The decision by a German federal court banning all night flights from Frankfurt airport, one of Europe's largest hubs, is a blow to Lufthansa, the national carrier. It also bodes ill for Germany's competitiveness as a business location and will benefit rival airports and airlines, including Etihad Airways and Emirates Airline.
The federal administrative court ruled in favour of residents who had complained about night-time aircraft noise. It withdrew permission for Frankfurt, Lufthansa's home airport, to operate 17 flights between 11pm and 5am. It also reduced to 133 from 150 the number of flights allowed in the "shoulder hours" - 10pm to 11pm and 5am to 6am.
The move is particularly damaging to Lufthansa's lucrative cargo business, which the airline said would now lose €40 million (Dh192.7m) of profit per year.
The company cannot easily transfer cargo flights to other airports - such as Cologne/Bonn airport further north - that allow night-time takeoffs and landings, because much of the freight reloaded at Frankfurt is transported in the holds of passenger aircraft scheduled to land and take off from there. Christoph Franz, the chief executive of Lufthansa, said the ruling was good for Lufthansa's rivals in Paris, London, Amsterdam and Dubai, which all allow night-time flights, and that Germany's export industry had just had "its wings clipped".
His anger is understandable, given that Lufthansa cannot afford any more setbacks. Its operating profit slumped by 50 per cent to €734m last year, and its return on sales, at 3.4 per cent, is far below its target of 8 per cent.
Its labour costs are too high at 23 per cent of sales, and its most recent acquisitions are losing money. It also needs to invest €17 billion in the next six years to modernise its ageing fleet so that it can keep up with the new planes put into service by Gulf rivals that are attracting passengers from Lufthansa in the all-important long-haul business, which remains Lufthansa's earner.
It comes as no surprise that Mr Franz is a vocal critic of the European expansion drive being undertaken by Etihad, Emirates and Qatar Airways. He has not shied away from calling for outright protectionism to shield Lufthansa.
Last month, he urged the German government and its partners in the European Union to impose a "capacity limit" on Gulf airlines to curb the growth in their passenger numbers on flights from Europe to Asia. Emirates has tried and failed to secure more landing slots, and has responded by announcing it will fly larger aircraft to German airports in a move that could allow it to boost the number of seats by up to a third. Etihad, which last year became the biggest shareholder in Air Berlin, Germany's second-largest airline, has similar plans.
Mr Franz argues that Gulf airlines are distorting competition because they enjoy state subsidies. But Lufthansa effectively gets subsidies as well. Its purchase of Austrian Airlines (AUA) in 2009 was sweetened by the Austrian government, which took on €500m of AUA's debt.
Lufthansa is launching yet another cost-cutting drive to boost efficiency. And Frankfurt airport could lose cargo business to Paris and Amsterdam. Dubai, too, has huge freight-handling capacities and may benefit.
Fraport, which runs Frankfurt airport, expressed relief that the court did not require it to close its fourth runway, which opened only last October and had also been a focus of demonstrations.
This is the latest in a series of instances of public resistance thwarting or at least delaying major infrastructure projects in Germany. A €4.3bn project to modernise the hopelessly outdated train station in Stuttgart was obstructed by mass protests, and the deepening of the Elbe River to allow bigger ships into the port of Hamburg is on hold because of legal complaints from environmental campaigners.
The government's ambitious plan to boost renewable-energy generation also risks being foiled by countless local campaigns against the construction of overland power lines with tall masts.
A strong trend has become evident in recent years. German citizens, usually disciplined and orderly, are becoming more politically active and litigious, launching petitions, protests and lawsuits to get building work stopped.
It is an indication of how prosperous the country has become - people are taking their prosperity for granted and are more concerned about noise pollution, saving trees or bats than about an economic future they see as secure.
Regional politicians know that backing such campaigns can win them votes. After the court decision on Frankfurt airport, Hannelore Kraft, campaigning for re-election as governor of the big state of North Rhine-Westphalia next month, pledged to ban night flights at Cologne/Bonn airport. And residents near Berlin's new Willy Brandt airport, due to open in June, hope their campaign to ban night flights there will get a boost.
An industrial economy needs a modern infrastructure to keep growing, and that, unfortunately, involves putting up with noise, chopped-down trees and unsightly concrete. The "Not in My Back Yard" mentality poses a risk to the country's prosperity - and Germany's competitors should be rubbing their hands.
business@thenational.ae
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Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Scores
Bournemouth 0-4 Liverpool
Arsenal 1-0 Huddersfield Town
Burnley 1-0 Brighton
Manchester United 4-1 Fulham
West Ham 3-2 Crystal Palace
Saturday fixtures:
Chelsea v Manchester City, 9.30pm (UAE)
Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur, 11.45pm (UAE)
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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Naga
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The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
- Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
More on Quran memorisation:
MATCH INFO
Who: France v Italy
When: Friday, 11pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
More on Quran memorisation:
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
