In Vienna, the board of Flughafen AG announced that it would not be pursuing the third runway project, and three days later, the airport celebrated its 20th anniversary.

This seems strange because the announcement of plans to build a third runway at the end of the 1990s was the trigger for the mediation process. This mediation process, which ran from 2000 to 2005, resulted in all of the night flight regulations that are still in place at Vienna Airport today, as well as other outcomes for the population affected by aircraft noise. This also includes the Dialogue Forum, in which residents’ representatives from the airport region also participate in discussions and contribute to policy making.

The airport stated that the reason for rejecting the third runway was that it was not possible to draw up a business plan that would allow this investment to be refinanced without increasing airport charges. This is linked to the trend towards higher aircraft seat occupancy rates and the use of larger aircraft, which has been evident since the pandemic.

At the 20th anniversary celebration, which was a very dignified event, all members of the Dialogue Forum whose organisations had already been significantly involved in organising and implementing the mediation process assured that all agreements resulting from the mediation process would remain in place and that the Dialogue Forum would continue to be an indispensable instrument for balancing interests and resolving conflicts.

For ARGE gegen Fluglärm, the rejection of the third runway means a new situation, new tasks and new work. With the cancellation of the third runway, the relief for people living along the approach and departure routes of runway 16/34 will also be cancelled. Finding an appropriate replacement for this will be our next big challenge.