Munich Airport’s new personal transport system (PTS) completed its first trip today (February 23) after members of the press rode between Terminal 2 (T2) and the soon-to-be-commissioned satellite facility.
The automated PTS will run along a 1,250ft track and has the capacity to move 9,000 passengers per hour in each direction. Each train will travel at approximately 16mph between the two buildings. The contract to develop, manufacture, maintain and operate the PTS was awarded to rail manufacturer Bombardier Transportation in November 2011. The new T2 satellite facility will be commissioned in April 2016.
Dr Markus Söder, Bavarian minister of finance and chairman of Munich Airport’s supervisory board, said, “A smoothly functioning airport with excellent global connections is of enormous value to the entire state of Bavaria, the people who live here, and the whole economy. The satellite alone matches the capacity of a mid-sized German airport. When it opens, our airport will be even more attractive. As soon as they arrive, guests from all over the world will get the right impression of Bavarian efficiency – while experiencing a warm welcome.”
Thomas Winkelmann, CEO of the Munich Hub at Lufthansa, said, “Our passengers will travel between T2 and the new satellite facility in less than a minute. That is outstanding performance in terms of comfort and quality. The satellite has five new Lufthansa lounges for our passengers as well as 27 additional pierside boarding gates for maximum convenience.”