Frankfurt Airport has opened its long-awaited Terminal 3. The €4bn facility, designed by German architect Christoph Mäckler, was formally inaugurated by airport operator Fraport on April 22, with passenger operations beginning the following morning.
The first aircraft to use the new terminal was China Southern Airlines flight CZ8021 from Shenyang, which arrived at 0525hrs and was handled at stand J3. Fraport said 12 arrivals and 12 departures, carrying around 6,000 passengers, were scheduled through Terminal 3 on its first day of operation.
Terminal 3 will initially provide capacity for up to 19 million passengers per year, using Piers G, H, and J. A later expansion phase, including the addition of Pier K, could increase annual capacity to 25 million passengers. The facility includes automated baggage check-in, CT security screening, 64 shops and restaurants, and shorter walking routes through the building.
The new facility will take over airlines previously based in Terminal 2, with the relocation to be carried out in four waves and completed by June 9. Among the first carriers to move are Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Korean Air and Qatar Airways. Condor, Frankfurt’s second-largest airline, is scheduled to switch to Terminal 3 in summer 2027, while Lufthansa Group and its Star Alliance partners will remain in Terminal 1.
