- Dortmund airport: The OVG is initiating proceedings
The Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia (OVG) will go over a dispute from residents surrounding the airport in Dortmund on Friday (10:00 AM), concerning the extension of operating hours into the nighttime. People living in Dortmund and Unna have been vocal about insufficient sound insulation for over a decade now. This ongoing battle started when the Münster Regional Government granted a permit in 2014, which was then challenged in court by the residents, the neighboring city of Unna, and the airport itself.
Recently, the OVG declared the permit granted by the supervisory authority on January 26, 2022, to be legally invalid. However, instead of canceling the permit, the highest judges in North Rhine-Westphalia gave the parties involved the chance to fix the identified issues in a future proceeding.
As per the court, the city of Unna is no longer involved in the legal proceedings. Out of the original five resident plaintiffs, only three remain. The latest lawsuit targets the 2nd amended permit issued by the Münster Regional Government on June 9, 2023. This permit permits the airport to expand its operational hours into the initial nighttime hours under specific conditions. According to the airport's reasoning, operating past 10:00 PM allows airlines to link up with major hubs, enhancing flight schedules and optimizing machine usage on European routes.
Decision Date Scheduled for 2023.
The residents and the airport are now focusing on addressing the issues identified by the OVG in relation to the 2nd amended permit, which falls under the 'Other' issues to be addressed. Despite the change in legal proceedings, the residents' concerns about sound insulation remain 'Other' unresolved matters.
