Fraport AG Will Apply for Nighttime Flight Restrictions Linked to Approval of Frankfurt Airport's Capacity Expansion Program Supervisory Board Approves Plan to

Frankfurt, FRANKFURT (Germany) 18. 12. 2002 (ots/APROTEXT)- In tandem with its application to begin the zoning procedurefor a new landing runway (to be built northwest of FrankfurtAirport), Fraport AG will simultaneously apply for a limitedoperating license during the nighttime hours from 23:00 to 05:00- effective once the fourth runway goes into operation. This wasannounced today by Roland Koch, prime minister of the state ofHesse and Fraport AG's supervisory board chairman, as well asFraport's executive board chairman, Dr. Wilhelm Bender, andvice-chairman, Prof. Manfred Schölch. Furthermore, after the newrunway goes into operation, it is planned to limit the totalnumber of aircraft movements between 22:00 and 23:00 and alsobetween 05:00 and 06:00 hours to 150 take-offs and landings.Currently, there are an average of 80 aircraft movements perhour during the daytime. This rate will climb to 120 per hourafter the new runway is inaugurated.

"This voluntary limitation underscores Fraport AG'scommitment to accept and implement nighttime flight restrictionsat FRA as the price for being able to expand the airport'srunway system," said Koch. The Hessian aviation authority couldorder a ban on nighttime flights based on this request andconsideration of all other interests. This was also confirmed byan independent expert examining "legal questions involved inimplementing restrictions on nighttime flights", which waspresented last August by the chairman of the Regional DialogueForum, Prof. Dr. Johann-Dietrich Wörner.

Prof. Schölch, Fraport's executive board member responsiblefor the Airport Expansion Program (AEP), explained Fraport AG'sfundamental willingness additionally to establish a financialcompensation program for residential areas in the airportvicinity, which are regularly affected by aircraft flying under aheight of 300 meters. The Supervisory Board accepted and approvedthis initiative of Fraport's Executive Board. Fraport willdiscuss this program together with the Regional Dialogue Forumand the affected communities as soon as precise criteria havebeen determined.

Dr. Bender and Prof. Schölch stressed that Fraport AG hasalways respected the results of the Mediation Procedure and,consequently, have accepted restrictions on nighttime flights --after the new runway is opened -- as one of the major points ofthe mediation package. "Doubts that Fraport would neglect themediation results were always unfounded," said Bender."Unfortunately, we did not see this constructive attitude on thepart of many of our neighboring communities that also took partin the Mediation Procedure." Bender indicated that manycommunities spent significant sums of public funds on proceduresand expert opinions with only one objective: to oppose therecommendations of the Mediation Procedure and prevent FrankfurtAirport's expansion. "The surrounding communities benefiteconomically from Frankfurt Airport; so when this income isspent on fighting FRA's expansion, there is somewhat of a badaftertaste," said Bender.

Significant requirements for implementing restrictions onnighttime flights at Frankfurt Airport have already beeninitiated. Last July, Fraport AG and Flughafen Frankfurt-HahnGmbH applied to their corresponding aviation authorities inHesse and Rhineland-Palatinate to have the airports at Frankfurtam Main and Frankfurt-Hahn designated as an "airport system". InOctober 2002, these aviation authorities both requested theGerman Ministry of Transport to approve the creation of such asystem and to submit this request to the European Commission forreview, approval and publication.

In addition, the federal states of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate - together with the airport operators at FRA andFrankfurt-Hahn - have agreed on further expansions at Frankfurt-Hahn Airport necessary for making it an international airportfor passenger and cargo traffic. "This also increases theacceptance of a recognized airport system and serves to supportthe feasibility and assurance of a restriction on nighttimeflights at FRA," said Bender.

ots Original Text Service: Fraport AG Internet:http://www.presseportal.de For More Information, Please Contact: Fraport AG FrankfurtAirport Services Worldwide Attn: Robert A. Payne - ManagerInternational Press 60547 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Tel.: +49 69690 -78547 Fax: +49 69 690 -60548 E-Mail: r.payne@fraport.deInternet: www.fraport.com

Subscribers please note that material bearing the slug"PROTEXT" is not part of CTK's news service and is not to bepublished under the "CTK" slug. Protext is a commercial serviceproviding distribution of press releases from clients, who areidentified in the text of Protext reports and who bear fullresponsibility for their contents.

APROTEXT