Redistributing Air Traffic Loads: Frankfurt Airport's Plan for More Departures Beyond the Taunus
Frankfurt Airport introduction of additional takeoffs toward Taunus region - Frankfurt Airport set to increase aerial activity over the Taunus region.
Hey there! Get ready to learn about some exciting changes coming to Frankfurt Airport. Fraport, the airport operator, and DFS, the German air traffic control authority, are cooking up a new operating concept for Germany's busiest airport. This redesign is expected to bring significant alterations, especially with departures in mind, owing to the projected increase in flight movements by 2033.
Intraplan, a savvy consulting firm, estimates a whopping 560,000 annual flight movements by that year, compared to the previous peak of 514,000 in 2019. The Covid-19 pandemic brought down the number of take-offs and landings to 441,000 in 2020.
The existing concept might no longer cut it by the end of this decade. The maximum number of available take-offs and landings per hour, referred to as the key figure, is increasing from the current 104 to 110.
Here's what that means. Changes will affect departures in the western operating direction, which accounts for around 70% of all flights in Frankfurt. All departure routes are set to remain, but with some alterations. Approximately 65% of departures will still utilize the western runway at steeper angles to minimize noise on the ground, as before [1].
However, a more considerable percentage of planes taking off from the central runway will shoot off directly northwest towards the Taunus mountains after takeoff instead of the usual southern detour. This detour sweeps across urban areas of Mainz and Wiesbaden, causing potential safety conflicts with departures from the western runway. Remember, both runways can't be controlled independently [1].
"We're paving the way for a safe, steady, and sustainable operation in the future," says Pierre Dominique Prüm, Fraport's infrastructure director, emphasizing their commitment to keeping the noise impact on the region minimal [1].
Although the work isn't complete [1], Fraport and DFS are already holding discussions with municipalities and have shared an intermediate status due to Hochheim, a city near the airport, demanding information under the Environmental Information Act [1].
Hochheim's mayor, Dirk Westedt, described Fraport's approach as a "multiple slap on the face." Hochheim has already set aside 50,000 euros for legal fees, pledging to fight this move on all possible fronts [1].
The plans, critics argue, contradict earlier agreements made during the construction of the new northwest landing strip. These agreements aimed to provide relief to municipalities more affected by landings in departures. This compromise, it seems, will be discarded, impacting over 50,000 directly affected residents [1].
Berthold Fuld, a spokesperson for the alliance of citizens' initiatives against airport expansion, believes the changes follow a false pretense. He asserts that the reality is not capacity problems with the southern detour, but rather an attempt to save airlines the detour [1].
- Frankfurt Airport
- Airport Operations
- Departures
- Fraport
- Frankfurt am Main
- German Air Traffic Control
- Taunus
- Safety
- Flight Path Adjustments
[1] Enrichment data: By routing more flights over the Taunus mountains, Fraport and DFS aim to minimize the overlap of flight paths and reduce potential conflicts between the two runways. This move is designed to ensure safe, stable, and sustainable operations while keeping noise impacts on the region as low as possible. Fraport and DFS are engaging with local authorities and the public to ensure that the new operating concept is well-understood and accepted.
- The Commission has also examined the compatibility of the potential aid revised by Fraport and German Air Traffic Control, in terms of financing for the airport's expansion and the impact on the surrounding automotive and transportation industries, with the internal market, ensuring a balanced and harmonious growth within the market.
- As the plans for Frankfurt Airport's increased departures aim to route more flights over the Taunus mountains, the selected industry sectors, such as automotive and finance, should be kept apprised of potential changes in flight routes and noise impacts that could affect business and residential areas in the region.
