20th anniversary of Terminal 2 at Munich Airport
Terminal 2 at Munich Airport
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Terminal 2 at Munich Airport. The terminal was planned and financed by Munich Airport and Lufthansa in 2003.
Albert Füracker, Bavarian Minister for Finance and Supervisory Board Chairman of Munich Airport, said in a June 29 release: “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.”
During an event to mark the occasion, speakers commented on how the addition of Terminal 2 helped transform Munich Airport into a major European hub.
“When Munich Airport and Lufthansa joined forces to plan, build and operate a terminal together, they launched something unprecedented in the aviation industry,” said Jost Lammers, CEO of Munich Airport.
A satellite building was added to Terminal 2 in 2016, the release detailed. The terminal and satellite building are connected “via a passenger transport system — a kind of subway under the apron,” the release said, adding that “over the past 20 years, the Terminal 2 system has been used by around 475 million travellers. A total of 5.1 million flights were handled during that period.”
For Lufthansa, the terminal acts as a “southern hub,” Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board of the Lufthansa Group, said in the release. He continued: “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.”
Terminal 2 and the satellite building are operated 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” due to the “high level of passenger comfort, easy orientation, efficient handling and friendly ambiance,” the release said.
Twenty airlines use the terminal buildings currently including Air Canada, All Nippon Airways, EVA Air, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and United Airlines. Cumulatively, “They offer up to 670 flights daily to and from 149 destinations in 50 countries,” the release said. “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 “climate facades” in the Terminal 2 system building make a significant contribution to saving energy, the release explained. “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.”
