Vienna International Airport: From Transit Space to Culinary Destination

Interview by Peter Sempelmann and Reinhard Winiwarter

With 32.6 million passengers in 2025, Vienna International Airport has not only surpassed its pre-pandemic peak but has confirmed its role as one of Europe’s most resilient and strategically positioned aviation hubs. International air traffic is booming again, driven by structural demand rather than short-term effects, with East Asia, the Middle East and long-haul markets playing an increasingly important role. At the same time, volatility has become the new normal: geopolitical tensions, airline strategy shifts and economic uncertainty continue to shape traffic forecasts. Against this backdrop, Vienna Airport is planning for sustained growth — and is backing this ambition with a €420 million investment in the expansion of Terminal 3.

For Vienna Airport joint CEO and COO Julian Jäger, the project is far more than a capacity extension. After almost 25 years in the airport business, he is convinced that turbulence is a constant — and that passenger behavior is fundamentally changing. Travel, particularly among younger generations, has become a core part of lifestyle and value creation, with experiences clearly outweighing material status symbols. Airports, as a result, are no longer judged solely on efficiency and punctuality. They are evaluated as destinations in their own right. A shift that has profound implications for airport economics, commercial strategies and real estate concepts.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Vienna Airport’s new Food & Beverage strategy, which will be unveiled for the first time with the expansion of Terminal 3. Together with internationally renowned F&B consultant Jonathan Doughty, Vienna Airport is deliberately breaking with the traditional airport model dominated by global chains. Instead, the focus is on high-quality, authentic Austrian gastronomy as a strategic driver of passenger experience, dwell time and commercial performance. For ACROSS’ audience of retail real estate and placemaking decision-makers, the project offers valuable insights into how infrastructure assets can be repositioned through curated food concepts, clear management structures and a long-term ambition: transforming a highly efficient hub into a five-star airport destination.

Renderings for the new F&B zone at Vienna International Airport’s Terminal 3 (© Vienna Int. Airport) and photos from the official presentation with Vienna’s Mayor Michael Ludwig, airport CEO Julian Jäger and live cooking demonstrations (© David Bohmann).

INTERVIEW

“A Truly Unique Experience of Vienna”

ACROSS: Mr. Jäger, Vienna Airport has recovered remarkably quickly from the pandemic and is again handling over 30 million passengers annually. Why was it strategically necessary to launch such a large-scale development now?

Julian Jäger: The recovery confirmed something we had already believed before the pandemic: demand for air travel is structurally strong. What surprised many observers was the speed. By 2024/25, we were already back at passenger volumes comparable to 2019.
Operationally, Vienna Airport performs extremely well. We are among the most punctual airports in Europe, our processes are efficient, and security waiting times are short. But efficiency alone is no longer enough. Airports are no longer judged only by how fast passengers move through them, but by how they feel while doing so.
Terminal 3, when it opened, was a big step forward. But as traffic grew, its limitations became clear. The expansion is therefore not just about adding gates or security lanes — it is about redefining the passenger experience. And Food & Beverage is a central element of that ambition.

ACROSS: You have repeatedly stated that one of your prime goals is to achieve a five-star rating for Vienna Airport. How does Terminal 3 fit into that ambition?

Jäger: For us, the five-star ambition is not a marketing slogan; it is a strategic framework. Ratings such as those issued by Skytrax are demanding and, importantly, independent. You cannot buy them, and there is no simple checklist.
What we do know are the critical success factors: spatial quality, intuitive passenger flows, service culture, and — crucially — commercial and gastronomic quality. Passengers do not separate “operations” from “retail” or “F&B” in their perception. For them, it is one integrated experience.
With Terminal 3 southern expansion, we are creating the physical foundation for this ambition: more space, more daylight, clearer zoning — and a completely new commercial environment. Without this development, achieving five-star status by 2030 would not be realistic.

ACROSS: Airport gastronomy has long been criticized for being overpriced, generic, and disconnected from local culture. Why did you decide to challenge this model so fundamentally?

Jäger: Because it no longer reflects how people travel or how they spend their money. Today’s passengers are more experienced, more demanding, and more time-conscious. For many, the airport is not just a place to pass through — it is a place where they spend significant time.
We also see this very clearly in our commercial data. Retail and F&B together account for around 25 percent of our total airport turnover, including duty free. That is a substantial contribution, and it underlines that commercial quality directly impacts financial performance.
At the same time, Austria — and Vienna in particular — has an outstanding culinary reputation. If we fail to reflect that at the airport, we miss a huge opportunity. The airport is the first and last impression of the country. That comes with responsibility.

“Local first” as a deliberate differentiation strategy

ACROSS: What makes the Vienna Airport F&B concept fundamentally different?

Jonathan Doughty: The key difference is that Vienna Airport has treated Food & Beverage as a strategic asset, not as a secondary commercial function. In many airports, F&B is still planned late in the process: space is allocated, and then operators are fitted in. Here, it was the other way around.
From the outset, the airport asked: What kind of place do we want to be? What should passengers remember about Vienna? Once you ask those questions seriously, the answer cannot be another generic line-up of brands you see everywhere else in the world.

ACROSS: How unusual is it for an airport to focus so strongly on local, high-quality food rather than international brands?

Doughty: It is highly unusual — especially at this scale. Many airports talk about “local flavor”, but in practice this often means one or two symbolic concepts next to a long list of global chains. Vienna Airport has taken a much more radical approach.
Here, the local offer is not a side note; it is the backbone of the concept. Vienna has the opportunity to be unmistakable. Brands such as Figlmüller, Café Landtmann, DO& Co and Demel, Aida, Barbaro, NENI, Mochi or Tür 7 Bar are not only famous locally — they are internationally recognized ambassadors of Viennese culture. From a global airport consultancy perspective, this is genuinely distinctive. It positions Vienna not just as an efficient hub, but as a destination in its own right. The mistake many airports make is to underestimate how valuable that is.

ACROSS: How does this philosophy translate into the spatial and design concept?

Doughty: The architecture and interior design play a crucial role. Together with the airport team and design partners from Portland Design, we developed a framework inspired by Vienna’s “golden heritage” — the imperial era, Jugendstil, and early modernism — combined with contemporary elements such as greenery, openness, and natural light.
This framework is not decorative; it guides tenants in how they translate their brand into the airport environment. The result is a cohesive landscape rather than a collection of isolated units.
From my 40-plus years of experience in retail and mixed-use environments, I can say: the quality of this space is exceptional. People will notice it immediately — and that has a direct impact on dwell time and spending.

Creating environments, emotions and a 5-star experience

ACROSS: What was the core strategic idea you developed together with the airport management?

Jäger: First, authenticity. Vienna and Austria have an incredibly strong culinary identity. We deliberately focused on brands and concepts that stand for “Best of Vienna” and “Best of Austria” — not as folklore, but as contemporary, high-quality gastronomy that works in an international context. A Figlmüller schnitzel, a Landtmann café experience or Viennese pastry culture cannot be replicated elsewhere. That uniqueness creates memory — and memory drives value.
Second, variety. Airports are complex ecosystems. You have business travelers, leisure travelers, families, transfer passengers, different cultures, different spending powers, all in the same building. A successful F&B concept must offer different service styles, price points and dwell-time options — from a quick coffee to a full-service restaurant with apron views. Vienna’s new Terminal 3 delivers exactly that.
Third, economic logic. This is not about romantic ideas of food. It is about creating environments where people want to spend time and money. If you give passengers quality, clarity and comfort, they reward you with longer dwelling times and higher spending. That is measurable.

ACROSS: Can you share concrete figures on spending behavior at Vienna Airport?

Jäger: For the time being we only have figures from the duty-free shops. There we see very clear differences depending on passenger profiles.
On average, a Ryanair passenger flying to Palma spends around €3–4 at duty free. An Austrian Airlines passenger to Bangkok spends around €7, while passengers flying to China spend on average €30.
These figures illustrate two things: first, there is no “average passenger”. Second, the commercial environment must cater to very different needs and spending capacities.
We see similar patterns in Food & Beverage. Some passengers want a quick coffee; others are happy to spend significantly more on a high-quality dining experience. Our task is not to push spending, but to offer choices that feel appropriate and valuable.

ACROSS: Jonathan, does higher quality automatically translate into higher revenues?

Doughty: Not automatically — but when done right, very reliably. The old airport model was based on the assumption that passengers expect to pay more and get less. When you reverse that — when you offer more quality, better service, and a pleasant environment — behavior changes.
People stop comparing prices and start evaluating value. They might decide to have a proper meal at the airport instead of grabbing a sandwich later. That is a fundamental shift.
In retail real estate terms, this is about moving from purely transactional spaces to experiential environments. Airports, interestingly, are often ahead of shopping centers in this respect because dwell time is structurally built in.

For the best of all: A multi-layered management model

ACROSS: Managing such a diverse and high-quality F&B landscape sounds complex. How is this organized operationally?

Jäger: This is a crucial point — and one that is often misunderstood. Vienna Airport does not deal with individual restaurant operators directly. Instead, it works with experienced managing companies that operate multiple brands in the airport environment. These managing companies act as intermediaries between the airport and the individual concepts. They bring operational airport expertise, scale, and resilience. For the airport as the landlord, this significantly reduces complexity and risk.
It is a model that differs from high-street retail or shopping centers, but it is essential in the airport environment, where security, logistics, and passenger flows add layers of complexity.

Doughty: From an operational perspective, this model is essential. Airports are extreme trading environments. From experience, I can say: well-run airport restaurants can generate €12,000 to €15,000 per day or more. But only if capacity, kitchen infrastructure and guest flow are designed correctly from day one. That is exactly what has been done here. You need operators who understand staffing peaks, security constraints, supply chain issues, and regulatory requirements.
At the same time, these operators allow local brands — so-called “local heroes” — to enter the airport environment without having to build airport expertise from scratch.

ACROSS: How does this structure influence leasing models and incentives?

Jäger: Our contracts are typically turnover based, often with staggered percentages depending on sales levels. This aligns interests very clearly: the airport benefits when operators perform well, and operators benefit from high passenger volumes and strong environments.
On average, commercial revenues — including duty free and F&B — account for around 25 percent of airport turnover, and our goal is to increase that share in the future.
This model gives us a strong incentive to invest in quality, because quality drives dwell time, dwell time drives spending, and spending benefits everyone involved.

Lessons for retail real estate executives

ACROSS: What can shopping center owners and retail real estate developers learn from Vienna Airport’s strategy?

Jäger: First: experience is not a buzzword; it is a measurable economic factor. Second: local identity matters more than ever. In a world of globalized brands, authenticity becomes a differentiator. Third: alignment of interests is key. Turnover-based models and strong operational partners create shared responsibility for success.

Doughty: I would add that food is no longer an “add-on”. In many environments, it is the main reason for people to spend time in a place. The second lesson is courage. It takes confidence to prioritize local quality over global sameness. But when you do it properly, the commercial results follow. And finally: integration. Architecture, operations, brand mix and economics must be developed together.

Vienna Airport has done that — and that is why this project will be watched very closely by the global airport and retail real estate community. Retail real estate needs to think much more like hospitality: clear concepts, strong curation, and environments people enjoy spending time in. Airports are a fascinating laboratory for this because they compress time, choice, and emotion into one space.

ACROSS: Vienna Airport is also involved in the operation of Malta International Airport. Could the Terminal 3 strategy be transferred there?

Jäger: Malta Airport has been extremely successful and recently surpassed 10 million passengers — a remarkable achievement for a small island. At the moment, space is limited, but expansion plans are underway. We do not impose concepts, but we share experiences. Once additional space becomes available, I am convinced that Malta will also move more strongly towards showcasing local culinary identity. The logic is the same: airports should reflect the place they serve.

Doughty: Exactly. This is not about copying Vienna. It is about applying the same principle: authenticity, quality, and pride in place. When that is done well, it resonates everywhere.

ACROSS: Final question: When will passengers be able to experience this new world at Vienna airport?

Jäger: We are finalizing designs and renderings now. Construction is underway, but we have not set an opening date yet. It might be in spring 2027, it might be somewhat later. But we want it to be finished by the summer travelling season of 2027. Once the Terminal 3 southern expansion opens, passengers will immediately feel the difference. This is more than an extension — it’s a new chapter for Vienna Airport.