Leipzig/Halle Airport 1995-1998

The enormous increase in the number of handled passengers and aircraft after 1991 could only be managed by occasionally resorting to unconventional immediate measures. However, the people in charge were aware that the airport's capacities would have to be improved by long term developments. Consequently, the planning of a new terminal building with a capacity of up to 3.5 million passengers per year commenced in December 1992.

In spite of a tight funding situation and enormous time pressure, it was possible to find a functionally favourable and - even when viewed from above - architecturally appealing solution for the new terminal building. On 16 May 1994, the foundation stone was laid and only one year later the topping-out ceremony was celebrated. The new Terminal B, for the first time equipped with multiple gangways, was put into service on 3 March 1996.

While Terminal B was still under construction, work on the new combined heat and power station  began in October 1995. The facility has supplied the airport with hot water, heating, cooling and power since July 1996. The airport fire department was provided with a new main fire station and state-of-the-art fire-fighting equipment. Moreover, new facilities for the airport's technical services were added to the complex around the fire station in the southern area of the airport.

Since 1996, more than two million passengers have travelled via Leipzig/Halle Airport every year. Project planning, permit application procedures and construction work for further development have been initiated. This was to guarantee competitive world-wide connections for the Central German region throughout the following decades. The objective was to present the new Leipzig/Halle Airport as an exemplary synergy of rail, road and air traffic shortly after the turn of the century.

Timeline

• 20 December 1995: The airport records more than two million passengers per year for the first time.
• 23 April 1996: Founding of Frachtentwicklungs- und Abfertigungsgesellschaft mbH Flughafen Leipzig/Halle. The company is responsible for cargo handling the marketing of the airport’s cargo business and.
• 14 August 1996: Opening of the new fire station.
• 28 April 1997: Ten million passengers have been handled since the founding of Flughafen Leipzig/Halle GmbH.