The Austrian National Council has passed a far-reaching reform of the aviation law. The legislative initiative, based on a motion from the coalition parties ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS, aims to modernize the legal framework for civil aviation.
Key aspects of the amendment include redesigning reliability checks for employees in security-relevant airport areas, legally establishing drone airspaces (so-called "U-Spaces"), and simplifying administrative procedures for official landings and helicopter operations in high mountain regions. Transport Minister Peter Hanke assessed the legislative package as a promising step towards strengthening Austria's aviation sector, while parts of the opposition rejected the reform.
A central point of discussion in the debate concerned the revision of security checks for airport staff, which affect approximately 35.000 people annually. The new regulations stipulate that employees whose airport ID cards are revoked will receive a formal notification, against which they can file a legal appeal. The vida trade union welcomed this change as closing a loophole in the rule of law, since losing an ID card often leads to job loss and threatens the livelihoods of employees. Supporters from the SPÖ (Social Democratic Party of Austria) emphasized that this would prevent employees from having their work permits revoked across the board for minor, non-security-related incidents.
In contrast, the Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the Greens voiced strong criticism, albeit for different reasons. FPÖ MP Gerhard Deimek criticized the wording used in the law to determine "close ties" to criminal or terrorist groups as being too vague and undefined. This, he argued, opened the door to arbitrary actions by authorities instead of being based on verifiable factual grounds. The Green Party, in turn, accused the coalition of weakening security standards in favor of airport operators and cheap labor, since a close connection to extremist groups no longer automatically led to exclusion. Furthermore, critics found the design of the new mandatory insurance for drone flights to be half-baked.
In addition to safety aspects, issues of local resident protection were also discussed during the plenary session. A motion by the Green Party, which called for linking airport fees to stricter noise abatement measures and extending nighttime rest periods in the region around Vienna-Schwechat Airport, failed to gain a majority in parliament. While the Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the economic coalition rejected artificially increasing air travel costs and weakening the region's economic standing, the Ministry of Transport pointed to ongoing negotiations regarding a night flight moratorium and existing noise action plans as a sound basis for future, location-compatible adjustments.