Lufthansa and Fraport have opened a redesigned Terminal 1 gate with digital screens, roaming boarding staff and lounge-style seating to trial new passenger services.
Lufthansa and Fraport have inaugurated Gate A16 at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) Terminal 1, a redesigned departure gate that the two partners will use to jointly test new passenger services, boarding processes and waiting area design.
Known as the “Gate of the Future”, the area features lounge-style furniture, flexible working areas and large monitors showing live updates on departing flights. Boarding personnel circulate to assist passengers proactively, supported by additional interactive digital offerings.
Mobile boarding staff replace fixed counter at Gate A16
There is no longer a fixed counter at the gate. Instead, each mobile assistant carries a tablet that provides access to various boarding systems through a single user interface. This allows staff to retrieve the information they need and, for example, centrally issue automatic announcements at the gate.
Staff approach passengers to answer questions and help with seat reservations, upgrades and rebookings. QR codes at the gate also give passengers direct access to digital self-services, including a link to the Lufthansa app.
Large wall monitors and 360-degree displays show the departure time and boarding status, along with information on hand luggage and live updates on gate changes. The aim is to give passengers all relevant information quickly so they can make the most of their time at the gate.
The look and feel of the gate has also been redesigned. Passengers can work in flexible work cubes that offer greater privacy and more peace and quiet, while comfortable sofas and selected artworks are intended to make the area feel more like a lounge than a conventional waiting area.
Francesco Sciortino, Board Member Lufthansa Airlines and Hub Manager Frankfurt, said: “We’re committed to ensuring a premium passenger experience, not only in the air but also on the ground – that too is what Lufthansa stands for. At Gate A16, our passengers can see how future-proof processes ensure a more pleasant and efficient start to their journey. The ‘Gate of the Future’ is yet another milestone on our shared journey with Fraport. Frankfurt is already Europe’s best-connected hub airport – and precisely that is what we want to continue developing together.”
Dietmar Focke, Fraport AG’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “The future of travel is emerging not in the laboratory but in actual operation. Together with Lufthansa, we’re demonstrating how a strong partnership can generate specific innovations that noticeably enhance the travel experience. What we’re testing and developing here together has a clear goal: greater comfort and convenience for passengers, optimised processes and an even stronger competitive position for Frankfurt as an aviation hub.”
Lufthansa and Fraport will use Gate A16 to test new services and identify those that most appeal to passengers. The findings will help determine which elements of the concept can be applied at other gates and elsewhere at the airport.
The development follows a summer in which Frankfurt Airport recorded its best punctuality scores since 2016, to which both partners contributed. Lufthansa and Fraport said the airport is set to continue growing as the European hub with the best connections and greatest connectivity, with innovations such as the Gate of the Future playing a key role.
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