Recommend pageQuo vadis aviation?
At the heller & partner talk Michael Kerkloh, CEO of Flughafen München GmbH, and Karl Ulrich Garnadt, CEO of Lufthansa discussed the future of air traffic.
Mobility is a basic need which air traffic satisfies: by safe connections and the exchange of ideas and products. What are the chances of mobility, which benefits does aviation provide and what does aircraft industry do not to damage the environment? These have been the most important questions Stephan Heller asked Michael Kerkloh and Karl Ulrich Garnadt.
The two aviation managers agreed: "Air traffic is a growth industry - and Munich airport is a flagship airport connecting Europe’s largest economy with the world." Consequently Lufthansa develops Munich airport as its second hub besides Frankfurt.
Karl Ulrich Garnadt: "Munich airport is the best connected airport in Europe. It's better connected than Frankfurt and London Heathrow. Nowhere else in Europe are that many direct connections to destinations in Europe. The hub function which trusses the passengers makes this possible. Lufthansa has more than 8,000 employees and more than 125 aircrafts in Munich. Until 2014 we are intending to invest about 14 billion Euros in new aircrafts. We are a quite firm industry, a growth sector which also after short irruptions such as oil crises, SARS or 9/11 is on course for growth."
Michael Kerkloh: "With our "two runways system" we cannot receive further flights for more than eight hours a day. Therefore we are planning to build a third runway on a legitimate basis. All previous predictions have been bested through the development at Munich airport. In 2008 we will have a good 35 billion passengers. The economic power of our airport is verifiable. With 1 billion new passengers there would be 1,000 new jobs at the airport and 1,000 more in the region. Airport jobs are not displaceable."
Michael Kerkloh said that the third runway would be financed internally: as infrastructure project for Bavaria and Germany and as economical project for Flughafen München GmbH". In order to limit the contamination for the residents the most gentle runway model has been chosen. "We completely meet the extensive legal requirements containing for example noise control and compensatory measures. And more than that. We want to act ecologically responsible. An example for that is the landing fee which depends on the emission."
Conclusion of the evening: air traffic is an enduring growth industry which on the one hand connects Germany with the world and on the other hand conciliates economic power and ecology.
About fifty top class guests from politics and industry have attended the event such as the Bavarian minister of state of finance Georg Fahrenschon, the members of the Bavarian parliament Otmar Bernhard, Ernst Weidenbusch, Markus Blume and Thomas Dechant, Bernd Romeike, CEO E.ON, Karsten Engel (BMW) or Burkard Bovensiepen (ALPINA). There have also been international guests such as the Greek consul general Anna Korka, the Ukrainian consul general Peter Peretiatko, the Swedish consul general Klaus Werner and Tomasz Zmiejko of the Polish consulate general.
Dr. Michael Kerkloh is the CEO of Flughafen München GmbH (FMG) since September 2002. Before he held leading positions at the airports Hamburg and Frankfurt.
Karl Ulrich Garnadt is group executive manager service and personnel of Lufthansa since 2007. He started his career at Lufthansa with an apprenticeship as air traffic agent in 1979.
