T
The fourth runway
Plans to build a fourth runway at
Frankfurt Airport had been
under-way since 1997 but, due
to the violent conflicts with the
building of the third runway,
Fraport let residents' groups and
environmentalists participate in the process to
find a mutually acceptable solution. In 2000, a
task force presented their conclusion which
generally approved a new runway, but in
shorter length (only 2.8 kilometres compared
to the other three 4-kilometre-long runways)
which would serve as a landing-only runway
for smaller aircraft.
Aerial view of the central airport buildings including The
Squaire in the back
Additional requirements included improved noise protection arrangements and a strict
ban on night flights between 11 pm and 5 am across the whole airport. In 2001, Fraport
applied for an approval to build a new runway, with three possible variants assessed. This
concluded that a runway north-west of the airport site would have the least impact on local
residents and the surrounding environment. The plans were approved by the Hessian
government in December 2007, but the requested ban on night flights was lifted because
it was argued that an international airport like Frankfurt would need night flights, especially
for worldwide freight transport. Construction of the new 2,800 m (9,186 ft) long Runway
Northwest in the Kelsterbach Forest began in early 2009.
Developments since 2011
The new runway officially went into operation on 20 October 2011, with an aircraft carrying
Chancellor Angela Merkel performing the first landing on 21 October. The centre line
separation from the existing north runway is about 1,400 m (4,593 ft). This allows
simultaneous instrument landing system (ILS) operations on these two runways, which has
not been possible on the other parallel runways, which do not meet the 3,500-foot
minimum separation for ILS operations. This allowed the airport to increase its capacity
from 83 to 126 aircraft movements per hour.
EDDFFrankfurt
May 2017
www.alliance-airways.net
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