Munich's Airport: An International Gateway To Germany

what airport is in munich germany

Munich International Airport, also known as Franz Josef Strauss International Airport, is an international airport serving Munich and Upper Bavaria. It is Germany's second busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic after Frankfurt Airport, handling 47.9 million passengers in 2019. The airport is located 28.5km northeast of Munich, near the town of Freising.

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Munich Airport is one of the busiest in Europe

Munich Airport, officially known as Flughafen München or MUC for short, is one of the busiest airports in Europe. Located nearly 30 kilometres outside of Munich, Germany, in the town of Freising, it is the second busiest airport in Germany in terms of passenger traffic. It is also the tenth-busiest airport in Europe, handling 47.9 million passengers in 2019.

Munich Airport is a major hub for Lufthansa, which has established several short- and long-haul connections through the airport. In March 2025, Lufthansa operated 4,802 flights and offered nearly a million seats through Munich Airport, making it a significant German megahub. The airport also serves as a base for Condor and TUI fly Deutschland, and several other airlines have established operations at the airport in recent years, including Discover Airlines, easyJet, and Eurowings.

The airport covers 15.6 square kilometres of land and features two passenger terminals and two parallel runways, each 4,000 metres long. Together, the runways handle 90 aircraft movements per hour. In 2015, the airport handled more than 40 million passengers for the first time, and in 2025, it was named the "Best Airport in Central Europe" at the Skytrax World Airport Awards.

Munich Airport has continued to expand and improve its facilities to accommodate growing passenger numbers and flight movements. In 2003, the airport completed construction on Terminal 2, which was projected to handle 27.5 million passengers annually. Since then, the airport has prepared for a new satellite terminal with a projected cost of 650 million euros.

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It is officially known as 'Flughafen München'

Munich Airport, officially known as Flughafen München, is an international airport serving Munich and Upper Bavaria. It is Germany's second-busiest airport in terms of passenger traffic after Frankfurt Airport, handling 47.9 million passengers in 2019. The airport is located 28.5km (17.7 mi) northeast of Munich, near the town of Freising. It is named after former Bavarian minister-president Franz Josef Strauss, who was a long-time advocate for bringing the aviation industry to Bavaria.

Flughafen München GmbH, which owns and operates Munich Airport, is a limited liability company with the State of Bavaria as the primary shareholder (51%), followed by the Federal Republic of Germany (26%) and the City of Munich (23%). The airport has two passenger terminals and two parallel runways, handling 90 aircraft movements per hour. Terminal 1 is the older section, used by airlines such as Air France, British Airways, Condor, and Eurowings. Terminal 2, operational since 2003, was planned and constructed in collaboration with Lufthansa, catering primarily to Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance partners.

Munich Airport has been recognised for its excellence, becoming the first airport outside of Asia to be ranked as a 5-Star Airport by Skytrax in 2015. It was also named the "Best Airport in Central Europe" at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2025. The airport offers a wide range of dining and shopping options, including 60 restaurants and 150 shops. Additionally, there are two hotels on-site, the Hilton Munich Airport and the Novotel, along with napcabs available for rent in Terminal 2 for short rests or undisturbed work.

Munich Airport serves as a hub for Lufthansa and its subsidiaries, Condor, and TUI fly Deutschland. Various airlines have established bases at the airport, including Condor, Transavia, and Eurowings. The airport provides convenient transportation options, with the Lufthansa Express Bus offering an affordable connection to the city centre and the A92 motorway providing a direct route.

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The airport is located 28.5km outside the city

Munich Airport is located 28.5km northeast outside of Munich, Germany, near the town of Freising. It is usually referred to as "Flughafen München" or simply "MUC", its IATA code. The airport is named after Franz Josef Strauss, a prominent figure in West German politics and a long-time Minister-President (Governor) of the state of Bavaria.

The airport is Germany's second busiest in terms of passenger traffic, after Frankfurt Airport, handling 47.9 million passengers in 2019. It is the main airport for passengers visiting Bavaria and serves as a hub for Lufthansa and its subsidiaries. Munich Airport has been recognised for its excellence, becoming the first airport outside of Asia to be ranked as a 5-Star Airport by Skytrax in 2015. It was also named "Best Airport in Central Europe" at the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2025.

The airport has two passenger terminals and two parallel runways, both 4,000 metres in length, handling 90 aircraft movements per hour. Terminal 2, which has been operational since 2003, was voted the best terminal in the world at the World Airport Awards in 2017. It boasts a modern design and offers a wide range of shops and restaurants. The main airport building is divided into Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, connected by the Munich Airport Centre.

Travellers can conveniently access Munich Airport via the S-Bahn, Lufthansa Express Bus, taxi, or the A92 motorway, which provides a direct connection to the city. The airport also features a variety of dining and accommodation options, including traditional Bavarian restaurants and hotels on-site.

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It has two terminals and two runways

Munich Airport, officially known as Munich International Airport, is a large and busy airport located 28.5km northeast of Munich, Germany. It is the second-busiest airport in Germany in terms of passenger traffic, after Frankfurt Airport, and the tenth-busiest airport in Europe, handling 47.9 million passengers in 2019. It is also the world's 15th busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic.

Munich Airport has two terminals and two runways. Terminal 1 is the older section of the airport and is used by airlines such as Air France, British Airways, Condor, and Eurowings. Terminal 2 has been operational since 2003 and was planned and constructed in collaboration with Lufthansa. Therefore, Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance partners primarily fly from this terminal. Both terminals are connected by the Munich Airport Centre, which offers a wide range of shopping and dining options.

The two runways at Munich Airport are parallel and are both 4,000 meters in length. Together, they handle 90 aircraft movements per hour. The airport covers an area of 15.6 square kilometers and handles flights to 248 destinations worldwide.

The airport is named after Franz Josef Strauss, a prominent figure in West German politics and a long-time Minister-President (Governor) of the state of Bavaria. Strauss played a significant role in the development of the aviation industry in Bavaria and was one of the fathers of the Airbus project.

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Lufthansa has a hub at Munich Airport

Lufthansa established a hub at Munich Airport to complement its main hub at Frankfurt Airport, which was suffering from capacity limits. The airline offers several short- and long-haul connections through Munich, serving more European destinations from Munich Airport than from Frankfurt Airport. Lufthansa's long-haul routes from Munich include major destinations in North America and Asia, such as San Francisco and Osaka.

Lufthansa has a strong presence at Munich Airport, with a Flight Operations Center and a large Lufthansa Technik maintenance facility that can handle up to six Boeing 747s simultaneously. The airline also co-operates Terminal 2 at the airport, which is exclusively used by Lufthansa and its Star Alliance partners. Terminal 2 has a design capacity of 25 million passengers per year and is designed to provide easy access for passengers, with a central plaza for checking in, security screening, and transferring between flights.

In recent years, Lufthansa has strengthened its hub at Munich Airport, transferring some long-haul routes to the airport and making it the base for the A380. The airline has also introduced new services and increased frequencies to various destinations, further solidifying Munich Airport's position as a leading transportation hub in Europe.

Frequently asked questions

Munich International Airport, also known as Franz Josef Strauss International Airport. The airport's IATA code is MUC.

Munich Airport is located 28.5km (17.7 miles) northeast of Munich, near the town of Freising.

You can get to and from Munich Airport by taxi, S-Bahn, bus, or car. The Lufthansa Express Bus provides an affordable, convenient return journey to and from the city centre, stopping at Munich's Nordfriedhof cemetery and the Central Station.

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