Munich Airport suddenly ailing?
Secret billion-dollar program enrages the Greens in the state parliament
Created: 2022-12-20 15:36
By: Dirk Walter
A billion-euro investment program for Munich Airport for the years 2023 to 2030 is now an issue in the Bavarian state parliament.
Green and free voters are calling for clarification.
30 years after its opening, Munich Airport has to tackle a comprehensive renovation of its real estate.
The rough investment plan with all conceivable projects includes measures of up to 4.2 billion euros up to 2030, confirmed the airport according to information from the
Munich Merkur
.
The Freisinger Green MP Johannes Becher announced a report request from his group.
That means: The airport should explain itself to the budget committee of the state parliament.
"Ideally, airport boss Jost Lammers will be on the committee himself," said Becher.
The new pier (visualization) at Terminal 1 is one of the construction projects, it costs 600 million euros.
© Planning community T1E SSF/SP/SOP/JSK
There is enough need for discussion.
So far, the program has only been presented confidentially to the airport's supervisory board.
It's secret.
The budget committee of the state parliament was not informed about the huge need for renovation at the airport, although the Free State is the majority shareholder with 51 percent.
"Maintenance and further development of the airport infrastructure" are core tasks of the airport GmbH (FMG), the airport had explained to our newspaper.
And then some necessary measures are listed - new construction, conversion and maintenance: These include the renovation of the parking decks in the central zone, i.e. close to the terminals, as well as the renovation of dilapidated properties such as the Airport Center MAC and the airport administration.
That alone is said to cost hundreds of millions.
What's in store for the Free State?
In particular, the three owners, the Free State, the Federal Government and the City of Munich, should be interested in whether they will face financial burdens.
The airport itself has the billions "certainly not on the high edge," says Becher.
Zierer also agrees: "The fundamental question arises as to how Flughafen GmbH would like to finance investments of the planned magnitude - in view of a debt level of 2.8 billion euros and losses of 665 million over the 2020 and 2021 financial years."
The fact that parts of the airport are dilapidated has never been an issue - people prefer to refer to awards (“Five Star Airport”) that the airport regularly collects for good service.
Lighthouse projects such as the new pier at Terminal 1 were also popular in the past.
Not anymore, because the costs are increasing here too – according to statements from spring of this year from 450 to at least 600 million euros.
The 3rd runway comes back into focus
What also concerns the MPs is the third runway.
As is well known, the controversial airstrip has been put on hold until the end of the election period in October 2023.
Nevertheless, the runway is included in the investment program.
According to information from 2015, the railway would cost 1.6 billion euros.
"For me, that's an air booking," says Zierer, annoyed.
"This project will not be realized - there is no need and no political majorities for it." He was convinced "that this will not change with the state elections in 2023".
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According to the Green MEP, Mr Becher, that is not so certain.
"Trusting Markus Söder's word on this topic is difficult for people in the region," he says.
The resistance against the runway must become more active again.
In particular, it is important to win over younger people who three or four years ago might not have been interested in the topic at all because of their age.
He also hopes to work with the activists of "Fridays for future".
One thing is clear, says Becher: the runway has fallen out of time in times of climate change.
It is a "plan from the day before yesterday".
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