The Development of Frankfurt/Main Airport: A Traditional Narrative of Loss and Gain

Abstract

Purpose

This chapter focuses on the conflicts that have accompanied the development of Germany’s largest airport at Frankfurt/Main and examines how these conflicts are embedded in regional governance and airport planning. In the German context, the governance discourse is understood as a multi-faceted framework of actors, institutions and legislation that structures the actions of involved people.

Method/approach

The conflicts within this framework are structured by two aspects: the spatiality of the contested object, which results in tactical descriptions of the space involved, and an understanding of airports as parts of large technological systems which strongly influences the discourse of airport expansion. As spatial conflicts regarding large infrastructures develop over a long period of time, the chapter charts the historical evolution of the expansion conflict from the 1980s until today. It analyses the governance structure and the actor’s constellations throughout time to shed light on the use of narratives and the stability and change of pro and contra coalitions. It concludes with a critical reflection on the role of airports in the German planning system and the problems of governance in the multilevel, multi-actor environment of airports.

Originality/contribution

The chapter highlights the necessity of examining the environmental impact of airports at different scales, from neighbouring cities to the large labour market stretching up to 100km from the airport.

Citation

Knippenberger, U. (2013), "The Development of Frankfurt/Main Airport: A Traditional Narrative of Loss and Gain", Sustainable Aviation Futures (Transport and Sustainability, Vol. 4), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 239-264. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2044-9941(2013)0000004011