ALL OVER THE WORLD it seems passenger volume breaks records on an annual basis. More and more passengers take to the skies for business and pleasure on an infrastructure seemingly long outpaced by the demand for air travel. Munich Airport is one of the airports where this rings true.

Munich Airport began operations more than 26 years ago, in May 1992. In the following years it witnessed swelling passenger numbers. In 2018 the airport ranked the second-busiest in Germany and the seventh-busiest in all of Europe, accommodating 46.3 million passengers that year.

MUC constantly looks for ways to accommodate more passengers and serve them with more luxury. The airport’s current project includes a total overhaul and expansion of Terminal 1. The project officially got the green light in 2018 and began construction in April this year. The airport fully detailed the current and upcoming projects in a publicly available 2018 integrated report. The theme of the report focuses on finding new ways to accommodate passengers and continue future-proofing the facility.

The upgrades are expected to cost €455 million. The cost will be covered entirely by the airport’s own budget, meaning no outside funding will be used to make the changes. The expansion brings 1.02 million square feet of new floor space, including more than 7,500 square feet of dining and retail space. It also includes a new pier capable of housing 12 aircraft. The terminal will feature four new security checkpoints for U.S.-bound flights. In sharp contrast to the glaring white of the rest of the airport, the new areas feature warm and inviting colors.

Airport access is also set to improve in big ways. Last winter new train lines running directly to the terminal improved and simplified the use of public transportation to the airport. Next, the airport will expand the underground railway tunnels under the airport at an investment of €115 million. By the time infrastructure work is complete, eastern and southeastern Bavaria will enjoy easy access to the airport.

As Munich Airport looks toward the future, officials take seriously the need to build sustainably. Terminal 1’s expansion and all future construction projects are designed with sustainability at the forefront, resulting in reduced energy costs in the years moving forward, airport officials said.