FMG, the Munich Airport operating company, has welcomed positive planning approval decision by the District Government of Upper Bavaria for the construction of a third runway at the airport. With this decision, the approval authority, after intensive analysis of all aspects of this expansion project, has concurred with the need for a third runway as presented by FMG as well as the submitted planning documents.

Dr. Michael Kerkloh, the CEO of FMG, called the ruling, "the most important new starting point for Munich's competitiveness as an air transportation location since the relocation of the airport in Riem." The airport CEO added, "This sets the stage in terms of planning permission regulations to continue this Bavarian success story in the long term. The expansion of Munich Airport to meet growing demand and the resulting increase in available flights and destinations will benefit in particular the population of Bavaria and the economy."

The thriving Munich air transportation hub is already making a decisive contribution to prosperity and employment in the state of Bavaria. Since the new Munich Airport opened in 1992, the traffic volume has increased enormously. In 2010, the passenger volume at the airport reached approximately 35 million passengers, or about three times the total of 1992, when the airport opened, and some 390,000 take-offs and landings were recorded, which was nearly double the 1992 level. Today the airport offers scheduled services to more than 220 destinations in 68 countries around the world. This gives Bavaria rapid and direct access to the world's key markets and metropolises. Moreover, with a workforce numbering 30,000 employees, Munich Airport is among Bavaria’s largest workplaces.

The third runway at Munich Airport will also ensure that the national air transportation infrastructure is able to deliver the necessary performance in the long term. Approximately 90 percent of all long-haul flights to and from Germany are handled through the two hubs of Munich and Frankfurt. Now that both locations have secure expansion perspectives, Germany, as Europe's biggest economy, will continue to gain an appropriate share in the anticipated growth in global air traffic.

FMG plans to fully implement the conditions and protective claims contained in the planning permission ruling. An initial assessment indicates that they go far beyond the requirements of the law in the interests of parties affected by noise, and will result in considerable additional costs for FMG. The airport operating company is making its contribution to limiting as far as possible any negative effects from the construction and operation of the third runway to an unavoidable minimum.

The airport remains committed to continuing its long-standing dialog with its neighbors and the surrounding communities. FMG will optimally address the justified concerns of the residents within the framework of discussions in the Regional Advisory Council. In this regard, FMG has voluntarily made 100 million euros in funding available, with no legal obligation, as compensation for hardships and inconvenience related to the expansion project.

Under planning permission law, the decisive ruling by the District Government of Upper Bavaria permits immediate execution of the project. However, as a legal challenge to the immediate execution of the ruling is likely, FMG plans to start construction only after a court decision. A decision on the specific starting date for construction will be made by the FMG's governing bodies.