At Stuttgart Airport, new charges for take-off and landing come into effect July 1st, 2019. The new regulations actively encourage the expansion of the route network and the use of innovative technology, such as electric drive or electricity-based fuels. Further, the kind of support airlines can expect in return for new destinations is made transparent. The new tariff regulations were submitted to the Baden-Wurttemberg Ministry of Transport at the end of January 2019 and have now been approved by the authorities.
Walter Schoefer, CEO of Stuttgart Airport, welcomed the amended version: “Together with our airline partners, we have, over the course of many years, expanded our connectivity in the interest of the public and the economic location. To sustain the region’s competitiveness, we need to continue working on our mobility offers. It is an urgent matter that flying becomes more climate-friendly. For us as an infrastructure provider, the new regulation is a way to incentivize this mission.
Dr. Arina Freitag, managing director aviation, said: “By developing these new tariff regulations, we are the first airport in Germany with such a tool to promote the use of electricity-based fuel and electric aircraft.
Concurrently, we reward new destinations and the well-utilized capacity of aircraft. For us, sustainability also means thinking long-term and considering the needs of our stakeholders. For our passengers, we aim to develop our route network sustainably, and for our neighbours, we support quieter planes.”
With the new tariff regulations, airlines are charged smaller fees for quieter aircraft types, while significantly higher charges apply to louder airplanes. Flight movements late at night, meaning after 10 pm, will be at least twice as expensive as before. From now on, electric aircrafts can land free of charge at Stuttgart Airport for an entire year. Further, the use of alternative fuel will be supported. The goal of the strategic adjustments is to create long-term incentives for airlines to invest in particularly quiet and climate-friendly airplanes. The charges are used to finance the airport’s infrastructure, such as the airside areas and terminals.
