Airports Face Insolvency Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Flightright, an air passenger rights organization, reports that numerous airports are facing financial difficulties stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and reduced air travel. Some facilities have already entered insolvency proceedings.
A significant number of airports are struggling with severe economic consequences due to the collapse of air travel during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Flightright, a company specializing in air passenger rights. Smaller regional airports have been particularly hard hit, with some forced to file for insolvency.
"A decline in air traffic as strong as we experienced last year does not go unnoticed by airports," stated Oskar de Felice, an air passenger rights expert at Flightright. He noted that many companies have resorted to short-time work or layoffs, and the long-term viability of some operations remains uncertain. Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport filed for insolvency in October 2020, and Friedrichshafen Airport is now reportedly facing a similar fate.
In some instances, airport facilities have been repurposed amid the pandemic. Berlin Tegel Airport ceased operations with the opening of Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). While the Tegel site is planned for a future urban technology park, it is currently hosting a COVID-19 vaccination center. Other active airports, such as Rostock-Laage and Münster/Osnabrück, have also established vaccination facilities.
Former airport sites are being utilized in various ways. Zweibrücken Airport in Germany, closed in 2014, now hosts vehicle testing and automotive industry events. Parchim Airport serves as a hub for vehicle logistics, and the former Gütersloh Airport was temporarily used as a drive-in testing site for COVID-19. International examples include the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre on the site of the former Sheffield City Airport and Hong Kong's Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.