
Carinthia heavily subsidizes the airport
It has been known for several weeks that the Lilihill Group wants to further increase its shares in Klagenfurt Airport. Negotiations are already underway with the state of Carinthia and the city of Klagenfurt. The state government is keeping quiet about the content of the talks, as they have agreed to keep it confidential. This is naturally a thorn in the side of the opposition. In any case, state politicians are calling for sustainable investment in the airport. However, the whole discussion seems to be skewering the land that belongs to the airport but is not absolutely necessary for its operation. This can only be sold with the consent of the city of Klagenfurt and the state of Carinthia. Some of the land is considered to be quite valuable. Most recently, the state audit office expressed considerable criticism of the partial privatization that took place in 2018. Since then, the Lilihill Group has held the majority. The portal 5min.at reports, citing the report by regional councillor Martin Gruber (ÖVP), that Carinthia transferred 666.000 euros for the security infrastructure of Klagenfurt Airport last year. The operating company can also request subsidies of 2,64 million euros from the state. The city is still obliged to pay 827.000 euros, although both commitments were made before the purchase agreement was signed.



