Munich Airport GmbH will use the open space of the Munich Airport Center (MAC) in the summer of 2026 for a multi-week sporting event. From August 15 to September 6, 2026, three temporary courts for the racket sport of padel tennis will be set up in the airport's covered outdoor area.
In cooperation with the Cologne-based agency MMP Event GmbH, a subsidiary of the DuMont Media Group, the area is to be established as an event venue under the name "Padel Days". The program includes open booking times for amateurs as well as official tournament series, including the Bavarian State Championships and a junior tournament in cooperation with the German Tennis Federation.
The temporary repurposing of the MAC Forum is part of an established practice by the airport operator to generate lucrative non-aviation revenue through events. Rental fees for the spaces are tiered according to the time of day, reaching €30 per hour during peak evening hours, while rental fees for sports equipment incur additional costs. To manage the logistical effort and the influx of external visitors, the airport offers temporary parking discounts in the adjacent P20 parking garage. This concept follows previous large-scale events held on the grounds, such as the winter market or temporary beach volleyball courts, designed to attract passengers and local residents as consumers.
Economic and aviation experts view the increasing use of airport infrastructure for events with some skepticism. While management attempts to amortize the considerable fixed costs of the properties beyond pure flight operations, industry observers criticize the potential impairment of the airport's core function. The sound system and public traffic at evening events like the planned "Padel & Party" format necessitate complex logistical separations to avoid disrupting passenger flow between Terminals 1 and 2. Furthermore, the economic viability of such temporary sports structures is questionable in a volatile market environment, as the assembly and dismantling costs for specialized flooring and net cages require significant upfront investments.