Press:  Airport network “A4I” announces winners of first startup call

Today marks the first time that the five-star airline Cathay Pacific will offer flights between Munich and Hong Kong. The renowned Asian airline will connect these economic powerhouses four times a week — on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays — using a modern, fuel-efficient Airbus A350-900. 

This year, Munich Airport is celebrating a special anniversary together with Continental Airlines, now part of United Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and All Nippon Airways (ANA): For 15 years, a continuous partnership has existed with these three Star Alliance carriers. This collaboration reinforces Munich's position as a premium hub in international aviation.

Starting today, Kazakh airline SCAT is flying from Munich Airport to its hub in Shymkent [CIT]. Flights depart twice a week from Munich Airport – on Tuesdays at 11:35 a.m. and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. Operating a Boeing 737-800, Kazakhstan's largest private airline reaches the city in the south of the country in around six hours. This connection adds another country to the Bavarian air traffic hub's global route network. 

The "Airports for Innovation" (A4I) initiative, which consists of ten leading international airport operators, announced the five winners of its first innovation program for startups today. The young companies were asked to develop solutions on the topics of "seamless travel experience", "sustainable aviation", "smart luggage revolution" and "AI-powered airports". GoodMaps won in the "Seamless Travel Experience" category. Janta Power succeeded in the "Sustainable Aviation" challenge, whereas the startup Pattern Labs was selected to pilot the "Smart Luggage Revolution" program. 

Lufthansa is flying an Airbus A380 to Denver, USA, for the first time today. This is also a premiere for the third largest airport in the US, as it is the first time the airport is welcoming an aircraft of this size. Denver is Munich Airport's sister airport, a decades-long partnership based on the close economic and cultural ties between Bavaria and Colorado.

Discover Airlines continues to expand its long-haul network from Munich Airport, with Calgary now added as a new destination. Canada's fourth-largest city, situated on the vast North American prairie, serves as an ideal gateway for outdoor adventures—thanks to its close proximity to Banff National Park in Alberta and the Rocky Mountains. Flights are scheduled to depart from Munich three times a week at 1:25 p.m.

Discover Airlines launched its second long-haul route from Munich on April 1: The airline is now servicing Windhoek in Namibia, following the launch of Orlando/Florida in March. The Lufthansa Group's leisure airline is thus expanding the Munich route network to Africa and developing its new long-haul base at Munich Airport. 

Munich Airport strengthens its international network

The Kazakh airline SCAT is opening a new flight route from Munich to Shymkent from 27 May 2025. The flights will be operated three times a week - on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The flight time is approximately six hours.

At the start of the Lunar New Year, which has a special meaning in many Asian cultures, Munich Airport can boast successful figures on long-haul routes to the Far East: 2.6 million passengers travelled from and via Munich to eleven countries in Central, South and East Asia in 2024. That's an increase of 38.7% compared to the previous year. Last summer, there were 105 weekly departures, with Bangkok being the most popular destination of the year, followed by Singapore and Beijing.

In the first five weeks of this year, the giant freighter named “Beluga” will be a regular guest at Munich Airport. BelugaXL is based on the Airbus A330-200F. It owes its name to its whale-like appearance. The Beluga mainly transports aircraft components between the various Airbus sites.

Munich Airport welcomes 41.6 million passengers

Munich Airport has reached an important milestone in the recovery of its traffic after the Covid-19 pandemic: for the first time, the number of passengers exceeded 40 million again.