the Covid-19 pandemic has been delayed, Although construction work at the Terminal 3 of Frankfurt airport due to staff and material shortages, it is impressive the speed at which the complex project progresses. The gate G seems to be at first glance, it’s almost ready. What relates to the outer shell of glass and concrete, is this true almost. There are planes in the series are even close to the Finger, almost as if they should have the same roles to the Boarding of the building.

Jochen Remmert

airport editor and correspondent of the Rhine-Main-Süd.

F. A. Z.

on closer Inspection, the plastic coatings on the fall but on the engines. The reason is that The aircraft are provisionally taken out of service, and the Coatings are designed to protect the engines from damage. The machines are also available at the terminal site, because the North West was taken to the runway back in operation, where a number of non-required aircraft were parked. In view of the fatal effects of the pandemic on the economy and the global air traffic Management of the airport operator Fraport has decided to postpone the commissioning of the third terminal by itself, then further back, if there is no need. Thus, because of the capacity bottlenecks in Frankfurt early gate G will go only in the summer of 2022 in operation, when the passenger volume is useful appear. The Terminal’s main building and to the gates H and J will now be opened at the earliest in the Winter of 2024, and possibly even only to the summer flight plan 2025. Also makes Fraport dependent on demand.

Smart concept of module design

The original second phase of construction of the Frankfurt-based architect Christoph Mäckler in modular design, planned Terminals, the gate G, is first as a solitary structure built. Later, he is connected to the Terminal. The gate G will have a capacity of four to five million passengers in a year. Together with the flight H, and J to rise for the Terminal 3 from 2024 to a capacity of 19 million passengers. With the fourth gate K, which would connect to the West of Terminal 3, would be a capacity of 25 million passengers a year, about as much as the entire düsseldorf airport in 2019 has cleared. Neither there nor in Frankfurt in 2019, comparable to the passenger but with the year numbers in next time to expect seriously. Therefore, it is questionable whether the Terminal 3 in Frankfurt is expanding ever to the fourth gate K. In any case, the Mäckler’s idea of a modular design is also against the Background of the crisis, as a clever concept.

nevertheless, currently, Fraport reported between 1200 and 1500 construction workers, among other things, busy to process daily 8000 cubic meters of concrete, which corresponds approximately to the volume of 5000 tubs, a Fraport spokesman said. If the concrete work is completed and the technical equipment is to be installed, will increase the number of workers who are daily building the Terminal, up to 4000. At the gate H is, in the meantime, also recognize the run-up to the control tower to the formed at the Transition to the Terminal main building. He will soar 70 metres in height.

and Rest in the light-flooded buildings

The up to two and a half-Meter-thick Foundation on which the main building is to rest, is also poured for a long time. The cellar sits now floor on an area of around 40,000 square meters. Since the basement is below the water line, had to first divers in the flooded pit, a Concrete tank, which was then pumped empty.

In the basement are almost housed all of the operating rooms to the floors above hold as completely as possible for the passengers free. So the clearance, but also the shopping and the Rest should be before the flight in the light-flooded buildings, possible, unlike, for example, in the old Terminal 1.