Rebstock, which opened in 1912 and was primarily used for airships. In 1924, Südwestdeutsche Luftverkehrs AG, which would later become Fraport AG, began operating Frankfurt Airport at the Rebstock site. In 1936, the Rhein-Main Airport, which is the core of today's Frankfurt Airport, began operations. In its early years, the new airport was home to the two largest German airships, LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ 129 Hindenburg. However, the airship era came to an end with the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. During World War II, all foreign airlines left Frankfurt Airport, and control of air traffic was transferred to the Luftwaffe. The Allies destroyed the runway system with airstrikes in 1944, and the Wehrmacht blew up buildings and fuel depots in 1945 before the US Army took control of the airport.

In the post-war period, Frankfurt became a key hub within Western Germany for the American Army. Lufthansa, Germany's major airline, resumed services in 1955 and chose Frankfurt as its main hub due to its central location and the fact that Berlin was located in East Germany at the time. Frankfurt Airport continued to grow and expand over the years. In 1961, it was Europe's second busiest airport, and in 1972, the current Terminal One was opened. The airport's third runway opened in 1984, followed by the second terminal in 1994. Fraport, the operator of Frankfurt Airport, has continued to invest in expansion projects to increase the airport's capacity. In 2005, a major expansion of Terminal 1 was completed, increasing its capacity by four million passengers per year. The Airport City Mall was redesigned and expanded to connect to car parks, the regional train station, and Terminal 1, improving intermodal connections.

Frankfurt Airport's expansion has also included the construction of a fourth runway and a third passenger terminal (Terminal 3), with the goal of increasing the airport's capacity to handle up to 100 million passengers annually. The airport is also enhancing its electromobility infrastructure, with plans to expand charging facilities and introduce electric buses for passenger transport. To address environmental concerns related to aircraft noise and increased pollution, Fraport has developed a ten-point programme that includes promoting alternative modes of transportation, limiting night flights, and funding noise insulation programmes.

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