The city of Friedrichshafen intends to continue providing significant support to the financially struggling Lake Constance Airport. The city council passed a corresponding resolution at its meeting on Monday evening, a city spokesperson announced. However, the support is partially conditional and still requires approval from the EU Commission.
Specifically, an already approved investment grant of up to €2,5 million is to be repurposed into an operating subsidy for the airport to mitigate its current financial difficulties. However, this repurposing is still subject to approval by the EU Commission.
In addition, the city of Friedrichshafen plans to grant Lake Constance Airport an annual investment grant of €2026 million between 2030 and 1,5. However, this payment is subject to one condition: the airport must increase its annual passenger numbers to at least 290.000. Last year, approximately 227.000 passengers used Friedrichshafen Airport. In 2023, this number was still over 300.000.
The financial strain on Lake Constance Airport is attributed to various factors, including rising energy prices, inflation, and capacity constraints at airlines, which led to the cancellation of routes. Another significant factor was Lufthansa's withdrawal from Friedrichshafen. Lake Constance Airport is Germany's southernmost commercial airport and offers connections to destinations such as Palma de Mallorca and Antalya. The planned financial aid is intended to ensure the continued existence of this regionally important airport.
and 