5% fewer flights used Munich airport in 2013 than 2012 – but airport planning 3rd runway

In Munich, campaigners against the building of a 3rd runway remain defiant in spite of a court ruling that the building of a 3rd runway would be legal. There were extraordinary scenes in the court room when the judge gave his ruling.  Campaigners, who had packed the building, all stood up and sang the Bavarian national anthem. The judge had to clear the court. The campaigners are confident that the 3rd runway may never be built because the number of aircraft using the existing runways at Munich is falling. The figures for 2013 show that though there were 0.8% more passengers using Munich airport in 2013 than in 2012, but that the number of air transport movements (flights) fell by 5%.  That is a substantial reduction. The campaign against the new runway has repeatedly questioned the economic case for building a runway for which there is not sufficient demand. For all 3 airports in Bavaria (Munich, Nuremburg and Memmingen) the number of air passengers did not grow in 2013, and the number of flights fell by 5.2%. The volume of air freight and mail using Munich airport fell by 1% in 2013. So no growing demand there.
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More passengers at Munich airport – fewer air transport movements

Less take-offs and landings in Munich, Nuremberg and Memmingen in 2013

26.2.2014 (a Bavarian statistics website)

Munich airport in 2013

Number% change from 2012
Take-offs and landings total 368 443-5%
Passengers in 1000s 38 6350.8%
Freight and mail (tonnes) 302 298-1%

The Bavarian airports 1) Munich, Nuremberg and Memmingen reported to the Federal Statistical Office for the year 2013 a total of 424 300 takeoffs and landings in commercial air transportation. That was 5.2 percent less than last year. As the Bavarian State Office notifies for Statistics and Data Processing further, besides, almost 42.8 million passengers were transported. While the number of passengers increased by 1.5 percent for international flights, the number of domestic passengers decreased by 4.2 percent. The cargo and mail volume declined at these airports by 0.9 per cent to 312 263 tonnes.

The Bavarian airports Munich, Nuremberg and Memmingen reported to the Federal Statistical Office for the year 2013 a total of 424 300 takeoffs and landings in commercial air traffic and thus 5.2 percent less than last year. As the Bavarian State Office were telling for Statistics and Data Processing continues while including transit 2) almost 42.8 million passengers transported. The number of passengers on international flights grew by 1.5 percent to 32.2 million passengers, however, the number of domestic passengers decreased by 4.2 percent to 10.5 million. The cargo and mail volume declined at these airports by 0.9 per cent to 312 263 tonnes.

At Munich Bavaria’s largest airport passenger numbers rose in 2013 despite 5% decrease in take-offs and landings (368 443) to 38.6 million (+0.8 percent). Around 76 percent of the passengers came from abroad or flown abroad. The volume of cargo (including mail) was (-1.0 percent), with almost 302 300 tonnes.

Nuremberg registered more than 47,300 takeoffs and landings (-4.5 percent), the number of passengers amounted to over 3.3 million eight percent below the previous year’s level. Around 65 percent of the local passengers were foreign passengers.

The over 837 000 passengers used the airport Memmingen in 2013 were almost exclusively foreign travelers. Passenger numbers were at the airport in the Allgäu by 3.5 percent, the takeoffs and landings fell to 8546 (-17.6 percent).

 

Full data for Munich airport as well as Nuremburg and Memmingen at

https://www.statistik.bayern.de/presse/archiv/2014/44_2014.php

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Some earlier news stories about Munich airport and its plans for a 3rd runway:

 

Bavarian Administrative Court rules that building a 3rd runway at Munich airport is lawful

February 19, 2014

The Bavarian government in southern Germany have been trying for some time to get consent for a 3rd runway at Munich airport, to the north of the existing airport. The 300 or so runway opponents in the court greeted the news with boos and by singing the Bavaria national anthem. On 19th February the Bavarian Administrative Court (VGH) ruled that the runway can go ahead, when they rejected the 17 lawsuits against the project. The project was halted by a referendum in June 2012, when by a majority vote the people of Munich expressed their opposition to the runway, which would demolish the village of Attaching. However the legal judgement is not the end to the story, and the fight is expected to continue. Those opposed to the runway point out that a runway is not needed as the number of flights has fallen over recent years and the current runways have plenty of spare capacity, with the advent of larger aircraft. Though the result of the 2012 referendum was only valid for one year, the political parties in Munich are very aware if local opposition to the runway, and they need their votes. It is the state government and economic lobbies that want the runway. Opponents.will fight on.    Click here to view full story…

 


 

 

Munich campaign hands in 80,000 signature petition against 3rd runway to state parliament

July 24, 2013

On 17th July, the BUND Naturschutz (the largest environmental organisation in Germany) and the “AufgeMUCkt” Action Alliance handed in a petition to the state parliament against the construction of a third runway at Munich Airport. Nearly 80,000 people have signed the petition from all over Bavaria. The petition was handed to the Chairman of the Economic Committee (CSU) and someone from the Environment Committee at the parliament. The campaigners asked the politicians to please take note of the will of the people and decide against allowing a new runway. One campaign leader, Helga Stiegl Meier explained that, among other things, the number of aircraft movements at Munich Airport has been stagnate for years, which she said proves that there is no need for a 3rd runway. Another spokesman said the region has no need of furher aviation expansion, and sustainable transport in Bavaria is facing very different challenges, such as future supplies of cheap oil. The new parliament will have to decide after the state elections in the autumn on a third runway.     Click here to view full story…

 


 

Munich conference – airport residents’ campaigns across Europe connect their fight against the aviation lobby

25.6.2013
Over 250 people from across Europe attended the European Aviation Campaigners Conference in Munich at the weekend, where they heard accounts of campaigners against expansion in many different countries. The conference produced a manifesto which included a call for an end to night flights and an end to tax-breaks for the aviation industry.  They also called for no more runways to be  built in Europe, and a shift from short-haul flights to rail,  the abolition of subsidies for the aviation sector  and active control of noise. The conference also had sessions on effective campaigning, including direct action.   Those who attended the conference came away inspired. They were in no doubt that the conference will stimulate collective across Europe to campaign for change. The united call is to ‘tame the aviation industry’.  They say health, independent living, and an intact environment must have higher priority than economic interests. There is an English version of the Manifesto at this link.   https://www.airportwatch.org.uk/?p=3813


 

Munich residents vote against new 3rd runway at Munich airport – 54% said NO

June 17, 2012    Munich residents voted against development of a 3rd runway, in a poll by the City of Munich, which owns 23% of the runway (state and federal government own the rest). Just over 54% of polled voters were against the new runway and 45.7% in favour, according to preliminary results of the vote on Sunday.  Though the city only owns part of the airport, this is thought to be a veto. Munich Mayor Christian Ude said he would accept the result “without ifs or buts.” Bavaria’s state government, however, said it still hopes the runway could eventually be built. Munich is Germany’s second-biggest airport. The vote has dealt another blow to airlines clamouring for growth in Germany. A German district government ruled in favour of the €1.2 billion euro Munich runway project almost a year ago. This vote shows, quote: “how difficult it has become to make clear the significance of important infrastructure projects in our country,’ according to the Munich airport chief. Click here to view full story…

 

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