Night-flight ban ‘a blow’ to German business

LUFTHANSA has warned Germany will lose ground to its competitors in the air cargo industry as a result of the night-flight ban imposed on Frankfurt Airport.

Christoph Franz, chief executive officer of Lufthansa, states: “Frankfurt, Hesse, and yes, even Germany, as an export and logistics nation, will have their wings clipped.

“This is a terrible blow to Germany’s reputation as a place to do business and there is no doubt that one of Europe’s largest hubs will fall behind in international competition.”

The company argues that it has already made “extensive concessions” to night flights and the new runway would never have been used at night.

“Lufthansa will continue to invest here [Germany] in future and participate in the sector’s growth,” adds Franz. “For larger investments, however, we will have to take the new developments into consideration when drawing comparisons with other hubs in the Lufthansa airline group.”

The six-hour ban, upheld by a German federal court, extends from 11pm to 5am.

In October last year, residents legally contested the local government’s ruling that allowed 17 flights between those hours.

The airport also has to reduce the average number of flights permitted between 10pm and 11pm and 5am and 6am from 150 to 133.

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