Dispute over Dresden Airport: Losses of millions and resistance growing!

Dispute over Dresden Airport: Losses of millions and resistance growing!

Concerns about Dresden Airport in the Klotzsche district are growing. Double-digit million losses are forecast for 2024, while in Magdeburg there is increasing resistance to financial support for the airport. Tensions between Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt are increasing as both federal states are among the largest shareholders of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG (MFAG), which operates the airports in Leipzig/Halle and Dresden. The latest figures show that Dresden Airport is becoming less attractive to holidaymakers from Saxony-Anhalt, which only increases the challenges. As Tag24 reports, Saxony-Anhalt has invested around 20 million euros in the airport over the past ten years, while the airport's total losses add up to over 108 million euros.

A vocal opposition is forming in the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt. Representatives of various parties, including the Greens and the Left Party, are calling for talks about a possible restructuring or even an exit from financial participation in the airport. Cornelia Lüddemann from the Greens is clearly in favor of a separation process, while Transport Minister Regina Kraushaar nevertheless emphasizes that maintaining the airport is important for the region. The governing parties SPD and CDU seem increasingly less willing to cover the deficits, which could further stir up the political situation. Numerous voices warn that without political answers to the current challenges, the future of the airport will become even more uncertain.

Economic core elements and the role of the airport

Dresden's airport plays an important role, not only for individual tourism, but also for the local economy. CDU transport politician Andreas Nowak has called for a viable future concept that emphasizes the importance of the airport for medium-sized businesses, tourism and the chip industry. A failure in further development could have serious consequences for many companies that rely on the connection. The airport had just 882,000 passengers in 2024, a decrease of 5.1 percent compared to the previous year.

In the search for a solution, the pressure on German airports can also be observed. According to Aviation Direct, they are under strong pressure compared to other countries. The recovery rate of air traffic in Germany was only 84 percent; However, many European countries have already reached their pre-crisis levels. Industry representatives blame high government taxes and fees, which not only burden airport operations but can also lead to international airlines avoiding the German market.

Criticism and future outlook

The pressure on political decision-makers is evident, particularly with regard to the aviation tax, which has been increased several times in recent years. Without measures to ease taxes and fees, Germany is likely to lose ground in European aviation and competitiveness could be severely affected. Ralph Beisel, managing director of the airport association ADV, is therefore calling for urgent political innovation in order to restore the attractiveness of German airports.

Overall, it is clear that the discussion about Dresden Airport represents a complex interplay between regional politics, economics and the challenges of a rapidly changing air traffic market. A clear line does not seem to have been found yet and the future of Dresden Airport remains uncertain.