FPÖ counters Gewessler

Graz Airport: No future for Vienna connection

Disagree about the future of the airport: Leonore Gewessler and Stefan Hermann

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Jürgen Fuchs Ch.Jauschowetz Sepa Media Martin Juen)

Transport Minister Eleonore Gewessler (Greens) wants to stop flights from Graz to the federal capital Vienna by 2030 at the latest. The FPÖ criticizes this and speaks of "green climate fanaticism".

As recently as Sunday, Graz Airport boss Wolgang Grimus was delighted to report a 21 percent increase in passenger numbers in the first half of the year in an interview with "Krone ". But now there's bad news for the Styrian airport: Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler has renewed her rejection of the connection to Vienna, which is currently operated by AUA. This flight should be history by 2030 at the latest, i.e. after the Semmering Tunnel goes into operation.

Gewessler: Two arguments for the end of the connection
This emerges from a response to a question from the Green Minister to the Freedom Party, which is available to the "Krone". In it, the Styrian-born minister argues her position with two main arguments: Firstly, the Aviation Strategy 2040+ shows that the connections to Munich and Frankfurt are the most important transfer airports for Thalerhof, with Schwechat only coming in third place. In addition, the Federal Environment Agency estimated that the Graz-Vienna connection alone caused CO2 emissions of 4,800 to 5,600 tons between 2015 and 2019.

The fact that a study commissioned by the Chamber of Commerce came to the conclusion that the discontinuation of domestic flights would not have any positive effects on the fight against climate change leaves Gewessler cold: "The statement that the discontinuation of feeder flights would not result in any CO2 savings cannot be substantiated on the basis of these study results."

FPÖ: "Ideology-driven approach"
The FPÖ sees these statements as an "ideology-driven approach" on the part of the minister: "The entire business location of Graz would suffer if the connection were to be discontinued," said Stefan Hermann, Member of Parliament, shaking his head. "We can only hope that this is the last term of office of a Green Environment Minister. This green climate fanaticism is leading to massive job destruction."