Night flight ban in Leipzig: More and more exceptions are causing excitement!

Night flight ban in Leipzig: More and more exceptions are causing excitement!

Leipzig. There is a nightly chaos at Leipzig/Halle Airport! While the DHL turning cross works tirelessly, the passenger terminal often remains empty. But the night flight regulation, the starts and landings of passenger machines banned between 11:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m., is repeatedly ignored. An Airbus ended up at 02:27 - in the middle of the nightly blocking period! And that's not an isolated case: This year over 105 flights were already counted during the night flight ban!

The number of approved exceptions increased in a leak compared to the previous year. In 2022 there were only 59 permits, while the number is already significantly higher this year. Jörg Puchmüller, the Free State of Saxony's aircraft noise protection officer, also noticed this: "In fact, it is the case that this year more exceptional permits have been granted by the night flight restrictions for passenger machines than usual." The aerial authority checks the applications for strict criteria, but the permits are increasing.

Night flight ban: Exceptions for major events

The reasons for the exceptions are diverse. They are often granted to avoid considerable air traffic disorders, for example in bad weather or strikes. This year such meteorological reasons make up the majority of the permits. There are also exceptions in the "special interest of the public", as at major events. Flights started in connection with the European Football Championship, which caused the permits to increase.

Speculations about diverted flights from Berlin are also circulating. Residents accuse that late planes that were not allowed to land in Berlin are redirected to Leipzig. But Puchmüller makes it clear: "There was no single case in which a late plane, which was no longer allowed to land there due to the night flight restrictions in Berlin, was redirected to Leipzig." The aerial authority confirms that no late flights are accepted by other airports at Leipzig/Halle Airport if they fall into the night flight restriction.