For decades, Frankfurt Airport was one of Europe's biggest hubs, handling tens of millions of passengers a year, and it's fair to say that the airport has often been just as ambitious as the airlines that use it. Terminal 1 has been in use and is outdated, used by Lufthansa and its Star Alliance partners. To say the least, it was an uninspiring T2 until recently where most of the carriers that weren't part of Star Alliance operated from.

That all changes with the full opening of Terminal 3. The phased transition, which was implemented from April 22, 2026, is now complete, with all the airlines that previously had operations in Terminal 2 having all shifted to the new terminal as of June 9, 2026. This is a worthwhile improvement you should be aware of if you're traveling through Frankfurt this summer or in the future.

About the Secret of Terminal 3

Terminal 3 is built from scratch to accommodate 19 million passengers annually, up from the 15 million the current terminal 2 can accommodate. In addition to the statistics, the new terminal is an important architectural improvement for an airport that has not been renowned for its architectural flair. It's definitely a newer and more modern design than what Terminal 2 was, with brighter check-in spaces, a more open departures hall, and baggage claim spaces that appear to have been constructed in this decade versus the last.

The entire process of moving to Terminal 3 took place in four separate steps over the past few weeks, so each airline group moved on various dates to avoid any disruption of services while handling a complete terminal shift. The last segment was finished on June 9, when the terminal was officially closed for passengers.

A note of caution for those who travel via the new terminal: it is on the other side of the airport from Terminals 1 and 2, on the opposite end of the parallel runway system. The automated SkyLine people mover is used to get from one terminal to the other, and operates every two minutes, connecting the terminals in as little as 10 minutes. There have been some early reports of reliability to watch, so if you're transferring between terminal zones, it's good to add some buffer to the connection time until you are sure you have a reliable system in consistent use.

Current Airlines in Terminal 3?

The move to Terminal 3 brings together almost all airlines not affiliated with Star or Condor. Other carriers that used to fly from Terminal 2 have also relocated, such as Delta, Emirates, Korean Air, Air France, China Eastern, China Airlines, Saudia, Vietnam Airlines, Middle East Airlines and others. This leads to a cleaner and more modern home for the wide array of international operators that make Frankfurt one of the world's better connected hub airports.

Frankfurt's second biggest carrier Condor is not included in the Terminal 3 picture yet. Currently, the German leisure carrier is based in Terminal 1 and is set to move into Terminal 3 in the summer of 2027. That is still more than a year away, so Condor passengers should be aware that they're still using the older facility for the time being.

During the Lounge Situation, what's open and what's coming are presented

If you are looking to get access to the lounge, then Terminal 3 is still under construction, but the groundwork is being laid. There are currently three lounges in the new terminal:

• SkyTeam Lounge: at 550 square meters (about 6,920 square feet) is open for planes from China Airlines, China Eastern, Delta, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, Saudia and Vietnam Airlines and is in the non-Schengen area.
• Emirates Lounge: Just for Emirates passengers, as the airline does in dedicated lounges around the world.
• Priority Lounge: The non-Schengen Priority Pass and contract lounge for majority of the airlines from Terminal 3.

A conspicuous exception is the lack of any lounges for passengers travelling within the Schengen area or the European Union (EU) by now, which is significant for those travelling within the Schengen area or the EU. To tackle that, an Air France Schengen lounge is confirmed to be under development and is expected to open relatively soon.

What Happens to Terminal 2 Now

As passenger traffic was suspended from Terminal 2, the airport has announced plans for a major redevelopment, which will be a €1.5 billion project and will take off around 2030 and is expected to be finished sometime in the mid-2030s. It looks like Terminal 2 will be idle for most of this decade, as the runway between now and then is quite long.

But the longer-term issue of which airlines will have access to that redeveloped terminal has yet to be resolved. Lufthansa is reportedly interested in buying Terminal 2, which would grant control over two of Frankfurt's three terminals a major operational merger if it comes to fruition. If the airport allows, if it allows just part of it, if it allows several carriers the competition will be different in Frankfurt for years to come.

The impact of this on your next Frankfurt connection

For those who are transiting through Frankfurt on a non-Lufthansa, non-Star Alliance airline in the coming months, it's quite simple: you're in Terminal 3 and there is a lot less fun to be had in Terminal 2. The check-in area is cleaner, the departures hall is lighter, brighter and more spacious with a feel of a travel facility for modern travellers, not retro fitted.

The only known variable is the SkyLine connection between the terminals. 10-minute transit time is fine so long as the service is reliable. Additional buffer time for inter-terminal connections is prudent, especially for tighter layovers, until the system has a track record.

Access planning for lounges: Priority Pass members are welcome to enter the Priority Lounge in the non-Schengen area. Fliers with SkyTeam membership will have their own lounge on qualifying carriers. There's a facility for Emirates passengers. All others will have to wait for now for similar limited options as Air France and possibly Qatar Airways are looking to add their own spaces to the terminal in the next few months.

Here are some things to know about Terminal 3

• All of the former Terminal 2 airlines have been moved to Terminal 3, which is complete on 09 June 2026.
• Terminal 3 capacity: 19 million passengers per year (UP from 15 million in Terminal 2)
• The SkyLine people mover connects Terminal 3 to Terminals 1 and 2 every two minutes, and with a max journey time of 10 minutes.
• Condor will stay in Terminal 1 until summer 2027.
• Currently there are three lounges open: SkyTeam Lounge, Emirates Lounge, and Priority Lounge (all in the non-Schengen zone).
• Air France Schengen lounge confirmed but not open, oneworld/Qatar lounge rumored but not confirmed.

The Bottom Line

The existing Terminal 2 was the one that was beginning to look old and worn after 1994, and is now replaced by Terminal 3 which is fully open and fully functioning. The new facility is indeed a much nicer, larger, and more useful facility for a dozen or so dozen-plus airlines, not Star Alliance, that use it. The lounge facilities are still being updated and at the moment there are no Schengen facilities, but there is hope that they will be added in the coming months. If you're travelling with an airline outside of the Lufthansa network, it's easy to upgrade through Frankfurt.