If Maastricht Aachen Airport closes, it could well mean the end of the TEFAF art fair in Maastricht. The organization has urged in a letter to Provincial Council to keep the airport open.
Although she does not state firmly in the letter that the fair will leave when the airport closes, that is a realistic scenario for the organization.
Private planes
Every year, around 150 private planes land at Maastricht Aachen Airport during the art fair with visitors from TEFAF. “If access to the fair becomes a lot more difficult for our customers, the quality and therefore the survival of TEFAF will be jeopardized. Then we are forced to look at other options,” says TEFAF chairman Hidde van Seggelen.
Provincial politicians will make a final decision on the future of the airport in Beek on 3 June. There are currently four scenarios on the table, in which strong growth on the one hand and closure on the other are the most extreme variants. The interim solutions lie in an airport that focuses more on freight transport or more sustainable (electric) aircraft.
Also read: Politicians still struggle with position on the future of MAA
‘Shock’
In the letter, the TEFAF organization makes an urgent appeal to the Limburg members of parliament to handle the decision-making process regarding the future of the airport with care. “It is a shock to us that closure is being considered at all. I think that MAA is very important for everyone who holds a large fair in Maastricht,” says Van Seggelen. “We are aware that climate change and the energy transition are important. We therefore applaud electric flying. Our industry is already working on this.”
Other airports not an option
There are several airports in the Euregion at a maximum of one hour’s drive from Maastricht. You would therefore think that visitors would just as easily land at Eindhoven, Düsseldorf, Cologne or Liège. Certainly the latter airport can be reached by car within 20 minutes. However, the TEFAF organization sees it differently. “Our customers have often been on a plane for hours and they simply don’t want to travel long by car.”
Moreover, it is not clear whether those other airports have sufficient capacity for all those private planes, Van Seggelen emphasizes. “In addition, during the corona pandemic, we have experienced countries closing their borders. In that case, our customers no longer come to us at all.” Two years ago, TEFAF closed early when corona broke out in Limburg and infections also took place on the trading floor.
Also read: Tefaf will stay in Maastricht for at least another 10 years
Not necessarily the end
However, closing the airport would not by definition mean the end of TEFAF in Maastricht. The organization has a multi-year contract with the city and with the MECC convention center, which has recently been renovated for many millions. The congress center finds the most important customer in TEFAF.
According to various studies, the fair annually generates around 25 million euros in spending in the region. “We are connected through and through with the region. As a major international trade fair, we are located in a relatively small city. That is special. Moreover, we have been here for 35 years,” says the TEFAF chairman. The fair will take place this year from 24 to 30 June.