The opening times at Klagenfurt Airport are currently severely restricted. The range of scheduled flights is extremely manageable, but this reduction in operating times also affects general aviation and business aviation. In non-regular traffic, one is angry about the low availability of the Carinthian airport.

Due to the lockdown, most airports and airfields in Austria drastically reduced their operating times. In the meantime, this has largely been withdrawn, but not in Klagenfurt, where the company is still sticking to greatly reduced operating times. The operational readiness of the fire brigade was also temporarily reduced to level I.

State Secretary Magnus Brunner (ÖVP), responsible for aviation, explains the reasons for the limited opening times of Klagenfurt Airport: “The operating times of a public civil airport are regulated by the requirements of the civil airport operating regulations and are stated in the civil airport conditions of use of the respective airport. The public civil airfield is obliged to operate during these operating hours. Due to the current situation, it was necessary to limit these operating times for a certain time at the request of the civil aerodrome operator. At the request of the civil aerodrome operator, Klagenfurt Airport was allowed to operate from 10:30 am to 15:45 pm daily. In addition, it is possible to extend these daily operating times in the sense of the civil airfield operating regulations in individual cases or as required. In the context of the situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the economic situation of the public civil airports was included in the considerations. "

A well-known business jet operator explains that the limited operating hours, in particular, are hampering the development of the currently booming aviation industry. The simple reason for this, according to the manager, is that flights in the double day margin are difficult. Prior notification is required outside of operating hours, but the airport can refuse this. This would have already happened repeatedly. If take-offs and / or landings are approved outside of the severely restricted opening times, special fees apply, even though the tower operated by Austro Control is continuously manned. Not only business aviation is affected by the unpleasant restriction, but also all private pilots and, in theory, scheduled services as well.

A spokeswoman for the Lilihill Group, majority owner of Klagenfurt Airport, said on request: “I can only assure you that the management is working flat out on an overall solution for Klagenfurt Airport and an extension of the opening times. The limited regular service, which is our main source of income, is only starting up slowly. As a company, we are committed to business principles and an economic sense will always be the basis for all decisions relating to the extension of operating hours. COVID 19 has caused enormous economic damage. Our priority at the moment is to keep this damage within limits and to secure all jobs at Klagenfurt Airport. But we are positive that Klagenfurt Airport will soon be flying to international hubs again. "

State Secretary Magnus Brunner confirmed that the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology has approved the reduced operating times. The member of the government also added: “The duty to operate relates to the respectively approved and announced operating times of a public civil airport. By approving the respective operating times, compliance with these is also the responsibility of the Federal Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. If the respectively approved operating times are not adhered to, supervisory measures within the meaning of the Aviation Act may be taken. "

Brunner also emphasizes that the restriction in operating times is initially limited to mid-September 2020 and will then expire. But the politician also said that there was an option for an extension: “The temporary restriction of the operating hours has been seen as necessary and expedient due to the situation in recent months. Due to the current foreseeable developments, these temporary restrictions should expire around mid-September 2020. This depends on the further developments in the context of the current crisis and may be extended. With regard to alternative landings, it should be noted that the usual aviation announcement of both the operating times and the basic fire-fighting category at Klagenfurt Airport, as part of the necessary flight preparation of a pilot before the start of the flight, may only be planned as an alternative airport under the announced conditions. If these requirements do not apply to the respective aircraft, the pilot is obliged to plan an alternative flight route or another alternative airport corresponding to his aircraft before commencing the flight. "

Regarding the downgrading of the fire brigade operational readiness, Magnus Brunner said: “The announcement of a low fire fighting category and the possibility of increasing it promptly is a common practice in aviation and has been published accordingly - for Klagenfurt Airport. As part of the approval of the temporary restriction of operating times, the civil airport operator was also required to maintain a fire-fighting category corresponding to this traffic at the airport during daily operating hours for air traffic. This means that when aircraft are moved at Klagenfurt Airport with aircraft, the fire fighting category corresponding to this aircraft must always be available, but not during the entire daily operating hours. It should also be noted that the fire fighting categories in the sense of the International Civil Aviation Organization or EASA only refer to the amount of extinguishing agent (water, foam, etc.), the rate of application and the intervention time. In addition, the composition and staffing of an emergency and rescue team would also be relevant, which is standard in Austria beyond the requirements of international regulations in order to be able to offer increased security. "