End for Third Runway at Vienna-Schwechat Airport

"After a thorough analysis of all relevant decision factors, the board of Flughafen Wien AG decided today (Tuesday, note)," said Vienna-Schwechat Airport on Tuesday evening. The company can continue to grow with the planned two-runway system and its expansions. The plan is to handle up to 52 million passengers annually with two runways, it was further stated. Last year, there were around 31.7 million travelers.

Forecast for construction costs of third runway at Vienna-Schwechat Airport explodes

"In addition to the massively increased projected construction costs of around two billion (euros, note), the conditions have fundamentally changed due to the excessively long procedural duration," explained airport board members Julian Jäger and Günther Ofner via a statement. "In 2005, 71 passengers were transported per flight movement, by 2024 it was already 139 passengers due to the use of larger aircraft, which eases the pressure on runway capacity."

The airport executives also point to a difficult refinancing of the large-scale project. "A decisive factor for the decision is also that the largest airline customers at the location are opposed to the project, and without refinancing through higher tariffs, the economic basis of the investment is not feasible."

Long procedural duration and many opponents for third runway at Vienna-Schwechat Airport

Another reason for the decision was the still pending decision of the Administrative Court (VwGH) 17 months later on the legal appeal against an amending decision of the Federal Administrative Court in the procedure for the extension of the construction period. The long duration has always been criticized by airport representatives.

The VwGH is currently examining, as part of a complaint by Vienna Airport, whether the shortened postponement for the construction permit from 2033 to 2030 by the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) is legally valid. A decision was most recently expected for 2026 - in the same year, the airport wanted to make a final decision on the construction of the long-controversial project.

Third runway at Vienna-Schwechat Airport first planned in 1996 for 2015

Economic and tourism representatives in the eastern region were mostly in favor. Environmentalists and local residents were against it. There has been long-standing, sometimes intense, debate. Looking far back, Vienna Airport already planned a third runway by the year 2015 in 1996. Those were different aviation times with far fewer passengers, with Vienna having 8.5 million in 1995. With a third runway, they aimed to reach about 23 million. Recently, as described, there were over 30 million travelers with two runways.

The airport is owned 20 percent each by the City of Vienna and the Province of Lower Austria (20.0). The Flughafen Wien Mitarbeiterbeteiligung Privatstiftung holds 10 percent. The Airports Group Europe S.à r.l. and the free float account for around 44 and 6 percent, respectively.

Political Reactions After Cancellation of Third Runway at Vienna-Schwechat Airport

There were initial reactions from the state governments of Vienna and Lower Austria on Tuesday evening regarding the cancellation of the runway project. The airport made an "economic decision," said Lower Austria's Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP). It is important to continue advancing the expansion and modernization of the airport and the airport region. Vienna's City Councilor for Economic Affairs, Barbara Novak (SPÖ), also referred to planned expansions at terminals and modernizations. She identified "a responsible and forward-looking decision," "a clear signal towards sustainability," and not least, a now given planning security. Mikl-Leitner: "Our airport remains the central transport hub of Austria and will continue to grow."

FPÖ General Secretary and Transport Spokesperson Christian Hafenecker criticized the decision of the airport location as a "disastrous signal for Austria's economic and tourism location." He also criticized the other parties, seeing "the direct result of the anti-business policy of the losing coalition" of ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS. Ultimately, they had given in to "green ideologues and self-proclaimed climate saviors" and left the field to them, Hafenecker said.

Financial Impacts of Cancellation of Third Runway at Vienna-Schwechat Airport

"The decision made results in the payments incurred from 2018 to 2020 from the mediation agreement to the environmental fund and neighboring communities, which were activated for the runway project, not needing to be adjusted for liquidity with minus 55.9 million in the 2025 balance sheet," it was communicated regarding the accounting impacts for the company. Due to the write-down, they expect a net result before minorities of 210 million instead of the previous approximately 230 million euros this year. The new guidance also includes positive effects from better traffic development in recent weeks than originally assumed.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.