Whether you’re flying with ELAL or Lufthansa on a nonstop flight from Munich, Germany to Tel Aviv, you’re in for an interesting airport experience. Since the terrorist attack which took place at the Munich Olympics in 1972 in which multiple Israeli athletes were killed, the Bavarian government has required flights to Israel to have maximum security. Thus all departures were moved from the main terminal to a separate building for added security, terminal 1F.
On your ticket it will say departure from terminal 1, however you’ll need to walk about 10 minutes to a separate terminal building 1F, where you will check in, go through security and passport control, and eventually board the plane.
Getting to Terminal 1F
There is no way to arrive directly at terminal 1F whether you’re arriving by train or car. Thus the only way to get there is by foot; the walk to 1F is approximately 10 minutes from either the train station or terminals 1 and 2. The walkway is completely covered so no risk of getting wet in the rain, though it is partially outdoors so it may be cold. Signage at Munich airport is quite good, and we had no issue following the signs to the terminal building.
Security
Before you can enter the terminal building, you’ll need to show your passport and flight ticket, so be sure to have that ready. You’ll then queue for ELAL’s standard security screening which they have at all airports they fly to.
Once you pass the security screening, you can then proceed to the check in counters, passport control, and the second security screening. The building is well protected with about a dozen men carrying large guns keeping an eye on all activity in the terminal. Due to security reasons, taking pictures is strictly prohibited in the security areas of 1F.
Waiting Area
Once you clear both security checks, you’ll enter the waiting area with more than enough seats for all passengers flying to Tel Aviv as well as restrooms, smoking area, duty free shop, and a bar/café.
Terminal 1F doesn’t have a business class lounge. Instead, business class passengers are given a 24 Euro voucher to use at the bar/café.
With little time and 24 Euros to spend, I went straight to the bar/café to use my voucher. Aside from drinks, this place sells Israeli snacks, chocolate bars, kosher pizza (frozen) and non kosher paninis. I had to try the kosher pizza at a German airport, though it was only about as tasty as you’d expect a mini frozen pizza to be. Not so much..
Bottom Line
If you are flying from Munich to Tel Aviv, don’t be surprised to find out you’re flying from Terminal 1F. Because this is a very small terminal, the overall time spent here is about the same as terminals 1 and 2. The time spent on the extra walk to the terminal and additional security is mitigated by shorter lines and less walking inside the terminal. That said, I would try to arrive no later than 85 minutes before departure.
Overall I ended up enjoying this unique experience, though it’s not something I would happily do on a regular basis.