A German court has imposed a temporary ban on night flights at Frankfurt Airport in a controversial move that will cost Lufthansa, Germany’s dominant airline, millions.
The administrative supreme court of Hesse said the ban would start on 30 October, with the new winter flight schedule, sparking anger from carriers at the lack of time in which to alter internationally agreed flight schedules.
Lufthansa said it was “practically impossible” to minimise the anticipated harm to its business.
“To implement such a ban at short notice will have significant economic consequences,” a spokesman for Frankfurt-based Lufthansa said.
The court banned night flights at Frankfurt until another, more senior court makes a final ruling on a long-lasting legal dispute.
Local residents had challenged the airport night flight regulations after Fraport, the airport operator, built a fourth runway.
In 2009, a court said that Germany’s night flight regulations, which permit a maximum of 17 flights a night, weren’t compatible with laws protecting citizens against aircraft noise.
The temporary ban on night flights will take effect when the new runway begins operations – which Fraport has said is planned for 21 October – and will stay in place until the verdict in the legal dispute has been given, the court said.
The case has been moved to Germany’s highest administrative court, in Leipzig, and market observers are expecting a verdict early next year.
Lufthansa CEO Christoph Franz had warned in August that a night flight ban would hurt Germany’s freight market and benefit the fast-expanding hubs in the Middle East.
Lufthansa Cargo warned it might have to ground its entire freighter fleet if there were a permanent ban on night flights.
On Tuesday the carrier said it was exploring all options and would have to reschedule or cancel some of its 8 to 10 nightly flights – it had hoped to increase that to 11.
Kizzi Nkwocha | Thu, 13 Oct 2011, IFW News