Lufthansa Innovation Hub And Munich Airport Terminal 2 Team Up To Accelerate Airport Innovation

Posted: 17 April 2025 | Gabriel Higgins | No comments yet

The partnership will explore pilot projects with startups to enhance efficiency, passenger experience, and sustainability at Terminal 2.

Credit: Lufthansa Innovation Hub GmbH

Lufthansa Innovation Hub (LIH), the Berlin-based innovation arm of Lufthansa Group, and Munich Airport Terminal 2 have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance aviation innovation. As the industry faces growing pressures on operational efficiency, sustainability, and passenger experience, both parties have committed to exploring joint initiatives that digitalise, automate, and optimise airport operations.

The collaboration aims to enhance operational stability and customer satisfaction through pilot projects with startups, including those supported by LIH Ventures. A key example is the deployment of two autonomous robots by robotics startup Ottonomy at Munich Airport Terminal 2. These robots operate at the gates and baggage claim area, helping passengers with information, promoting Lufthansa’s services, and directing them to digital self-service tools via QR codes.

“Our mission is to offer our guests the best travel experience in Europe,” said Marcus Schnabel, Vice President Ground Operations Hub Munich. “Embracing digital solutions is crucial to this endeavour, and we are delighted to be a testing ground for pioneering innovations.”

The Ottonomy robots also feature integrated containers for transporting goods, such as bottled water, offering future potential to streamline passenger services. “Our robots, powered by Contextual AI, are enabling enterprise customers to drive innovation, delivering better customer experiences and operational efficiencies in the aviation industry,” said Ritukar Vijay, CEO of Ottonomy.

This pilot is part of Startup Gate, Lufthansa Group’s venture clienting programme, which connects internal teams with promising startups to enable lean, cost-effective tech adoption.

“Innovation in travel is an ecosystem-driven endeavour,” said Dr Stefan Nothelfer, Senior Director and Head of Corporate Venturing & Strategic Growth at LIH. “We are excited to partner with Munich Airport Terminal 2 to collectively enhance the customer experience and optimise operations across the entire travel journey.”

“At Terminal 2, Europe’s first five-star terminal, we have always focused on delivering best-in-class service to our passengers,” added Matthias Langbehn, Managing Director of Terminal 2 Company. “We need competent partners who help us broaden our views on innovation. Lufthansa Innovation Hub is the ideal partner to continue our success story.”

The agreement includes identifying industry pain points, piloting solutions, and sharing best practices—positioning both parties at the forefront of aviation transformation.

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Airport development, Digital transformation, Innovation, Operational efficiency, Passenger experience and seamless travel, Robotics, Terminal operations, Workforce

Munich International Airport (MUC)

Lufthansa

Lufthansa Group, Lufthansa Innovation Hub, Ottonomy, Startup Gate, Terminal 2 Company

Europe

Dr. Stefan Nothelfer, Marcus Schnabel, Matthias Langbehn, Ritukar Vijay