Third Runway for Munich Airport Gets Green Light from Court

Munich Airport

A Munich court backed plans for a third runway at Munich Airport on Wednesday.

The Bayerische Verwaltungsgerichtshof or Bavarian Administrative Court dismissed 17 complaints that sought to block the expansion.

Judge Erwin Allesch, who presided over the hearing, said that the new runway would not be significantly detrimental to the environment nor disruptive enough for those living nearby not to be built.

In 2012, Munich residents voted down a proposal for a third runway at the airport.  The outcome of the referendum was seen as a significant blow to Lufthansa and Air Berlin, which had already been impacted by delays in the opening of Berlin’s new airport and a ban on night flights in Frankfurt.

“As a result [of the ruling], Munich Airport still has the opportunity to handle the projected traffic growth in the coming years and maintain its position among Europe’s major air transportation hubs,” said Michael Kerkloh, the airport’s chief executive, in a statement.

Germany’s second-largest airport after Frankfurt is the seventh busiest in Europe.  It is located 17.7 miles (28.5 kilometers) northeast of the city and is named in memory of the former Bavarian Prime Minister Franz Josef Strauß.

(Photo: Accura Media Group)