The municipality of Tynaarlo no longer wants to be co-owner of Groningen Airport Eelde (GAE). By allowing the shares to flow back to the airport, the municipality hopes to be more ‘transparent’ when it comes to granting permits, for example.
Earlier this year, there was an open discussion during a council meeting about what the municipality should do with the shares of the airport. The reason was the ‘uneasy feeling’ that the council had about saving the airport’s budget. Tynaarlo previously contributed 160,000 euros.
The airport needs support from local and regional authorities to pay those costs. An extensive debate about this was held yesterday in the Provincial Council. Director Meiltje de Groot indicated this spring that she could close the airport’s doors if shareholders do not contribute to, for example, the fire brigade, maintenance and infrastructure.
When the Tynaarlo council decided to agree in May, the responsible councilor Jurryt Vellinga (Liveable Tynaarlo) announced that he wanted to discuss the future as a shareholder.
Tynaarlo currently owns 14 percent of the airport’s shares. The municipalities of Groningen and Assen have previously renounced their shareholding. Now that the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen seem to be coming around and guaranteeing just under 23 million euros in both, the municipality of Tynaarlo thinks it is time to sell off its own shares.
Tynaarlo does impose the condition that the shares go to a public party (for example to the provinces) or to another party connected to aviation.
Councilor Vellinga expects that the council’s proposal to divest the shares can be discussed in the Tynaarlo council at the end of January 2024.