Prof. Manfred Schölch: "This is a milestone in securing and maintaining Frankfurt Airport's future competitiveness and role as a global hub."

FRA/rap> Fraport AG today submitted special zoning documentation - required for the hearing on the zoning procedure for constructing a new Airbus 380 aircraft maintenance base at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) - to the president of the Darmstadt administrative district. In recent weeks, the regional administrative district already examined the completeness of the application documentation. Prof. Manfred Schölch, Vice Chairman of Fraport AG's Executive Board, said "the documentation submitted for the A380 zoning procedure represents a milestone in securing and maintaining Frankfurt Airport's future competitiveness and role as a global hub." Now, everything is ready for the official start of the zoning procedure.

The zoning documentation will now be made available to government authorities, to environmental and nature conservation organizations, and to neighboring communities. "This will give everyone the opportunity to examine Fraport's zoning documentation and to make comments and suggestions or to voice concerns," said Schölch.

Thus, Fraport AG has created the foundation for Deutsche Lufthansa - as builder and future operator of the A380 maintenance base - to plan and construct these maintenance facilities in time for the arrival of its first superjumbos. "Lufthansa, our main customer, needs the guarantee that it will be able to continue operating at a modern air transportation hub equipped for the future. This also includes aircraft maintenance," said Schölch. Beginning in 2007, Lufthansa intends to station its own A380 fleet at FRA, which will comprise at least 15 superjumbos over the long term. The A380 will go into service irrespective of FRA's required capacity expansion. Therefore, already in 2002, Fraport separated and accelerated the A380 planning procedure from the planning for the new landing runway.

Fraport hopes that the zoning procedure for the A380 maintenance base will be completed in 2003 or by the beginning of 2004 at the latest. Documentation for this zoning procedure essentially includes technical plans for the maintenance areas (including the area for the A380 maintenance hangar and a storage building, plus taxiways to the existing runway system) and for relocating Okrifteler Strasse (road) in this area. It also includes numerous expert opinions. According to findings of an international working group, FRA's existing runway system will not require special construction measures to accommodate the A380.

"The zoning procedure for the A380 maintenance base is an acid test for many opponents of airport expansion who repeatedly proclaim "Frankfurt Airport Yes - Expansion No"", said Schölch. Whoever rejects construction of the A380 maintenance base, jeopardizes Frankfurt Airport's future and thus the prosperity of the entire Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region. "We have reacted quickly to market demands. Now we hope that Fraport also will receive support from the surrounding communities," said Schölch. He called "absurd" the allegation of some opponents that the A380 maintenance base would be a "disguised initiation of the approval procedure for constructing a new runway. "Those who reject the A380 maintenance base acquiesce in the fact that air traffic growth will bypass Frankfurt Airport in the future. This is a risk that we will not and must not take," declared Schölch.

For More Information, Please Contact:
Fraport AG Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide
Attn: Robert A. Payne - Manager International Press
60547 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Tel.: +49 69.690.78547 / Fax: +49.69.690.60548
E-mail: r.payne@fraport.de
Internet: www.fraport.com