Since March 2018 there has been a new situation at Vienna airport. The approval procedure for the third runway is over after 12 years. The permit is now on the table. With this permit, Vienna Airport has a strategic advantage in the competition with the Central European airports.
Since last year, the growth of air traffic in Vienna has increased. The number of flights stagnated from 2009 to 2017, with only a slight increase in passenger numbers. Since 2018, the number of passengers and movements are rising sharply, from 240 thousand movements with 24 million passengers in 2017 to 260 thousand movements and more than 30 million passengers expeted in 2019.
Because the capacity of Vienna Airport with its two runways – with an angle of 70 degrees to each other – is approximately 260,000 to 270,000 movements per year, the next years will be difficult for the airport, and for the people who live in the neighbourhood. Vienna Airport still needs to buy the necessary land and plan the construction for the new runway.
Relief
Although this third runway will make some new victims, it will be a huge relief for those affected by the current flight paths. The third runway will also allow the final phase of the night flight restrictions which will give a significant reduction in the number of night flights and cover the noise zones.
That’s why civilians organisation ARGE supports the new runway. But they will have to remain vigilant. Very often an extra ‘environmental runway’ in the long run means that the old runways are gradually being filled up again, as happened at Amsterdam Schiphol with the Polderbaan…
