Fraport AG Welcomes Conclusion of the Regional Planning Procedure on Airport Expansion at FRA

Frankfurt, Germany (ots) - Fraport AG believes that the statements of Hesse's minister of economics, transport, and state development, Dieter Posch, and the president of the Darmstadt administrative district, Gerold Dieke, confirm the company's plan for a new landing runway northwest of Frankfurt Airport (FRA) - to expand airport capacity in keeping with demand. Posch and Dieke announced (Raumordnungsverfahren or ROV) in Wiesbaden today. .

The ROV concluding report includes a number of conditions that Fraport AG and the Hessian air transport authorities must fulfill before zoning can be requested (project approval procedure or Planfeststellungs-verfahren). In the next few days, the Darmstadt administrative district will provide Fraport with detailed documentation regarding the ROV decision.

"We are very satisfied with the timeframe of the ROV," said Fraport AG's executive board chairman, Dr. Wilhelm Bender, in an initial statement. "In this context, I would like to thank all our staff involved in the ROV during the last year for their enormous commitment. I also wish to thank the representatives of Hessian authorities and institutions for their constructive cooperation."

Prof. Manfred Schölch, Fraport AG's deputy chairman and executive board member responsible for airport expansion, emphasized that Fraport will do everything possible to request zoning (Planfeststellungsverfahren) still in this year. "We are well within schedule and intend to have the new landing runway operational in 2006," Schölch said.

The most important finding of the ministry's final report on the ROV is that the Runway South option is incompatible with regional planning requirements. A comparison of the two remaining options (Runway Northwest and Runway Northeast) clearly shows that the Runway Northwest option is most compatible with regional planning requirements. After receiving the documentation, Fraport AG will analyze the regional planning decision and later present its final evaluation.

Note to Editors: More information about FRA's Airport Expansion Program can be found on the Internet at: www.ausbau.flughafen-frankfurt.com

ots Original Text Service: Fraport AG

Internet: http://www.presseportal.de

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