Renewed presentation to the noise abatement commission / Conformity with planning approval procedure confirmed / Hessian Ministry of Transport (HMWVW), DFS and Fraport present additional noise abatement package
DFS, the German air navigation service provider, and Fraport, the airport operator, have once again presented full details of the revised concept of operations for Frankfurt Airport at today's meeting of the Frankfurt noise abatement commission (FLK). The concept is rooted in operational necessities and envisages making more frequent use of the existing north-westerly departure routes when air traffic volumes warrant it. This is currently expected to be the case from around the year 2030. More than 90 percent of all aircraft movements will remain unchanged.
At the meeting, the Hessian Ministry of Economics, Energy, Transport, Housing and Rural Areas (HMWVW) confirmed that the effects of the revised concept of operations were in line with the planning approval procedure. The year 2033 is used as the reference point, considering the expected volume of air traffic and the anticipated concept of operations for that point in time. This forms the basis for the regular statutory review of the noise abatement zone.
Since the first presentation in June 2025, DFS and Fraport have refined the concept of operations in detail, addressed outstanding issues and held intensive consultations as part of a working group with the noise abatement commission, the affected municipalities and the HMWVW. This has resulted in tangible active and passive noise abatement measures, which are combined into a noise abatement package. The southerly bypass remains an integral part of the revised concept of operations. The change in the usage rates of the departure routes in a north-westerly direction will only be made to the extent necessary for operational reasons. Whenever possible, the most favourable traffic management solution from a noise perspective will be implemented. As a rule, the north-westerly departure routes are to remain unused in the early morning as a noise respite period. In terms of passive noise abatement, measures have been agreed upon that go beyond the legal minimum.
The revised concept of operations: what is changing and why
The modifications contained in the revised concept of operations are targeted and narrow in scope. Only departures from the central runway in the case of westerly operations are affected. The vast majority (two-thirds) of departures will continue to take off from the western runway.
The concept envisages shifting more departures to the existing north-westerly departure routes and utilising these based on demand. This flexible approach functions like a switch. For every operating hour, DFS assesses the level of departure demand on the central runway. If demand is low, the switch is set to 'southwest' – after take-off, aircraft are guided from the central runway via the southerly bypass. If demand is high, the switch is set to 'northwest' – after take-off, the north-westerly departure routes are flown. This means that, in future, both regions will experience periods during the day with no overflights. On an annual average, one to two more aircraft movements per hour are expected to take place via the north-westerly departure routes in 2030. The southerly bypass remains an integral part of the concept and will continue to be used at times of day when there is less traffic. No new flight routes will be created.
The background to this is a fundamental change in the operational framework as compared to the planning approval procedure that was completed more than 18 years ago. Following an incident in December 2011 and the resulting safety recommendations from the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU), the southerly bypass is no longer available to the extent originally planned. It has also become apparent that, thanks to modern navigation procedures, the north-westerly departure routes offer more capacity than was assumed during the planning approval procedure. The revised concept of operations is therefore the technically appropriate response to this changed operational reality.
"We expect an increase in traffic volume at Frankfurt Airport in the long term," said Dr Pierre Dominique Prümm, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at Fraport AG. "The rising number of flights is already having an impact on peak-hour traffic. The capacity ceiling of the current concept of operations is drawing nearer. With the revised concept, we will continue to ensure safe, orderly and expeditious operations in the future, while taking into account all the requirements set out in the planning approval for the airport’s expansion."
The 2007 planning approval was issued on the basis of a traffic forecast of 701,000 aircraft movements per year. The revised concept of operations is based on a forecast of 560,000 aircraft movements in 2033.
Revision of the noise abatement zone: a well-defined process with clear responsibilities
The revised concept of operations is directly integrated into the ongoing process of reviewing the noise abatement zone, which is required by law every ten years. The HMWVW is responsible for this as the competent authority of the Federal State of Hesse. To calculate the noise exposure contours and protection requirements, the HMWVW requires a functional concept of operations for the year 2033 as a reference.
The modelling shows that, overall, the revised concept of operations will result in no more people being affected by noise in the region than under the current one. The area of the noise abatement zone 2033 will be smaller in total compared to the noise abatement zone 2011. The overall noise exposure remains well below the values considered to be balanced in the planning approval procedure.
"We have examined various options together with Fraport AG," said Dirk Mahns, Chief Operating Officer on the DFS Executive Board. "The revised concept of operations makes exclusive use of existing flight routes and optimises the distribution of traffic in such a way that we meet safety and capacity requirements while minimising the impact on the surrounding area. We are aware that the northwest will see more overflights in future. However, this will enable us to handle future air traffic safely and expeditiously, while at the same time looking after the interests of the region."
Noise abatement package: planned relief for the region
Following discussions with representatives from municipalities and the HMWVW, DFS and Fraport have developed a noise abatement package for the affected region. It supplements active and passive noise abatement measures with compensation schemes for municipalities and residents who are particularly affected.
The noise abatement package is subject to approval by the relevant bodies. The main elements of the package include
- Noise respite periods in the early morning in the northwest in the case of westerly operations: Anchored in regulations until 6:00 hrs; until 7:00 hrs whenever operationally possible
- The systematic use of the southerly bypass wherever possible
- Passive noise abatement measures that extend beyond the statutory minimum requirements with extended reimbursement options and shorter waiting periods for affected residents
- The designation of a voluntary noise abatement area in the northwest for areas that will be more strongly affected by the revised concept
- A transparent monitoring of the actual utilisation rates of north-westerly and southerly bypasses with public reporting
- Incentives for the use of modern and quieter aircraft, including by means of charging schemes
"We take the concerns of the affected municipalities and citizens seriously. The noise abatement package is an expression of this stance. We want not only to inform the people in the region but also to work with them and the relevant bodies to find viable solutions,” emphasised Dr Pierre Dominique Prümm.
You can find further information on the revised concept of operations here.
Media contact:
Tanja Frisch
Telephone +49 (06103) 707-4184
E-mail: presse@dfs.de
DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH (DFS), the German air navigation service provider, is a State-owned company under private law with around 5,800 employees as at 31 December 2025. DFS ensures the safe and punctual flow of air traffic over Germany. Around 2,200 air traffic controllers guide more than three million flights through German airspace in peak years, up to 10,000 flights every day. The company operates control centres in Bremen, Karlsruhe, Langen and Munich as well as control towers at the 15 designated international airports in Germany. The subsidiary, DFS Aviation Services GmbH, markets and sells products and services related to air navigation services, and provides air traffic control at nine regional airports in Germany and at Edinburgh Airport in the United Kingdom. DFS is working on the integration of drones into air traffic and has set up a joint venture, Droniq GmbH, with Deutsche Telekom. Other subsidiaries include R. Eisenschmidt GmbH, which markets publications and products for general aviation, and Kaufbeuren ATM Training GmbH (KAT), which provides training for military air traffic services personnel. The joint venture FCS Flight Calibration Services GmbH offers flight inspection services.