Remaining work now being done and preparations underway for trial operation with volunteers

Fraport AG will officially inaugurate the new Terminal 3 at Frankfurt Airport on April 22, 2026. The airport operator has just reached one of the expansion project’s key milestones by passing the official inspections, which include fire protection. As a result, the new terminal is now officially no longer a construction site – and Fraport can focus on getting it ready to start operations.

Final installations and test runs

Now that the authorities have given the green light, Fraport is entering the final stage of the work. Among other things, it includes installing the security check lanes (there will be a total of 21) with state-of-the-art CT scanners, completing the food and shopping areas, and ongoing testing of the baggage handling system. At the same time, Fraport is making preparations for comprehensive test operation of the new infrastructure. On 21 days between January 27 and April 16, 2026, around 8,000 test passengers are putting the terminal through its paces to make sure that all of its processes mesh seamlessly.

Successful construction despite huge challenges

Frankfurt Airport’s new terminal has taken shape during the decade since the groundbreaking ceremony in October 2015. In its initial configuration with Piers G, H and J it will have capacity for up to 19 million passengers a year. Fraport Ausbau Süd GmbH (FAS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fraport, has been in charge of the construction work. 

After the new terminal opens in the south of Frankfurt Airport in April, airlines will begin using it to operate flights to and from Schengen and non-Schengen destinations. A total of 57 airlines currently based in Terminal 2 will move to T3 in four phases between mid-April and early June.