Frankfurt Airport will open its new Terminal 3 on 22 April 2026, after 10 years of construction. Operator Fraport announced the date on 13 October 2025, with the first departure scheduled for 23 April. The total cost of the project has turned out to be €4bn.
Fraport is now installing 21 security check lanes. Food and shopping areas are being completed, and the baggage handling system is undergoing testing.
A 21-day test operation will run from 27 January to 16 April 2026. Around 8,000 volunteers will trial the terminal. They will test check-in, security controls and the new Sky Line train connection.
Frankfurt is Germany’s busiest airport. It handled more than 200,000 passengers daily at peak times in summer 2025.
“This is a very special moment for Fraport and for me personally,” said Dr Stefan Schulte, Fraport chief executive. “We held the groundbreaking ceremony for Terminal 3 10 years ago, and today we’re standing in one of Europe’s most advanced airport facilities with our sights set firmly on its inauguration on April 22.
Fifty-seven airlines currently based in Terminal 2 will move to Terminal 3. The move will happen in four phases between mid-April and early June 2026. Terminal 2 will then undergo refurbishment for around five years.
Frankfurt – Germany’s second biggest conference city
According to the Meeting & Event Barometer Frankfurt 2024, Frankfurt ranked second among Germany’s most popular cities for congresses and conferences, driven by its accessibility, hotel capacity and concentration of major industries. The city hosted around 74,000 events last year, attracting 7m on-site participants — surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
Business-related events accounted for about 70% of the total, with congresses, conferences and seminars representing 67.5%, a figure above the national average. The city also drew a notably international audience, with 21.3% of delegates coming from abroad — nearly double the German average. Clearly, a new third terminal will be a welcome addition to the city’s connectivity.
Harald Rohr, technical director of Fraport Ausbau Süd, added: “The successful conclusion of this huge project under very challenging conditions sends the strong message that, despite the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and massive disruptions of global supply chains, we’ve succeeded in implementing the new terminal on schedule and on budget.”
