A lot of public money was put into Erfurt Airport, which is technically well equipped. While the logistics business is running with transport flights, passenger traffic is progressing slowly - a reason for debate.
Erfurt (dpa/th) - The state financing of Erfurt Airport is again causing controversy. On Monday, the city association of the Greens joined a demand by the Thuringian Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) to cease airport operations and to look for alternatives for the use of the area, which had been expanded with investments in the three-digit million range, and the employees. Like the BUND, the Greens pleaded for affordable housing instead of airport operations. Closing the airport, which is far below the originally planned number of passengers, at least in charter traffic, has been discussed in Thuringia for years.
The CDU parliamentary group in the state parliament rejected the demands of the BUND and the Greens, which the Thuringian state association of the ÖDP also joined. The parliamentary manager of the CDU parliamentary group, Andreas Bühl, explained that "in times of crisis and uncertainty, it is poison to question important infrastructure". Thuringia needs a hub for logistics, business and passenger flights.
Bühl asked the state government to submit a long-term investment and development plan to preserve the airport. "Instead of starting a debate about the closure every few months, clear conceptual investments are finally needed." According to him, the airport gives work to around 2,000 people directly or indirectly.
The spokeswoman for the Erfurt district association of the Greens, Doreen Denstädt, called for an exit plan for airport operations that shows alternatives. "Our idea is to create affordable housing at the location." According to their information, government subsidies of around two million euros would be saved each year, which could benefit housing subsidies.
The majority shareholder of the airport is the state, which also contributes the funding. The city of Erfurt only has a share in the single-digit percentage range. In Germany, almost all airports are supported with public funds.
Erfurt is Thuringia's only international airport. According to previous information, the airport expects a total of around 135,000 passengers this year - 80 to 90 percent more than in 2021. When building and expanding the airport, several hundred thousand passengers a year were expected.
