Leipzig/Halle Airport 2004-2006
2004
On 4 November 2004, Leipzig/Halle Airport was granted the permit for redevelopment of Runway South. This was the foundation for the next stage of development of the airport.
The permit laid the legal foundation for starting the redevelopment of the worn Runway South within five years. As planned, the new 3,600m Runway South was rotated by 20 degrees and aligned parallel with Runway North.
The fact that the airport’s associates and management employed a long-term strategy for the development and that this was the right decision was confirmed on 9 November 2004. On that day, Deutsche Post World Net made a declaration of intent to locate the European DHL hub at Leipzig/Halle Airport. This declaration was a positive signal for the whole economic area. Both parties involved in the project have made investments that should guarantee further economic development for both the airport and the region.
2005
On 19 May 2005, the ruling of the fourth Senate of the Federal Administrative Court cleared the way for the further development of Leipzig/Halle Airport. Moreover, the ruling confirmed the previously granted permit that was the prerequisite for locating the DHL hub at Leipzig/Halle. This provided both the airport and DHL with enough planning reliability to immediately carry out the development of Runway South. With its ruling, the court dismissed a petition for preliminary injunction.
The symbolic first turn of the sod was performed by the Prime Minister of Saxony, Prof. Dr. Georg Milbradt, the Minister of Building and Transport, Dr. Karl-Heinz Daehre, together with the chairman of the Supervisory Board, Volkmar Stein, and the managing director of Flughafen Leipzig/Halle GmbH, Eric Malitzke.
In August 2005, the new General Aviation Terminal (GAT) in Terminal A was put into service. Business and private special flights are handled in the GAT.
During the redevelopment of Terminal A, which was used for passenger check-in until 1995, a new 140m2 airport lounge was built. The lounge may be used for VIP flights and events. The former GAT was located in the southern area of the airport where the new Runway South was to be built and therefore had to be relocated. The relocation into Terminal A provides improved accessibility for passengers and, owing to the redevelopment, more convenience. Until mid-2006, a total of €1.3 million had been invested in the reconstruction of Terminal A. Apart from the handling of VIP, business and private flights, the GAT now features several lounge and office areas as well as arrival and departure lounges for special flights and times of increased traffic.
Windrose Air Jetcharter GmbH, a Berlin-based provider of business, private and ambulance flights was the first lessee in the redesigned Terminal A. Windrose Air has its own reception and lounge areas which are exclusively available to its customers.
Negotiations concluded : Leipzig/Halle Airport and DHL sign agreement
On 21 September 2005, the agreement for locating the European cargo hub of DHL, an affiliate of Deutsche Post World Net, at Leipzig/Halle Airport was signed. As a result of the declaration of intent on 9 November 2004, the agreement for locating the DHL hub at Leipzig/Halle was then ratified. The contract was signed by the managing directors of DHL Hub Leipzig GmbH, Michael Reinboth und Joachim Schlüsener as well as Eric Malitzke, managing director of Flughafen Leipzig/Halle GmbH, and Volkmar Stein, former CEO/Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG. With this agreement, DHL and Leipzig/Halle Airport laid the foundation for a long-lasting cooperation that will turn the Central German airport into one of the most important cargo hubs in Europe. From 2008, Leipzig/Halle Airport will be a hub for around 50 DHL cargo aircraft every day. Every night, 2,000 tonnes of cargo will be transhipped and globally distributed.
2006
On 9 November 2006, the Federal Administrative Court cleared the way for the further development of Leipzig/Halle Airport into a cargo hub. The airport may now develop into an air cargo hub and establish the Leipzig-Halle region as a very important competitive location for logistics services, which is recognized throughout Europe.