Lufthansa is reportedly planning a major expansion at Munich Airport. According to the news magazine “Focus”, the airline intends to add capacity for ten million extra passengers per year. The project involves extending Terminal 2 with a “T‑arm”. A letter of intent was signed in 2019, but the construction was put on hold because of the COVID‑19 pandemic. Now, “Focus” reports that the plans are moving forward again, this time as a joint venture just as it was for the original Terminal 2 build. Seventy‑five years after it was founded, Lufthansa holds 40 % of the venture, while Munich Airport GmbH holds 60 %.
Monday saw a celebration at Munich Airport to mark Lufthansa’s 100th anniversary. Party‑goers included Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder (CSU). Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr had revealed a message for the event earlier.
The decision to invest in Munich is a setback for Frankfurt, which is also in talks about a similar expansion. With Munich now winning the bid, Frankfurt’s plans appear to be on hold for the time being. Spohr had already stressed that “there is no need for both” and that the group wants to grow only one of its two German hubs-either Frankfurt or Munich-enough to justify a major infrastructure upgrade.
To handle the additional passenger traffic, Spohr argues that a third runway at Munich is essential. “We owe it to the next generation to keep this option open” he said at a reception hosted by Bavarian Finance Minister Albert Füracker (CSU) at the Munich Residenz.
Spohr also demands a high‑speed ICE link to improve connectivity to the airport. The idea has been debated for years but has yet to materialise. With the terminal expansion, Lufthansa is now pressing Deutsche Bahn to make the ICE connection a reality.
