Berlin defending the monopoly of a single airport

[eu01]

The private operator of the airfield Eberswalde-Finow near Berlin has sharply criticized the proposed rules of the new land development plan for Berlin-Brandenburg (LEP BB). In its comments on the draft of LEP BB, the Economy and Traffic Centre Finow (WVZ), 100 percent shareholder of Tower Finow GmbH, sees these plans as a clear violation of the German and European competition laws.

The State Government wants to concentrate all the international aviation within the Brandenburg region in the Berlin-Brandenburg International Airport (BBI). According to them, all other airports in the country should be banned from accepting scheduled flights and package air travel by the aircrafts over 14 tons of weight. The real danger results from the fact that these traffic restrictions would impose too extensive limits in the the entire country, prohibiting the free activities of all airport operators in Brandenburg in favor of a monopoly position of BBI. "This scheme is intended to prevent competition in a free market economy being also an infringement of the competition rules of the European Union," warns the WVZ.

[niknak]

Perhaps the operators of Eberswalde should have another look at what In ternational operators of large passenger carrying aircraft require of an airport - they've got nothing and it will take many millions of Euro's of someone's money to reach the standard of Berlin.
Taking a hard business look at the airfield, I doubt that the owners could even begin to contemplate what it will cost to redevelop, I also doubt that there are any investors who would spend more than two minutes contemplating putting any money in.

[ExpectmorePayless]

If an independent airport operator wished to take control of Berlin Templehof and develop it as a 'city' or 'business' airport in a similar way to London City, they might just succeed in overturning the latest Federal court ruling. Neither the German or European competition authorities could
object to the current unfair monopoly position in a major European Capital being opened to competition.
Consumers deserve an alternative to BBI and maybe they should get it. :ok:

Somehow I can't see BAA being allowed to control all 5 London airports can you ? :rolleyes:

[larshakan]

http://www.infratil.com/finow_airfield.htm