Terminals 1, 1A and 2 at Vienna-Schwechat Airport have been closed since mid-March 2020. The reason for the measure was simple: within a few days, the corona pandemic, which had "side effects" such as flight and entry bans and a lockdown, collapsed so extremely that the largest airport was almost empty.

Vienna-Schwechat has at least been able to recover a little, but the volume is still at an extremely low level. Terminal 3 is currently only used for passenger flights and this is nowhere near the capacity limit. The next few weeks - especially during the summer holidays - will show whether the eased travel arrangements (keyword: Green Pass) will lead to an increase in demand and thus the occupancy of Vienna-Schwechat Airport.

The renovation of Terminal 2, which has not offered any check-in services for several years, began even before the pandemic. It is the oldest of the four terminal buildings and at least for a time there was even room for it to be demolished. But: why tear down a terminal that has an enormous amount of aviation history when it can also be converted and thus made “fit” for the next few decades?

No sooner said than done, but in the middle of the high phase of the renovation, Corona came and the associated closure of all handling buildings, except Terminal 3 and General Aviation. That shouldn't have been that annoying for the construction workers, because Terminal 2 was transformed into the future central security check without having to take the passengers into consideration. New lounges will be waiting for travelers on the upper floor, but this is still a long way off, as there is - for well-known reasons - not yet a date for the reopening.

A look into the future entrance hall of Terminal 2 shows that the airport and the workers “behind the scenes” have gone to great lengths to turn the aging building into a bright and attractive hall. In the security area, the structure will also appear in new splendor, but the passengers will have to be patient for a while. How long? Nobody really knows, because everything depends on the fact that the number of passengers increases again and that the capacities in the "old building" are needed. The same also applies to Terminal 1A, which has no gates and was only used for check-in.

Terminals 1 and 1A are slumbering and waiting to receive passengers again as soon as possible. In T1, only the pharmacy is currently open - for legal reasons - and can be visited by employees, but also by passengers. All other business and catering establishments are closed or empty. The situation is somewhat reminiscent of a brand new shopping center that is about to open. The “story” at the airport is a little different.