Groundbreaking Ceremony for Frankfurt Airport’s Runway NW

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Groundbreaking Ceremony for Frankfurt Airport’s Runway Northwest
“FRA’s Expansion Program Is the Biggest Economic Stimulus Package of This Decade”

"Following more than ten years of intensive planning and extended approval procedures, we can today commence construction of Frankfurt Airport's (FRA) new Runway Northwest," explained Fraport AG executive board chairman Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Bender at the ground-breaking ceremony for FRA's new landing runway on May 8, 2009. "This runway will secure the future viability and competitiveness of Germany's biggest aviation hub and will also secure the economic prosperity of the entire Frankfurt/Rhine-Mainregion." Together with Hesse prime minister Roland Koch, the Hesse minister of finance and chairman of Fraport's supervisory board Karlheinz Weimar, the Hesse minister of economic affairs Dieter Posch, Frankfurt's lord mayor Petra Roth, and Fraport's executive board member responsible for airport expansion Dr. Stefan Schulte, Prof. Bender gave the starting signal for constructing FRA's Runway Northwest.

Bender emphasized that Runway Northwest will be inaugurated for the 2011 winter timetable: "We are well within schedule and already have successfully completed the necessary preparatory work." Beginning in 2011, the number of coordinated aircraft movements will be incrementally raised from more than 80 now to 126 per hour during the daytime. "Over the long-term, this capacity gain will allow us to maintain our global competitive position among the world's major hub airports," stressed Fraport's CEO. The airlines require more takeoff and landing slots at FRA than are currently available. "Today, we already have demand for 90 to 95 slots per hour but capacity constraints prevent us from meeting this demand. Clearly, this indicates that our planning is geared to actual market requirements," Bender further explained. Frankfurt Airport's expanded runway system will be able to accommodate about 700,000 aircraft movements per year compared to the approximately 500,000 now handled. Thus, for the 88 million passengers expected annually at FRA by the year 2020 Fraport will be able to offer first-class services as the world's biggest international transfer airport. An efficient infrastructure will also be available for the more than three million metric tons of cargo forecast to be handled at Frankfurt Airport by 2020.

Prime minister Roland Koch called it "a historic day for the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main Region and Hesse." He declared that Frankfurt Airport's expansion was the Hesse state government's number one priority and that the decision in favor of expansion was a "generation decision". "Fraport will invest €4 billion in the Airport Expansion Program over the coming years. Approximately 25,000 new jobs will be created at the airport and an additional 40,000 throughout the region. These figures alone demonstrate that Frankfurt Airport's expansion program is the biggest economic stimulus package of this decade," Koch stated.

Hesse's vitality depends on mobility and the hub function in the heart of Germany and Europe. "Expansion of Frankfurt Airport further optimizes this key mobility factor. If you look at how other major airports are now expanding or have already increased their capacities, you will understand the importance of this new runway for Frankfurt Airport, for Hesse as a business location and for all of Germany," underscored Prime Minister Koch – who only a few hours before the ceremony had returned from a trip with a business delegation to Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

The City of Frankfurt lord mayor Petra Roth emphasized that Frankfurt certainly knows just how significant "its" airport is. The Frankfurt global air transportation hub is of decisive importance for the continued positive economic development of both the city and the region. Furthermore, FRA's favorable geographic location and close intertwining with the city and the region are key locational factors boosting attractiveness and competitiveness. "The city's international character, economic prowess, future viability and competitiveness are closely linked with the development of Frankfurt Airport. I am convinced that if the airport is doing well, then the city of Frankfurt is doing well. With today's ground breaking, I am delighted that we are taking a further important step toward the demand-driven expansion of FRA's capacities," said Roth.

Prime minister Koch, lord mayor Roth and Fraport CEO Bender agreed that the airport and its future competitiveness are vitally important for the economy and employment in the region. In conclusion, Bender said: "Today, we have not only given the starting signal for constructing the new runway, but also we have given an important and enduring signal for the international competitiveness of Germany as a commercial aviation base".

Frankfurt Airport‘s Expansion History: PDF Document (53 KByte)

Fraport press release, 08.05.2009