After the dramatic fire at Dusseldorf airport in 1996, in which 16 people lost their lives, the German authorities evaluated the fire protection standards at airports. All German airports were thoroughly inspected. Terminal 1 at the Frankfurt airport was intensely scrutinized because it lacked smoke detectors, sprinkler systems, and overall security systems. The terminal required a major fire protection upgrade that would take years to complete at a cost of approximately € 300 million.
Fraport (Frankfurt Airport Organisation) contracted Homola to manage this huge project, partly because Homola is knowledgeable about construction regulations and approval procedures at Frankfurt airport. Thanks to the flexible and efficient way project team worked, passengers were only mildly inconvenienced during the construction project. In addition, the team's flexibility made it possible to quickly react to unforeseen situations such as the discovery of large quantities of highly flammable polystyrene insulation. Removal of this material will not affect the project schedule or costs. Essential parts of the project should be finalized by 2006.
