Frankfurt Airport currently uses two passenger terminals, numbered 1 and 3. Terminal 2 has been closed for some time.

Terminals 1 and 3 are situated on opposite sides of the airport and are separated by two runways. It is not possible to walk between them; the SkyLine automated train is used for this purpose.

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Quick guide

Terminal 1 is mainly used by Lufthansa, other Star Alliance airlines and Condor. It is significantly larger, older and more complex.

Departure gates are marked with the letters A, B, C and Z. Gates A and Z are located on the same long pier, one above the other. Section A is used for flights within the Schengen area, whilst the Z gates are designated for flights outside the Schengen area.

It is in Terminal 1 that you should expect the longest walking distances. The journey between the more distant sections alone can take around 20 minutes.

Terminal 3 opened on 23 April 2026. It has a simpler layout and features departure gates G, H and J.

Gates H are used for flights within the Schengen area, gates J for flights outside the Schengen area, and part of Gate G can handle both types of flights.

Terminal 2 has been closed to passengers since 9 June 2026. Neither check-in nor departures take place here. The extensive refurbishment is expected to last until the mid-2030s.

The SkyLine station and part of Terminal 2’s technical facilities remain in operation, so the T2 designation may still appear on the route between Terminals 1 and 3.

Which terminal does your airline use?

Terminal allocation depends on the operating airline. For codeshare flights, therefore, check the ‘operated by’ detail, not just the airline code at the start of the flight number.

The following list is current as at 24 July 2026.

Terminal 1

• Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air Dolomiti, Air India, airBaltic, AJet, ANA, Anima Wings, Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Condor, Croatia Airlines, Discover Airlines, EL AL, EgyptAir, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, ITA Airways, LATAM Airlines Chile, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Lufthansa City, Singapore Airlines, SunExpress, SWISS, TAP Air Portugal, Thai Airways International, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines.

Condor will remain in Terminal 1 for the time being, but will move to Terminal 3 in the summer of 2027.

Terminal 3

Aer Lingus, Air Algérie, Air Anka, Air Astana, Air Cairo, Air Europa, Air France, Air Montenegro, Air Serbia, American Airlines, British Airways, Bulgaria Air, Cathay Pacific, Centrum Air, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Corendon Airlines, Delta, easyJet, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Finnair, FlyErbil, Freebird Airlines, Gulf Air, HiSky, Iberia, Icelandair, JAL Japan Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Kuwait Airways, LEAV, MEA Middle East Airlines, MIAT Mongolian Airlines, Nesma Airlines, Nile Air, Nouvelair, Oman Air, Pegasus Airlines, Qanot Sharq, Qatar Airways, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian Airlines, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, SATA Azores Airlines, Saudia, SKY Express, SkyUp Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Star East Airlines, T’Way Air, TAROM, TUI fly, Tunisair, Turkmenistan Airlines, Uzbekistan Airways and Vietnam Airlines.

You can also find the current terminal, check-in area and counters in the official list of airlines.

Connecting flights

Frankfurt is a huge airport and can sometimes be quite chaotic. However, it’s still more organised than, say, Paris CDG Airport.

The biggest problem isn’t the signage, but the long distances, passport control and the fact that regional aircraft are often parked at remote stands away from the terminal building.

The bus journey from the aircraft can add another 15 minutes to what would otherwise be a short connection.

Is 60 minutes enough for a connection in Frankfurt?

If you’re travelling on a single booking and don’t need to change terminals, 60 minutes is enough.

The minimum connection time (MCT) is not a recommendation from the airport. It is the shortest connection that the booking system will allow you to purchase on a single ticket.

This time also includes the time taken to disembark from the first flight. Furthermore, boarding for the next flight closes before the scheduled departure time. Consequently, even with an hour’s connection, you may not have as much as 40 minutes left to get between gates.

I consider the following to be a reasonable buffer:

• 60 minutes: a single-booking connection without changing terminals
• 90 minutes: a standard connection on a single booking within the same terminal
• 2 hours: transfer between Terminals 1 and 3, or a transfer involving passport control and security checks
• 3 hours or more: separately purchased tickets with no guaranteed connection

My actual connections in Frankfurt

Frankfurt is the airport I connect through most often, so I know it very well.

From my own experience, I know that connections can be made even more quickly.

Usually, I’ve needed less than 40 minutes to transfer between two ‘Schengen’ flights.

For connecting to flights to the US, 50–60 minutes was plenty.

The longest time is always taken up by transfers from flights outside the Schengen area to flights within the Schengen area, where there are often long queues at passport control. Here, 60–90 minutes is standard.

How the transfer works

After disembarking, follow the yellow ‘Transfer’ signs and the number of your departure gate. Do not head towards ‘Baggage Claim’ or ‘Exit’ unless you need to collect your luggage.

The information screens display not only your connecting flight but also the estimated walking time to the gate. This is more useful for a short transfer than a general map of the airport.

If you do not have a boarding pass for your connecting flight, you can collect it from the airline’s transfer desk or at the departure gate.

Do I need to collect my luggage?

When travelling on a single booking, checked-in luggage is usually forwarded to your final destination. This also applies when transferring between Terminals 1 and 3.

Always check the destination airport on the tag you receive at check-in.

If you have to wait overnight between flights, choose accommodation based on your departure terminal.

For Terminal 1, the most convenient hotels are those right next to The Squaire, whilst for Terminal 3, look for accommodation with its own transport to the terminal.

• 👉 Hotels near Frankfurt Airport by price

Passport and security checks

The exact procedure depends on your country of arrival, your country of departure and whether you are staying in the same transit area.

Schengen <-> Schengen

The simplest type of transfer.

• Security check: no
• Passport control: no
• Luggage during the transfer: will be transferred automatically

Schengen -> Non-Schengen

You are transferring from a country within the Schengen Area (e.g. Poland, Romania, France, etc.) to a country outside the Schengen Area (the UK, the USA, Canada, Asia, etc.)

• Security check: no
• Passport control: yes
• Luggage during transit: will be transferred automatically

Non-Schengen → Schengen

You are transferring from a country outside Europe (or the UK, Turkey, etc.) to a country within the Schengen Area.

• security check
  • No – upon arrival from the following countries: Canada, Cyprus, Ireland, Jersey, Montenegro, Singapore, the USA, the United Kingdom
  • Yes – upon arrival from all other countries outside the EU/Schengen Area
• Passport control: yes
• Luggage on transfer: will be transferred automatically

Non-Schengen <-> Non-Schengen

These connecting flights are also very common in Frankfurt (for example, USA <-> Turkey, etc.)

• security check
  • ​​​​​​​No– upon arrival from the following countries: Canada, Cyprus, Ireland, Jersey, Montenegro, Singapore, the USA, the United Kingdom
  • Yes – on arrival from all other countries outside the EU/Schengen area
• Passport control: yes
• Luggage on transfer: will be transferred automatically

Are you continuing your journey?

On our website, you’ll find detailed guides on how transport from the airport works and what to do immediately upon arrival at your next destination:

Personally, I’ve travelled on from Frankfurt to places such as:

• 👉 Barcelona – top places to see
• 👉 Tokyo – an itinerary for a 3-day visit
• 👉 Hong Kong – who can enter without a visa?

If you’re travelling to another country, it’s worth making sure you have mobile data sorted before you land:

Get an international eSIM before you fly

Transfer between Terminals 1 and 3

The SkyLine automated train runs free of charge between Terminals 1 and 3.

• Operating hours: approximately 4:00 to 23:00
• Frequency: every 2 to 3 minutes
• Journey time: 8 minutes
• Price: free
• Public area / transit: both; the shuttle operates on both the airside and landside, so you can transfer between terminals without leaving the transit area

Outside SkyLine’s operating hours, replacement buses provide the service.

The trains have separate sections for Schengen and non-Schengen passengers. You should therefore follow the signs for your departure gate and not automatically enter the first section of the station that you see.

On some transit routes, you will need to change between the original SkyLine service and the new SkyLine service at Terminal 2 station. This does not mean that you are entering a closed terminal.

The journey itself takes just 8 minutes, but allow at least 30 minutes from gate to gate, assuming there are no queues.

There is no pedestrian route between Terminals 1 and 3.

Do I need a German visa when transferring?

When transferring from a non-Schengen flight to another non-Schengen flight, you may remain in the international transit area without entering Germany.

You must meet the standard conditions for entry into the Schengen Area if:

• you are continuing your journey to a Schengen country
• you are collecting checked-in luggage
• you have separate flight tickets requiring a new check-in
• you wish to leave the airport during your transit

Map of Frankfurt Airport

The official interactive map can help you find your way between specific gates, security checkpoints, SkyLine stations and other facilities.

• Interactive map of Frankfurt Airport
• Official information on transfers