Flughafen München GmbH
Corporate brand
UnclaimedThe company that owns and operates Munich Airport, one of Germany’s principal international aviation hubs.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Flughafen München GmbH (FMG) is the airport operating company responsible for Munich Airport in Bavaria, Germany. The company manages the airport’s aviation infrastructure and the broad range of operational, commercial, security, and infrastructure activities required to run a major international airport. Its responsibilities extend beyond aircraft movements and terminal facilities to include passenger processing, airport security coordination, retail and hospitality areas, ground-access infrastructure, and the development and maintenance of the wider airport site. FMG was established on 12 October 1949 as Flughafen München-Riem Gesellschaft mbH by the Free State of Bavaria and the Bavarian capital, Munich. Its original role was connected with the operation and development of Munich-Riem Airport, which served the city before the construction of the present airport. The company adopted the name Flughafen München GmbH in 1969, reflecting the broader municipal and regional airport project that was then taking shape. Munich-Riem’s constrained location and the airport’s growing traffic led to a long-term search for a new site. A commission began examining alternative locations in 1963. The eventual airport site was developed between the towns of Erding and Freising, northeast of Munich. The move from Munich-Riem to the new airport took place on 17 May 1992. This relocation was the company’s defining infrastructure transition, creating the basis for Munich Airport’s later development as a major European hub. FMG subsequently expanded the airport’s capacity and passenger facilities. Terminal 2 opened on 27 June 2003 after a joint financing and development arrangement in which Lufthansa provided 40 percent of the financing and FMG provided 60 percent. The terminal strengthened Munich’s role as an important transfer point for Lufthansa and its international network while also increasing the airport’s ability to handle growing passenger volumes. The company’s business is closely tied to long-term airport planning, airline relationships, public-sector ownership, and regional transport policy. A proposed third runway became one of the most contested elements of Munich Airport’s development. Although the expansion was intended to provide additional capacity, it faced strong opposition from residents and remained politically controversial. In September 2014, FMG’s supervisory board halted plans for the company to participate in foreign airport operations, indicating a focus on its core Munich platform rather than international airport investments at that time. FMG is governed through a management board and a supervisory board. Jost Lammers has served as chief executive officer and chairman of the management board since 1 January 2020. The company’s ownership structure gives the Free State of Bavaria a controlling majority, while the federal government and the City of Munich retain substantial minority stakes. This structure places FMG at the intersection of commercial airport management and public infrastructure policy. Its principal brand and operating asset is Munich Airport, although the company’s activities encompass the complete operating ecosystem required to develop and manage that airport.
History
Flughafen München GmbH traces its origins to 12 October 1949, when the Free State of Bavaria and the Bavarian capital Munich created Flughafen München-Riem Gesellschaft mbH. The company was formed to operate and develop Munich’s airport facilities at Munich-Riem, the city’s existing airport. Wulf-Dieter Graf zu Castell was the company’s chief executive during its early period and remained in that role until 1972. Munich’s air-traffic requirements grew over the postwar decades, while the Riem site imposed limitations on further expansion. In 1962, the runway was extended to 1,907 metres in length and 60 metres in width, and the airport handled more than one million passengers during that year. The increase in traffic reinforced the need for a larger, more modern airport site. A commission began looking for a new location in 1963. The company was renamed Flughafen München GmbH in 1969. The new airport was planned northeast of Munich, between Erding and Freising, allowing room for a larger airfield and supporting facilities. The transfer from Munich-Riem to the new site was completed on 17 May 1992. This move created the foundation for the modern Munich Airport complex and transformed FMG from an operator of a constrained urban airport into the manager of a large regional and international aviation platform. FMG continued to expand the new airport as passenger traffic and connecting-airline activity increased. One of the most important projects was Terminal 2, which opened on 27 June 2003. Lufthansa financed 40 percent of the terminal while FMG financed 60 percent. The facility expanded passenger capacity and supported Munich Airport’s role as a major European transfer hub, particularly for Lufthansa’s network. Airport expansion has also been politically contentious. A proposed third runway was intended to accommodate future traffic growth, but it encountered sustained opposition from local residents and remained controversial. The dispute illustrates the tension between the airport’s economic and transport role and the environmental, land-use, and quality-of-life concerns of neighboring communities. In September 2014, the supervisory board rejected plans for FMG to participate in foreign airport operations. The decision limited the company’s international expansion as an airport investor and emphasized its Munich-centered operating model. FMG remains publicly owned: Bavaria holds 51 percent, the Federal Republic of Germany holds 26 percent, and the City of Munich holds 23 percent. The ownership arrangement gives the company a commercial operating mandate while retaining close links to regional and national infrastructure policy. In its contemporary form, FMG is responsible for the integrated operation and further development of Munich Airport. Its activities cover airport infrastructure, terminal and passenger services, commercial areas, security-related functions, and the coordination of the many systems required by a major international airport. Jost Lammers has led the management board as CEO and chairman since 1 January 2020.
- 2020
Jost Lammers takes over as CEO
[1]Jost Lammers becomes CEO and chairman of the management board on 1 January.
- 2014
Foreign airport expansion plans are stopped
[1]The supervisory board ends management plans for participation in foreign airport operations.
- 2003
Terminal 2 opens
[1]Terminal 2 opens on 27 June following joint financing by FMG and Lufthansa.
- 1992
Munich Airport moves to its current site
[1]Airport operations transfer from Munich-Riem to the new site between Erding and Freising on 17 May.
- 1969
Company adopts the Flughafen München GmbH name
[1]The airport company changes its name from Flughafen München-Riem Gesellschaft mbH to Flughafen München GmbH.
- 1963
Search for a new airport site begins
[1]A commission starts examining locations for a replacement airport outside Munich-Riem.
- 1962
Riem runway expansion completed
[1]The runway is expanded to 1,907 metres by 60 metres, while annual passenger traffic exceeds one million.
- 1949
Company founded
[1]The Free State of Bavaria and the City of Munich establish Flughafen München-Riem Gesellschaft mbH on 12 October.
Products and positioning
A publicly owned German airport operator positioned around the development and operation of Munich Airport as a major European aviation hub.
Airport operations · 1992
Munich Airport
Munich Airport is FMG’s principal operating asset and brand. Located northeast of Munich between Erding and Freising, it replaced Munich-Riem in 1992 and functions as a major German and European aviation hub. FMG manages the airport’s airside and landside infrastructure, terminal facilities, passenger processes, commercial areas, and associated operational systems.
Passenger terminal · 2003
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 is a major passenger facility at Munich Airport developed and financed jointly by FMG and Lufthansa. Opened in 2003, it expanded the airport’s ability to handle scheduled international traffic and connecting passengers. The terminal is central to Munich Airport’s role as a transfer hub and to FMG’s passenger-service offering.
Infrastructure management
Airport infrastructure services
FMG’s infrastructure portfolio includes the airport’s runways, terminals, access systems, technical facilities, and broader site-development activities. These services support safe aircraft operations, passenger movement, airline handling, airport security, and the continued modernization of the Munich Airport campus.
Brand decisions
2014
Withdrawal from planned foreign airport participationStrategyBackground
FMG management had considered participating in airport operations outside Germany.
Action taken
The supervisory board stopped the plans in September.
Aftermath
The decision kept the company focused on Munich Airport rather than pursuing the proposed foreign-operations strategy.
2003
Opening of Terminal 2Product launchBackground
Passenger growth and Munich’s increasing importance as a connecting hub required additional terminal capacity.
Action taken
FMG and Lufthansa jointly developed and financed Terminal 2, with FMG providing 60 percent of the financing and Lufthansa 40 percent.
Aftermath
The new terminal increased passenger-processing capacity and strengthened Munich Airport’s hub function.
Project financing shares. FMG 60%; Lufthansa 40% (Terminal 2 opening in 2003)
1992
Relocation from Munich-Riem to the new airportStrategyBackground
Munich required a larger airport platform capable of supporting long-term passenger and airline growth.
Action taken
FMG transferred airport operations to the new site northeast of Munich on 17 May.
Aftermath
The relocation established the modern Munich Airport complex and enabled later terminal and capacity expansion.
1963
Initiation of the replacement-airport projectStrategyBackground
Traffic growth and the physical constraints of Munich-Riem created pressure for a larger airport site.
Action taken
A commission began searching for a new location for Munich’s airport.
Aftermath
The process ultimately led to the construction of the airport between Erding and Freising and its opening in 1992.
- Proposed third-runway expansionStrategy
Background
FMG planned additional runway capacity in response to projected airport growth.
Action taken
The company pursued plans for a third runway.
Aftermath
The proposal became highly controversial among neighboring residents and remained a major local and regional policy dispute.
Recent events
Reported
Croatia Airlines launches Osijek–Munich route[2]
Croatia Airlines launched its first international route from Osijek, connecting the Croatian city with Munich twice weekly.
Reported
Munich Airport introduces the MeetingCab[3]
Munich Airport introduced the MeetingCab, a bookable soundproof cabin for meetings and calls in Terminal 2, with use charged by time.
Sources3 sources
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