Munich Airport is preparing to expand its Terminal 1, which it says will handle an extra 6 million passengers a year. With the construction of a new pier and central building complex, work will commence in 2018 and the terminal is expected to be in operation by 2020. At a cost of €400m (US$425m), officials say it will be comparable to building a new airport from scratch.
The new pier will be linked to the existing A and B modules of Terminal 1, and will extend 320m into the German airport’s western apron. It will have stands to handle up to 12 aircraft, with two equipped for Airbus A380 superjumbos. The design will be based on a three-level structure, with a core adjoining the existing Terminal 1 and the pier.
The baggage claim area and departure gates for aircraft not using the pier will be located at the apron level, which will be connected to the existing terminal at Module B. The core building will house the central security and passport control facilities, with new restaurants and shops. Arriving passengers will be channeled through the level above the departure area, where attractively designed and spacious lounges are also planned.
Dr Markus Söder, the Bavarian finance minister and chairman of Munich Airport’s supervisory board, said, “The planned expansion will bring Terminal 1 right up to date. The added capacity will be equivalent to the annual traffic of a mid-sized German airport, such as Hanover. This will help Bavaria’s gateway to the world remain competitive and keep pace with the growth in passenger demand.”
Michael Kerkloh, CEO of Munich Airport, added, “With the expansion of Terminal 1, we are taking an important step to secure the future of our airport. For the airlines already operating here, we are opening up long-term growth perspectives while creating space for new ones that want to offer flights to and from Munich in the future.”
