After years of dispute, the Hanover Region and the Serengeti Park in the Southern Heath have found a solution for the heavy-duty transport of a decommissioned Airbus A310. The Hanover Region has announced that "there are no longer any objections under nature conservation law" because a new procedure for lowering the aircraft's fuselage has been developed. Previously, there had been lengthy disputes because the approximately 1,8-kilometer transport route from Hanover Airport runs through a protected area.
The new procedure involves lowering the aircraft's fuselage from 6,80 meters to 5,90 meters to avoid damage to the trees in the protected landscape area. In addition, the so-called "reverse rigging" method is used, in which branches are tied up. A practical test with a model of the fuselage diameter confirmed that no damage would occur, thus eliminating the need for an exemption under nature conservation law.
The Serengeti Park acquired the Bundeswehr Airbus "Kurt Schumacher" to convert it into a restaurant. The aircraft had most recently transported Afghan local workers. The transport of the fuselage over the approximately 50-kilometer route from the airport to Hodenhagen was originally planned for summer 2022, but could not be carried out due to objections. The removed wings and horizontal stabilizer are already in the park. Jens Palandt, head of the environmental department for the Hanover region, expressed satisfaction with the environmentally friendly solution found. Park owner Fabrizio Sepe announced that the transport would not be possible until after the end of the breeding and nesting season, starting on October 1st, at the earliest, as tree trimming may still be necessary outside the protected area. An application to the road traffic authority in Langenhagen for the heavy transport and an application to the railway company for the crossing of a track still need to be submitted.
and 