The German airports are currently running out of money. For months they have been waiting for promised subsidies to cushion the consequences of the pandemic. But so far not a cent has flowed. The federal government sees the federal states as responsible, the federal states in turn refer back to the federal government.

German airports are currently spending around ten million euros - every day! At the beginning of the week, the largest hub in Germany, Frankfurt Airport, reported a good three-quarters fewer passengers in 2020 than in 2019. While the listed operator Fraport will probably survive this crisis with little care, the smaller regional Airports are particularly bleak. Because of this horror scenario, they are literally fighting for bare survival and are now clinging to the last straw, the state. But so far without success. 

Because there is disagreement between the federal government and the federal states as to who has to participate in the aid package and to what extent. At the air traffic summit at the beginning of November, the federal government obliged the states to add one euro to every euro that the federal government grants as a subsidy. Federal Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer had promised half a billion euros. However, the pullers in the federal states refuse to play the federal game. In their opinion, the actors from Berlin must play a greater role.

Now Federal Finance Minister Olaf Scholz and his ministerial colleagues from the federal states are supposed to solve all problems in one fell swoop at their upcoming conference next Thursday. "In their economic distress, the airports have high expectations of the conference of finance ministers, as they are feeling the consequences of the second lockdown with full force," said Ralph Beisel, managing director of the airport association ADV, the Handelsblatt. In flight operations with no income can not be sustained long. “Without government support, the first locations will not survive the winter half-year.” And one more thing seems certain: the financial aid - if it is finally initiated - will not be sufficient for all airports. So if you do not end up receiving grants, you will find it difficult to survive the crisis. Or even throw in the towel altogether. Probably another reason why the federal and state governments have different views.