Future of Dresden Airport: Closure imminent!

Future of Dresden Airport: Closure imminent!

Things are simmering in Saxony-Anhalt's politics: in the run-up to the state elections in September 2026, the future of Dresden Airport is being hotly debated. The airport, which is under the supervision of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG, is struggling with high deficits. The Free State of Saxony currently holds 77.29%, Saxony-Anhalt 18.54% and the city of Dresden 1.87% shares in this AG. The latter no longer seems willing to bear the losses. This development has reignited discussion about closing the airport. According to Bild, the airport has lost around 110 million euros in the past ten years and has been struggling for years with only around 900,000 passengers, instead of the hoped-for four million.

The situation is particularly critical because Saxony-Anhalt spends around 20 million euros annually on the airport. A majority is forming in the state parliament against further financial injections. However, the Minister for Transport, Regina Kraushaar, sees the airport as important for the region and would like to preserve it. However, there are also calls in the political ranks to part with the deficits of Dresden Airport. The Green Party's Cornelia Lüddemann is in favor of this, while Kerstin Eisenreich from the Left calls on the state government to act and encourages talks with Saxony.

Financial situation and future prospects

Last year the airport suffered an estimated loss of between 10 and 15 million euros, further driving up total debt. In the current draft budget, Saxony provides 77 million euros as a subsidy for the airport, but this is not enough to fully cover the deficits. Under these circumstances, the willingness of the CDU-led finance ministry in Saxony-Anhalt to continue sharing in the losses is decreasing. This discussion comes amid complicated budget negotiations by the CDU/SPD minority government, which is increasing pressure on politicians.

Thomas Löser from the Greens also calls for an honest reassessment of the airport and suggests using it more for events. This could open up new sources of income. However, the uncertainty about the future of the airport not only affects politics, but also the economy and society. Air transport has a huge impact on the economy, creates jobs and promotes tourism. According to IATA, around 386,900 people in Germany are directly employed in the aviation sector, which generates more than 35 billion euros and therefore accounts for around 0.8 percent of GDP.

The realignment of the airlines and the stubborn competition with Prague Airport pose additional challenges. In addition, high fees such as air traffic tax and security fees continue to put a strain on the airport's operations. The question remains: How long can Dresden Airport continue to operate if there are no clear prospects for improving the situation?