terminal

ONE of Europe’s biggest airport hubs has opened its huge new third terminal – more than a DECADE after works started.

Frankfurt Airport, the busiest in Germany and 6th busiest in Europe, is often used as a stopover airport for long-haul flights.

And its new Terminal 3 has now opened.

Having started works back in 2015, the new terminal is the airport’s biggest project to date.

Costing €4billion (£3.6billion), inside is a main terminal and three concourses adding to Terminal 1 and 2.

Inside are more than 60 shops and restaurants, we well as new automated bag drop areas and improved CT scanners at security.

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Designed by German architect Christoph Mäckler he said he wants to make the terminal feel like a “city in its own right”.

He added: “These days airports have become a destination in their own right. In fact, they typically receive more visitors than many city centres.

“This makes it even more important for airports to also perform some of the same functions as cities. We’re making this happen in Terminal 3.”

Around 57 airlines will move to the new terminal from Terminal 2, which includes Qatar Airways and Cathay Pacific.

There will also be a shuttle between the terminals, taking less than 10 minutes.

Initially it will welcome up to 19million passengers, although this will eventually increase to 25million by June with the opening of the fourth phase.

Frankfurt Airport welcomed 63.2million passengers last year.

Brits can currently fly to Frankfurt with British Airways for £69, whereas Ryanair’s £15 flights go to the smaller Frankfurt-Hahn Airport.

And Condor Airlines launched a new flight route to Frankfurt from London Gatwick this month, the first UK route for the airline.

If you want to explore the city, it even has its own “mini Manhattan,” thanks to its skyscraper financial district.

CNN Travel previously said: “Frankfurt looks and feels more like a modern American city than any other metropolis when people visit Germany.”

Here is another new airport that has recently had a makeover in Europe.

A MAJOR capital city in Africa has revealed its huge new terminal that is about to open – and you can even fly there with Ryanair.

The expansion or Rabat-Sale Airport comes in time for the 2030 FIFA World Cup which will have games hosted in Morocco.

Rabat, a coastal city, is close to finishing the expansion of its terminal that will quadruple the amount of passengers.

It’s part of Morocco’s investment of $2.8 billion (£2.1billion) in its airports to double capacity from 38million to 80million passengers each year by 2030.

Rabat-Sale Airport’s annual capacity alone will go from around 1.5million passengers to 5million.

The whole terminal will be 69,000 square metres and have state-of-the-art facilities – like six telescopic boarding bridges.

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It will have upgraded shops and eating areas, additional aircraft parking positions, and a two-level parking with 1,300 spaces.

The terminal was expected to open years ago, but was subject to delays.

Brits will get to see the upgraded terminal if they fly there with Ryanair as the airline is opening a new base in Rabat in April 2026 and will station two aircraft there.

The service will include a total of 20 routes for the 2026 summer season.

There are direct flights from both London Stansted and Manchester with Ryanair to Rabat from as little as £16.

The expansion has been put in place to take additional passengers in time for the World Cup in four years’ time.

The airport is are five miles outside of Rabat 56 miles away from Casablanca – which city’s airport is also getting an upgrade.

The Mohammed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco is expanding its airport with a new terminal which will be able to handle up to 20million passengers a year.

The new terminal will be in the shape of an ‘H’ and is scheduled to be operational by 2029.

It will have three levels with shops, green spaces, an airport hotel, and a 3,700 metre runway.

Other airports around the country getting expansions and upgrades are in Marrakech, Agadir, Tangier and Fez.

Rabat is the capital of Morocco and sits on the northwestern coast – National Geographic even called it one of its best place to visit in 2026. 

The publication added it to its must-visit spots for this year, calling it the country’s “relaxed Atlantic-coast capital”.

While it’s the capital, Rabat is lesser-known than other places like Marrakech and Agadir.

Rabat still has all the charm of the other spots, just much quieter, so you can stroll around the traditional medina souks without it being so busy.

When it comes to the top things to do, one is visiting Kasbah des Oudaias – a fortress looking over the Atlantic Ocean and Bouregreg River.

Another airport has revealed plans for first long-haul flights in 15 years – with massive £500million investment.

And this mega £27billion airport set to open in 2032 as ‘Heathrow and Dubai rival’ reveals new name.

BRITAIN’s third busiest airport has shut one of the terminals for good.

The terminal, which first opened in 1962, has closed as part of the airport’s £1.3billion transformation.

Manchester airport is turning into a two-terminal operation under the new layout.

All airlines have moved into the expanded Terminal 2, which now handles more than 75% of passengers, while Ryanair flights will operate solely from Terminal 3.

Chris Woodroofe, managing director of Manchester Airport, said: “While this is the end of an era for Terminal 1, it’s really the start of a whole new chapter for Manchester Airport.

“We’re proud to connect the North to the world and our £1.3bn investment in Terminal 2 means that we’re now bigger and better than ever – serving our passengers in a setting that rivals any airport Terminal across Europe.

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“It’s also allowing us to continue our growth and operate more flights to more destinations every single day. And we’ve achieved this at the same as making things more simple and straightforward for our passengers.

The closure also frees up space for new facilities at the airport, including hundreds of extra seats, a new bar called Sporting Chance and an Italian restaurant.

More than 2,000 signs across the airport have been replaced to reflect the changes, alongside a new parking system where all car parks are labelled P1 to P16 to make them easier to find.

The redevelopment forms part of the long-running Manchester Airport Transformation Programme, launched in 2015 to modernise the airport for future growth.

The first phase of the revamped Terminal 2 opened in 2021, with the full expansion completed in 2025, paving the way for Terminal 1 to be decommissioned.

The overhaul comes as Manchester Airport continues to grow, serving a record 32 million passengers in 2025.

This February has become the busiest on record with more than 2.05 million travellers.