Last year, a group of three private investors offered Lolland and Guldborgsund municipalities that they would upgrade Lolland-Falster Airport to the so-called AFIS standard and take over the operation of the airport in Holeby. The offer from the three was that they would be able to carry out the task and operate the airport within the same amount that the two owner municipalities currently pay in operating subsidies to the airport.
Had seen potential
The private investors, led by property developer Martin Skibsted, had seen potential in the airport for business and tourist flights. Not necessarily as an independent business in the first instance, but for the sake of regional and local business development:
– Now, for example, there is someone coming from Bremen who wants to develop 50,000 square meters of business land. And it may well be that they would think it was somewhat easier to fly from Bremen than to drive four or five hours by car and take the ferry. And when the tunnel opens, routes from Europe could easily be established. And if it was the case that someone thought we made too much money, then we could share. We could easily drive with open books, says Martin Skibsted.
Municipalities may not support businesses
However, the two owner municipalities definitively rejected that offer last week. According to Lolland’s mayor, Holger Schou Rasmussen (A), the municipal authority does not allow such an exercise:
– As a municipality, we must not give support to private businesses. If someone came with a bag of money and offered to take over the airport and run a commercial airport with private funds, then I would be completely ready for that, but there can be no municipal money in the project, says Holger Schou Rasmussen.
Not even in Guldborgsund Municipality could one see the great perspective in such a public-private collaboration:
Potential is guesswork
– Such a tender would have quite high costs. And I don’t hear a business community clamoring for an airport, says mayor Simon Hansen (A) from Guldborgsund Municipality.
But surely there is some potential when the tunnel opens – and most recently with the Hub 48 Maribo-project?
– These are guesses, says Simon Hansen.
Provisional period
And so, at least for the time being, Lolland-Falster Airport has been put to rest:
– We will not try again. It’s not because we have nothing else to spend our time on. They (the two owner municipalities, ed.) don’t want this, says Martin Skibsted.
Martin Skibsted will now consider whether he wants to keep his observer post on the airport committee for Lolland-Falster Airport.
Also read:
Airport put on standby despite interest from private parties
Lolland-Falster Airport must dampen ambitions
Airport looks far for Fehmarn traffic
