The strong passenger demand also resulted once again in an increase in the av-erage load factor of aircraft in Munich, which rose to a new all-time high of 75.9 percent. The airfreight segment also reported new records: The total volume of cargo increased by 8 percent to a record level of over 291,000 tons. When airmail is included, the cargo volume handled in Munich actually exceeded 309,000 tons. By contrast, the statistics show a slight decline in aircraft movements: A total of about 377,000 take-offs and landings took place in 2014: a decrease of 1.4 percent from the previous year.
To cope with traffic growth in the coming years, FMG and Lufthansa are building a satellite terminal on the eastern apron with a capacity of 11 million passengers per year. The facility is due to be completed by autumn of this year. Several months of extensive trial runs will then be carried out to ensure thorough testing of all technical systems. With regard to the concrete timetable, Kerkloh said, "The new passenger handling facility will go into operation during the 2016 summer timetable period – and before the end of June. We will announce the exact opening date in the middle of this year."
Remarking on Munich Airport's second major expansion project – the third runway – Kerkloh stressed its long-term significance for the state of Bavaria: "There is a very close relationship between mobility and the prosperity of an economic region. That is why, ultimately, this future project is also about how our state will be positioned in 20 or 30 years – which companies will set up operations here and what career prospects it will offer the generation of our children and grandchildren."
