The provincial government’s proposal about the future of Maastricht Aachen Airport (MAA) has caused a lot of confusion. It wrongly suggested that the provincial government opted to close the airport in Beek.
A spokesman for the province says that the Provincial Executive has no preference. That was clumsily worded in the proposal. However, all scenarios have been further substantiated, with the advantages and disadvantages being extensively researched and explained. Closure of the airport will cost 240 million euros.
Four scenarios
The Limburg Parliament ultimately chooses from the four scenarios, one of which is the closure of the airport. If a majority decides to keep MAA open, three options will come into play: maximum growth, growth without an increase in nuisance and, lastly, focusing on sustainable and electric flying.
Schiphol intention
The Limburg Parliament has to make a decision on the future of the airport on 3 June. It is important for many parties to know whether MAA will collaborate with Schiphol. The documents show that that intention is there. This could be strategic cooperation in which, for example, cargo flights are geared to MAA or Schiphol takes an interest in the airport and thus becomes a shareholder. There will be no clarity about this definitive form of cooperation before 3 June.
