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FRANKFURT AIRPORT NEEDS NEW RUNWAY

Sunday afternoon, shortly after 4pm. BA flight 2716 goes into a holding pattern over the Taunus, because there is no ramp parking space available at Frankfurt airport. It is a capacity bottleneck, which results in many delays, annoys passengers and costs airlines dearly. Especially Lufthansa, which made FRA its home base, feels extremely restricted because of a lack of space. A fourth runway and the necessary capacities on the ground are definitely needed.

That is why LH chariman Jürgen Weber demanded an expansion a long time ago. To make matters more urgent there were even threats that Lufthansa would turn its back on FRA, which would plunge the international hub into provincial insignificance.

It is reasonable to compare FRA with its European competitiors, i.e. Amsterdam Schiphol, Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Heathrow, where between 120 to 150 flights land or take off every hour. At Frankfurt, just 80 flights/h can be handled. According to airport owner FAG an expansion is thus absolutely necessary if FRA wants to stay competitive. However, there is still the question of how and where.

Residents, who have to put up with noise pollution, environmentalists and conservationists, are not convinced of the necessity of an expansion. This leads straight away into the discussion between economy and ecology.

To prevent an escalation of the situation as happened years ago with runway 18, Hans Eichel (SPD), the then Minister-President of the Hessian Government, initiated a so called mediation process, which aimed to discuss these very questions. The emphasis is to strike a balacne between the economy and the environment. The Hessian Government has funded the endeavour with DM 2.86 million, to provide the Hessian Cabinet with a sound basis for an eventual decision.

The mediation group is made up of 21 people. Among them are members of the FAG, Federal and Country Authorities, Lord Mayors of the surrounding cities and communities and last not least the leading mediators Dr. Frank Niethammer, President of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Prof. Dr. Klaus Hänsch and Prof. Dr. Kurt Oeser.

Four scenarios are being presented within the group, which will be substantiated by scientific reports. Economic and environmental consequences are being examined intensively as well as the health effects on the region.

The first scenario looks at not expanding the airport, the so-called option zero. A second alternative is optimising the runway system and simultaneously using the military airport Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, which is only possible, if the US authorities are willing to sell. This would mean, the conversion of Erbenheim for civilian use. The third choice looks at relieving FRA by making more use of the railway, and lastly the fourth scenario looks at expansion of FRAU itself.

According to the mediation circle there is only a preliminary report on the fourth option, which means that no concrete statements can be made about the other alternatives. The mediation team only knows a study by the American FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) which was commissioned by the FAG. The FAA report presents 16 different variations on a fourth runway, which are elaborated regarding their usefullness from an flight operations point of view. The best solution seems to be a parallel runway in the Frankfurt City Forrest (in an east-west position).

A possible intrusion on the City Forrest will obviously rouse environmentalists, conservationists and citizens' action groups. It will furthermore stir heated debates in the mediation circle, as mediator Niethammer confirms, "Although the dialogue is kept as factual as possible, emotions cannot be ruled out. After all there isn't anybody, who leaves his interests behind, when he enters the conference room".

The FAG, which runs the airport, makes every effort to accommodate those who are affected by whichever decision. This is why a survey was carried out to ascertain how the population feels about the airport. The FAG was pleasantly surprised about the result: According to the Society for Politics and Social Studies (polis), Frankfurt Airport has risen in popularity. 78 per cent of the population living in the Rhein-Main area are in favour of its expansion.

The people who are directly affected, take a different view: "This survey is not worth the paper it was written on. A study, which takes all degrees and kinds of stress into account, should be carried out. It should not be commissioned by the FAG but by someone impartial. The degree of acceptability would be quite different", claims Ingrid Kopp, spokeswoman of the Citizens' Action Group (BI) "No Airport Erbenheim". FAG press spokesman Klaus J. Busch is convinced that the survey is representative, "We are honestly interested in getting a true picture".

It seems that people are facing the future in a composed manner. The FAG does not envisage serious resistance as was experienced when runway 18 was being considered. The mediation group more or less expects protests from the population. Eberhard Engisch, Kelsterbach's Lord Mayor, who has good connections with the local BI "Igel", assesses the situation as follows, "The clash will be shorter, but more severe". Igels's Spokeswoman

Ins Papenfus confirms that once the expansion has been approved, the surrounding communities will not bury their heads in the sand. Papenfus is sure that there "won't be violent clashes as experienced with runway west".

On the other hand, Mörfelden-Walldorf's Lord Mayor Bernhard Brehl does not anticipate a totally peaceful resistance, "We must be aware of militant elements, which will definitely be present". One thing is for certain: the 35 citizens' action groups (BI's) situated around the airport, are mobilising and increasing in popularity, if you want to believe the BI Spokespersons, "Between 200 to 500 people will come to meetings to vent their anger".

It is also a fact that Frankfurt Airport is accepted as the region's financial factor; those opposed to an expansion are also agreed on this. There is no intention to change FRA into a damp biotope. However, the residents, who have to put up with noise, along with environmentalists and conservationists do not want to place a greater burden on nature or their eardrums, are intent on keeping the status quo.

"A growing market cannot afford stagnation at a high level", is Martin Gaebges' opinion. Gaebges is chairman of BARIG (Board of Airline Representatives in Germany), which of course supports an expansion. Another argument in its favour is the creation of new and the securing of existing jobs. Hence the catch phrase "job machine", which is used by those in favour. After all one cannot ignore 58,000 jobs.

If the fourth runway gets the "thumbs down", many jobs would be at risks, provided that Lufhansa turns its back on FRA, which would cause the airport to lose its hub function. Peter Benz, Darmstadt's Lord Mayor, comments this possible outcome as follows, "That is just a horror vision of the FAG".

Others share his opinion. His Raunheim colleague agrees, "The job and economy argument come up time and again and are used to support unpopular measures, which affect our citizens. There are many exaggerations of the benefits, which will in the long run not be beneficial for the airport. A more honest approach would be a better method if you take a long term view".

Additionally cutbacks are being made in many areas. The FAG announced job losses in its '98 annual results (cp. FLUG REVUE 07/99). While some of the citizens' action groups blame FAG's impending entry to the stock exchange for this, Gernot Riediger, Dept LR 11 of the Federal Transport Ministry Dept., explains the situation as follows, "There are various reasons for these jobs losses. On the one hand the airport companies are restructuring, which means they shift services from their own businesses into other subsidiary companies or specialist firms. This does not mean, that these jobs are lost, but that they might be shifted outside the airport area and are therefore so-called "induced" jobs".

Those opposed to the expansion certainly do not underestimate the airport as employer. According to Mayor Haas, 900 Raunheim citizens work there, however, "they know to differentiate. They do no longer believe politicians, who think that they can pacify them by claiming that noise levels for aircraft are being reduced. The citizens know, that the subjective noise sensitivity of those affected is different because of the very significant increase in noise events".

Wenzel Mayer, Head of the Immission Protection Department in the Hess Ministry of the Environment, is of the opinion that the FAG and those responsible in the Länder and Communities have to tackle this problem. Something has to be done about passive sound protection. "I think that the FAG has to come up with some concrete suggestions during the mediation process, if it wants to secure acceptance from the surrounding area for the desired expansion", is Mayer's comment.

Haas is annoyed when he says that Frankfurt should take other German airports as an example as far as noise protection is concerned, "A programme to fit noise-proof windows has been introduced in Raunheim leading to ludicrous situations. Inhabitants on one side of the road were being protected, whilst those on the other were not, because they were outside the relevant noise zones. A step like this cannot be supported in a community, which is affected by 63 dB(A) caused by air traffic noise".

If a new runway is being built, the FAG will have to deal with one further problem: there is a massive resistance by citizens' action groups, environmentalists and conservationists, who do not want to give up the Frankfurt City Forrest. The Kelsterbach and Schwanheim Forest are especially protected forests to make up for trees lost when Runway West was built. It was promised years ago that never again a sizeable part of these forests should be used. A new building start is thus viewed as a betrayal by the government. However, the government, who is a shareholder in FAG with 25.9 per cent does not seem to be aware of this promise.

While the FAG reports that it will only use ten to 15 per cent of the edge of the forest, the BI's are talking about at least 20 per cent. Martin Kessel from the Association of a citizens' Action Group, ("Against airport expansion and for night flight stop"), claims that, "trees will be felled in the middle of the city forest. It will not be done with just a runway. The necessary infrastructure is also needed. Frankfurt has already a problem as far as connections on the ground are concerned. The reception halls are too small and - no matter which version will win in the end - another problem is sure to occur. After all, aircraft parking positions and a new terminal are needed". The FAG is only planning one runway and a taxiway to the existing terminals. A fourth terminal outside the airport perimeter is out of the question.

Until a decision has to be made, people are staying calm in FRA. Press spokesman Busch comments, "We'll have to wait and see whether some citizen's action group, single person or institution will try to prevent or delay things with the help of the administrative court. But we are not willing to speculate about it today. We are glad when the majority of the population is for the expansion and hope that the mediation process will come up with results, which will enable the government of the Land to decide for an expansion".

We can eagerly await the report, which was commissioned by the mediation group. A direct recommendation for the Hess Government (for or against) will not be made. According to the participants the mediation process is open and can go either way. However, the citizens' action groups very much doubt the openness of the result and decided not to participate in the mediation. The mediation group very much regrets this and is convinced that the BI's have missed out on a big chance. The later saw themselves in the minority and thought they did not have a chance to be equal partners in the discussion. And as they do not want to be told that they are partially to blame for the eventual result, the BI's decided to abstain.

All this shows that the BI's do not set a great deal of trust in the mediation. Unfortunately the media were not on their side either. Winfried Heuser (Flughafen BI Schwanheim/Goldstein) moans, "The neutrality of the mediators is questionable. The mediator Niethammer for instance has an advisory function for economic questions for the FAG. Also Jeske, publisher of the FAZ, is one of the advisors, so one should not be amazed about the colouring of the articles which are published in his paper". Even Mayor Haas, member of the team, is convinced, "The expansion of the airport has been decided a long time ago.

The Hess Government, a shareholder in FAG with 44.2 per cent, does not comment on these reproaches and does not raise the question whether there might be a clash of interests, because Minister President Koch (CDU) is a member of the Board of Directors of the FAG. The mediation is said to be open and people should be patient and wait for the report.

As mentioned in the beginning, Lufthansa plays a decisive part in the expansion question, the company moreover initiated the whole process. The German airline would love to be faithful to the Frankfurt hub, however, "in 2003 at the latest FRA capacity will be exhausted, and Lufthansa has ordered around 50 new aircraft for the next few years. These must be able to take off and land somewhere," summarises Victor Pompe, LH co-ordinator for airport affairs.

Lufthansa is obviously keen for the expansion to be complete by 2005. According to Pompe, it is feasible to keep to this schedule, once the green light has been given. As to being competitive: the clock has already started to tick for Frankfurt. While European Hubs like Schiphol and Charles de Gaulle are getting ready to face the world market, Frankfurt will presumably need years, until the bulldozers are allowed to move in.

Once the mediation results of the Hessian Government are available, a decision will follow. This is planned for the end of 1999. Depending on what this decision will be, there will be some discontent. The airport will either burst at its seams, or those impacted by the expansion will be up in arms.

From page 34 of FLUG REVUE 9/99