Munich Airport has announced that the grand opening ceremony for its new Terminal 1 Pier will be held on 13 April.
The new building, which is one of Bavaria’s largest infrastructure projects, will provide additional capacity for up to six million passengers per year, and extends over a length of around 360 metres into the airport’s west apron – covering roughly 95,000 square metres.
Financed entirely through 665 million EUR of Munich Airport’s own resources; the new pier is capable of handling up to twelve short- and medium-haul aircraft or six wide-body aircraft at any one time, and features advanced handling areas on a total of six levels, three of which are dedicated entirely to passenger processes.
Each handling area has been equipped with new CT technology, waiting areas, commercial spaces for retail and specially designed relaxation and recreation zones.
The new T1 Pier will also contain a set of two exclusive lounges: the 1,200-square-metre Airport Lounge World, which extends over two floors and provides a range of culinary options, gallery level, children’s play area, workspaces and resting areas. The second lounge will be operated by Emirates, and is set to span an area of approximately 900 square metres.
Jost Lammers, CEO of Munich Airport, said:With our new pier, we are making a targeted investment in the future viability of our airport. The pier not only strengthens our capacities, but also sets new standards in quality, efficiency, and passenger comfort- especially for non-Schengen traffic.
The pier is a central element of our long-term infrastructure strategy.
Starting from 21 April, passengers from roughly 40 airlines serving non-Schengen destinations will travel via the pier.
Since October, extensive trials have taken place alongside final construction work, which aimed to provide key insight for the start of operations. They were conducted under realistic conditions, and involved the participation of more than 1,500 test passengers over the course of several months.
Throughout the trials, future processes were thoroughly tested, and all operational organisation was prepared for regular operations. Interim conclusions were deemed positive, with the Airport stating that feedback confirms the infrastructure and processes ensure stable, high-quality passenger handling, while specific areas for optimisation were also identified.
Testing also included the involvement of a number of employees from the airport group, airlines, and service providers who will be working at the pier in the future. Two large-scale emergency drills were also conducted to test procedures, communication and responsiveness under challenging conditions.
Further test runs are planned to take place before full operation beings – particularly to prepare for the arrival process. The Entry Exit System for non-Schengen passengers, which was introduced at the end of 2025, will play a key role in testing procedures under realistic conditions during an early stage.
Albert Füracker, Bavarian Minister of Finance and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Munich Airport, said:The new Terminal 1 Pier at Munich Airport stands for a premium expansion of our five-star airport and for Bavaria as an attractive, future-oriented business region.
Financed entirely from our own resources, the upcoming opening crowns the completion of a huge location project. With state-of-the-art technology and generous spaces, the new pier offers mobility, comfort, and sustainability at the highest level.
