End for Third Runway at Vienna-Schwechat Airport

The Vienna-Schwechat Airport will not build a third runway. It is assumed, "that we can handle over 50 million passengers with the two-runway system, and that is simply significantly more than we have calculated in the past," explained airport board member Julian Jäger in the Ö1 "Morgenjournal". Instead, more will be invested in terminal infrastructure. Last year, 31.7 million travelers flew via Vienna.

Forecast for Construction Costs of Third Runway at Vienna-Schwechat Airport Explodes

"In addition to the massively increased forecasted construction costs of around two billion (euros, note), the conditions have also fundamentally changed due to the excessively long procedural duration," explained airport board members Julian Jäger and Günther Ofner via a release. "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 chiefs also point to a difficult refinancing of the large 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."

90 Million Euros Wasted

With the project of a third runway, the airport has wasted a total of around 90 million euros over 25 years. "But we are now saving an investment of two billion," said Jäger in the "Morgenjournal" - and growth is possible with the two-runway system. A third runway cannot be ruled out for all time, "but we will not have to think about it again until the 2040s at the earliest."

Jäger sees the airport as financially well-positioned: "We have 400 million euros in reserve" and are debt-free. "We will invest between two and 300 million annually in terminal infrastructure over the next few years, and I believe the focus has simply shifted from runway capacity to terminal capacity."

Profit Forecast for Fiscal Year 2025 Lowered

"The decision made means that 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, are not to be adjusted for liquidity purposes with 55.9 million in the 2025 balance sheet," the company stated regarding the accounting impacts. Due to the adjustment, a net result before minorities of 210 million is expected this year instead of the previously estimated around 230 million euros.

Long Processing Time and Many Opponents for Third Runway at Vienna-Schwechat Airport

Another reason for the decision against the third runway, according to the announcement on Tuesday evening, was the still pending decision of the Administrative Court (VwGH) after 17 months in the appeal against an amending decision of the Federal Administrative Court in the proceedings regarding the extension of the construction period. The long duration was consistently criticized by airport representatives.

The VwGH is currently examining, as part of a complaint by Vienna Airport, whether the postponement for the construction permit shortened by the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) from 2033 to 2030 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. The dispute has been ongoing for a long time, sometimes intensively. Looking far back, Vienna Airport already planned a third runway by 2015 in 1996. Those were different aviation times with far fewer passengers; in Vienna, there were 8.5 million in 1995. With a third runway, they aimed for 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 State of Lower Austria (20.0). The Flughafen Wien Employee Participation Private Foundation holds 10 percent. The Airports Group Europe and the free float account for around 44 and 6 percent, respectively.

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

There were initial reactions from the state governments of Vienna and Lower Austria on Tuesday evening to the end of the runway project. The airport made an "economic decision," said Lower Austrian Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner (ÖVP). It is important to continue to advance 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 noted "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 Spokesman Christian Hafenecker criticized the decision of the airport location as a "devastating 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 loser 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.

(APA/Red)

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