Munich Airport and Lufthansa are celebrating the 20th anniversary of Terminal 2. The terminal building was jointly planned and financed by Munich Airport and Lufthansa and has been jointly operated since the end of June 2003. This partnership between an airport and an airline remains unique worldwide and has been gradually further developed. In 2016, a satellite building was added to Terminal 2. Terminal 2 and the satellite building are connected via a passenger transport system – a kind of subway under the apron. Over the past 20 years, the Terminal 2 system has been used by around 475 million travelers. A total of 5.1 million flights were handled during that period.
Terminal building at Munich Airport celebrates 20th birthday: 475 million passengers used Terminal 2 in the past two decades
As all speakers pointed out during a ceremony on the building’s visitors’ terrace, Terminal 2 has helped make Munich Airport, which opened in 1992, a major European premium hub.
Albert Füracker, Bavarian Minister for Finance and Supervisory Board Chairman of Munich Airport, was delighted: “Munich Airport’s Terminal 2 represents the extremely successful partnership between the airport and Lufthansa. After 20 years, it still stands for hospitality, comfort, modernity and sustainability. The basis for this success are the many dedicated and friendly employees, who were recently awarded Europe’s best airport staff, and rightly so. Thanks to Terminal 2, Munich Airport has been able to develop into one of the most modern and efficient aviation hubs in the world. As Bavaria’s gateway to the world, Munich Airport is invaluable to Bavaria.
For Jost Lammers, CEO of Munich Airport, Terminal 2 is a visible and tangible expression of the groundbreaking partnership with Lufthansa: “When Munich Airport and Lufthansa joined forces to plan, build and operate a terminal together, they launched something unprecedented in the aviation industry.”
“Terminal 2 at Munich Airport, which we have been operating together with FMG for 20 years now, represents the unique operational and strategic cooperation between the airport company and the Lufthansa Group,” says Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Lufthansa Group. “As Lufthansa’s southern hub, the terminal was at the heart of our successful multi-hub strategy. After 20 years, it is still a leader in quality, premium service and technical innovations. Our passengers appreciate T2 not only for travel to and from Munich, but it is also one of the world’s most popular transfer terminals.”
Munich Airport and Lufthansa operate Terminal 2 and the satellite building through the Terminal 2 Company, in which Munich Airport holds 60 percent and Lufthansa 40 percent of the shares. Lufthansa, together with Star Alliance and its partner airlines, is the exclusive user of the terminal. Since opening, the terminal buildings have regularly received top marks in passenger surveys. Passengers particularly appreciate the high level of passenger comfort, easy orientation, efficient handling and friendly ambiance. This is especially due to the use of state-of-the-art technology in passenger handling – such as biometric facial recognition, the current upgrade to the latest generation of CT scanners at security checkpoints, and the high-performance baggage system.
The enormous success of Terminal 2 and the associated satellite building is evidenced by a look at the traffic statistics. The terminal buildings, which are specially designed for transfer traffic, are currently used by 20 airlines. In addition to Lufthansa and Air Dolomiti, renowned airlines such as Air Canada, All Nippon Airways, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and United Airlines are among those operating here. They offer up to 670 flights daily to and from 149 destinations in 50 countries. A total of 79 check-in counters and 33 baggage machines provide departing passengers with convenient and fast access to one of the 161 gates. Passengers also have access to more than 90 stores and restaurants. In addition, Terminal 2 and the satellite building house twelve Lufthansa lounges covering a total area of almost 9,000 square meters.
The Terminal 2 system buildings meet high environmental standards: Terminal 2 already had a photovoltaic system when it opened in 2003 – at the time it was the world’s largest system at a commercial airport. The satellite building was constructed using state-of-the-art building materials and features innovative heating, cooling and lighting technology. The “climate facades” also make a significant contribution to saving energy. These 4.5-meter-wide areas separate the actual heated or cooled building from the external environment and act as accessible climate buffers. The facade is made of a new kind of glass that allows daylight through, but thanks to a special coating does not heat up excessively in the sun.
