Munich Airport welcomed its one-billionth passenger in May 2026 — a fitting marker for Germany's quality hub: 43.4 million passengers in 2025, the largest absolute growth in the German-speaking world, and a brand-new Terminal 1 pier opened in July 2026 with capacity for six million more.
Munich's 2025: 43.4 million passengers (+4.4%), 337,450 movements (+3.1%), an 80.9% seat load factor, and cargo at 340,000 tonnes — above pre-crisis levels. Revenue hit a record ~€1.8 billion and net profit €169 million. European traffic grew 4.3%; long-haul surged 8.5%, with the US alone accounting for 2.1 million passengers.
The network spans 230+ destinations in 70+ countries on 84 airlines. Munich is Lufthansa's second hub — the southern counterweight to Frankfurt — and Europe's only five-star airport (Skytrax) outside Asia for much of the past two decades.
The €665-million Terminal 1 expansion — construction since 2019 — opened in July 2026: a 360-meter, six-level pier of 95,000 m² handling up to six million additional passengers a year, with CT-scanner security, twelve short/medium-haul or six widebody positions, and some 40 international airlines (American, BA, Delta, Emirates, Turkish, Qatar among them).
The pier adds two flagship lounges — the two-story Airport Lounge World with Alpine-panorama views, and a dedicated Emirates lounge — effectively upgrading the non-Schengen experience to match the Terminal 2 standard the airport built its reputation on.
The S-Bahn serves the airport directly: S1 and S8 alternate to the Hauptbahnhof in 35–45 minutes, with 20-minute combined headways. The Lufthansa Express Bus runs nonstop to the Hauptbahnhof. Driving is 30 km north on the A92.
The planned second S-Bahn trunk line will introduce express airport services (the proposed S23X Mering–Airport) — cutting center-to-gate times meaningfully when it opens. Until then, allow the full 45 minutes and an S-Bahn delay buffer at peak.
Munich is the connection airport to choose in Germany when your itinerary touches the Alps, Austria or the Balkans — the T2/Satellite transfer experience remains the benchmark Frankfurt can't match. Two practical notes: the new T1 pier moved several carriers, so check your terminal before heading out (T1 vs T2 are different buildings); and if you're flying long-haul in peak summer, the pier's centralized CT security is fast, but passport queues at peak US departure banks still build — arrive three hours out. Flying in for Oktoberfest: land by Thursday; the Friday-before-opening arrival wave is legendary.