Flughafen Wien AG on 7 July 2026 welcomed Parliament’s adoption of a long-awaited amendment to Austria’s Luftfahrtgesetz (Aviation Act). CEO Günther Ofner said the reforms mark a “positive turnaround” after years of what the industry viewed as a hostile stance toward air transport. Key changes include streamlined reliability checks (ZÜP) for airport workers, faster approval of new infrastructure and simplified procedures for route licensing. The Act also empowers the Transport Ministry to issue binding service-level targets for border-control staffing—crucial as EES processing times rise. Airport management argues that cutting bureaucracy is vital to compete for new long-haul routes against Eastern European rivals. Austrian Airlines is evaluating the deployment of its second Boeing 787 to a Vienna–Seoul route if ground-handling authorisations can be granted within 60 days under the new rules. The Austrian Economic Chamber (WKÖ) estimates the reforms could shave €12 million a year off compliance costs for airlines and ground handlers, encouraging investment in sustainable-aviation-fuel (SAF) infrastructure planned for 2027. Ofner urged lawmakers to follow up with a lower passenger-ticket tax and a review of “distortionary” EU rules on slot allocation that favour mega-hubs. For corporate mobility managers, the changes promise more flight options and potentially lower fares on Vienna-based networks.
Source: TOP News Österreich / APA-OTS
