Airport expansion
August 21, 2009
Europe's third busiest airport is set to become much bigger, after a regional court's decision on Friday to allow Frankfurt International Airport to proceed with a 4 billion euro ($5.7 billion) expansion plan.
The regional administrative court for the state of Hesse in the western city of Kassel said it had received more than 200 complaints against the airport's plans, but ruled that the potential economic benefit outweighed residents' concerns about noise and destruction of a nearby forest. Several of the opposing parties said they planned to appeal to a federal court.
The airport will now begin construction of a fourth runway, a third terminal, and a cargo and maintenance base. A press release on the Fraport website indicated that the new runway would be scheduled to open in 2011.
The court upheld existing restrictions on night flights between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Traffic at Frankfurt's airport is expected to rise to 88.6 million passengers by 2020, up from 53.5 million in 2008.
svs/AFP/dpa
Editor: Susan Houlton