Frankfurt Airport (FRA) Guide: Terminals 1 and 3, Connections and Trains
Frankfurt Airport, Frankfurt, Germany: terminals, getting to the city, security, lounges and connections.
Quick answer: As of November 2026, Frankfurt's passengers use Terminal 1 and the new Terminal 3, which opened on 23 April 2026. Lufthansa, United and most Star Alliance airlines are in Terminal 1. The airlines that used Terminal 2, including Delta, British Airways, Air France, KLM and Emirates, moved to Terminal 3 by 9 June 2026, and Terminal 2 has closed for modernization. The Sky Line train links Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 in about eight minutes. The S-Bahn reaches Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof in about 15 minutes. US travellers register in the EU Entry/Exit System at their first Schengen airport; ETIAS is not in force yet.
Facts checked November 2026. Schedules and entry rules change, so confirm with the airline and the official government site before you travel.
FRA at a glance
| Terminal 1 | Lufthansa, United, most Star Alliance airlines, Turkish Airlines, Eurowings and Condor |
|---|---|
| Terminal 3 | Opened April 2026; Delta, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Emirates and the other former Terminal 2 airlines |
| Terminal 2 | Closed to passengers for a multi-year modernization |
| Between terminals | Sky Line people mover, Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 in about eight minutes |
| Into Frankfurt | S-Bahn S8 and S9 from the regional station under Terminal 1, about 15 minutes to Hauptbahnhof |
| Border for US citizens | EES registration (fingerprints and face image) at first Schengen entry; no passport stamp |
| ETIAS | Not in operation and no start date announced as of November 2026 |
Which terminal at Frankfurt?
Terminal 1 is Lufthansa's home. United, Air Canada and most other Star Alliance airlines use it too, as do Turkish Airlines, Eurowings and Condor. If you fly United from the US and connect to Lufthansa, you stay in Terminal 1.
Terminal 3 is the new building on the south side of the airport. It opened for regular flights on 23 April 2026, and the 57 airlines that used Terminal 2 moved there in phases that finished on 9 June 2026. Among them are Delta, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Iberia, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Korean Air and Cathay Pacific. Condor plans to move to Terminal 3 in 2027.
Terminal 3 has three piers. Pier G handles both Schengen and non-Schengen flights, Pier H is for Schengen flights and Pier J for non-Schengen flights, which includes flights to the US. Terminal 2 has closed to passengers while it is modernized, so older maps and bookings that show Terminal 2 are out of date.
Check the terminal on your booking before you set off, because Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 are far apart and Terminal 3 has no train station of its own.
The Sky Line and moving between terminals
The Sky Line is a driverless people mover. The new line runs from Terminal 1 via Terminal 2 to Terminal 3, and Fraport says the trip between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 takes about eight minutes, with trains about every two minutes.
The new line was suspended for technical checks in late May 2026, a few weeks after it opened, and buses replaced it until it returned in mid-June. In June 2026 Fraport said it would pause the line overnight, roughly from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., with shuttle buses running instead, until further notice. If you are connecting late at night, check the current arrangement and allow extra time for the bus.
Terminal 3 has its own bus station in front of the building for local buses and shuttles, and road access with its own parking garage. Rail passengers reach Terminal 3 by riding the Sky Line from Terminal 1.
Connection times at Frankfurt
Frankfurt is built for connections, and many itineraries from the US change here. On a single ticket, the airline sets the minimum connection time and will only sell you a connection it expects you to make.
What adds time is the border. If you arrive from the US and fly on to another Schengen country, such as Italy or Spain, you pass German passport control at Frankfurt, and if it is your first entry under the EU Entry/Exit System you also register there. A connection between Terminal 1 and Terminal 3 adds the Sky Line ride and can mean another security check.
Going home, a flight from a Schengen city that connects in Frankfurt to the US means passport exit control at Frankfurt before you reach the non-Schengen gates. For a Lufthansa or United connection inside Terminal 1, the airline's minimum is usually workable. For a Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 change, or on separate tickets, give yourself a good deal more than the minimum.
EES and ETIAS for US travellers
The EU's Entry/Exit System went live on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational at all external Schengen borders since 10 April 2026. US citizens on a short stay are covered. At your first entry or exit under EES, the border police record your passport details, fingerprints and a facial image. Later crossings only need a quick check, and passports are no longer stamped.
First registration takes longer than a stamp did, so allow extra time on arrival, particularly if Frankfurt is your first Schengen stop since April 2026.
ETIAS, the separate online travel authorization for visa-free visitors such as Americans, is not in operation. As of November 2026 no start date has been announced, and the EU says it will give the date several months in advance. Check travel-europe.europa.eu, and ignore any site asking you to pay for ETIAS now.
Getting into Frankfurt and onward by train
Frankfurt Airport has two train stations, both next to Terminal 1. The regional station, below Terminal 1, serves the S-Bahn lines S8 and S9 and regional trains; the S-Bahn reaches Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof in about 15 minutes and runs every 15 minutes in the daytime and every 30 minutes at night. The long-distance station, about a five-minute walk from Terminal 1, has ICE and InterCity trains to Cologne, Munich and other German cities, and ICE trains to Hauptbahnhof take about 10 minutes.
From Terminal 3, ride the Sky Line to Terminal 1 for both stations. Taxis wait at every terminal, and the drive into the city center depends on traffic on the autobahns around the airport.
If you land late, check the night timetable before you leave the terminal: the S-Bahn keeps running at night but less often, and from Terminal 3 the Sky Line is replaced by shuttle buses in the small hours.
Lounges in Terminal 1 and Terminal 3
Lufthansa runs most of the lounges in Terminal 1, including its First Class Terminal, First Class Lounges, Senator Lounges and Business Lounges, which Star Alliance premium passengers can use under the alliance rules. United passengers flying in business class use them too.
In Terminal 3, SkyTeam opened a lounge in the non-Schengen area in April 2026, which serves Delta, Korean Air and other SkyTeam airlines. Emirates has its own lounge, and a Priority Lounge in the non-Schengen area serves Priority Pass members and passengers of many other airlines. Air France has also announced a Schengen-area lounge; check whether it is open before you rely on it.
Entry rules depend on your ticket, alliance status and card, and lounge hours vary. Check before you go, and remember the Schengen and non-Schengen areas are separated by passport control.
Route guides to Frankfurt (FRA)
Frequently asked questions
Which terminal is Delta at Frankfurt?
Terminal 3. Delta moved there from Terminal 2 with the other former Terminal 2 airlines between April and June 2026.
Which terminal is United at Frankfurt?
Terminal 1, with Lufthansa and most other Star Alliance airlines.
Is Frankfurt Terminal 2 closed?
Yes. After its airlines moved to Terminal 3 by 9 June 2026, Terminal 2 closed to passengers for a multi-year modernization.
How do I get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 at Frankfurt?
Take the Sky Line people mover, which Fraport says takes about eight minutes. Late at night, roughly 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., shuttle buses have been running instead, so check on the day.
What is the minimum connection time at Frankfurt?
It depends on your airline and terminals, and on a single ticket the airline sets it. Allow more when you change terminals or cross from non-Schengen to Schengen.
Do Americans need ETIAS for Germany?
Not yet. ETIAS is not in operation and no start date has been announced as of November 2026. You do register in the EU Entry/Exit System at your first Schengen border.
How long is the train from Frankfurt Airport to the city center?
About 15 minutes on the S8 or S9 S-Bahn from the regional station under Terminal 1 to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, or about 10 minutes on an ICE from the long-distance station.
