It has been known for a few weeks that the Lilihill Group intends to further increase its shares in Klagenfurt Airport. Negotiations are already ongoing with the state of Carinthia and the city of Klagenfurt. The state government is silent about the content of the talks, as it has been agreed not to disclose. Naturally, this is a thorn in the side of the opposition.
In any case, state policy calls for sustainable investments in the airport. However, the whole discussion seems to be in the direction of those properties that belong to the airport but are not absolutely necessary for operation. These can only be sold with the consent of the City of Klagenfurt and the State of Carinthia. Some of the areas are considered to be quite valuable. The State Audit Office recently criticized the partial privatization that took place in 2018. Since then, the Lilihill Group has held the majority.
The portal 5min.at reports, citing the presentation by Provincial Councilor Martin Gruber (ÖVP) that Carinthia transferred 666.000 euros for the security infrastructure of Klagenfurt Airport in the previous year. Furthermore, the operating company can still obtain grants of 2,64 million euros from the state. The city is still committed to 827.000 euros, although both commitments were made before the purchase agreement was signed.