Praha changed its mind, the councilors supported the construction of a new runway

Prague – Prague agrees with the planned construction of a parallel runway at Václav Havel Airport. City councilors today supported a proposal by Deputy Mayor Petr Hlaváček (for TOP 09), which revoked the recently adopted dissenting opinion of the council and declared agreement with the intention. They also approved a change to the zoning plan necessary for construction, which the council did not recommend. The discussion on these points lasted about three hours, featuring opponents of the construction, including the organizers of the petition.

The shift in the city's stance during the voting was supported by coalition councilors from TOP 09 and opposition parties ODS and ANO, while the coalition Pirates, Praha Sobě, and STAN were opposed. According to the airport, the construction of a parallel runway instead of the current cross-runway is intended to allow for increased traffic during peak times starting in 2027, while night flights are to be canceled. Opponents of the construction today primarily argued ecological impacts, excessive tourist traffic in the capital, and a decline in the quality of life for city residents.

The adopted resolution includes a set of conditions for approval. These include, for example, the expedited construction of a railway to the airport, the provision of additional materials, and an assessment of the project's impacts by the government and the airport, or the cancellation of night operations after the new runway construction is completed.

The proponent of the adopted resolution, Hlaváček, stated that the new runway is not intended to increase the airport's overall capacity, which is currently limited to 21 million passengers per year, but is meant to allow for the handling of more aircraft during the most sought-after morning and evening times. He added that according to Prague's spatial development principles, airport operations should be halted between midnight and 05:30 after construction, and the new runway should operate only between 06:00 and 22:00. The construction was also supported at the meeting by Eva Smutná, a councilor of the Prague 6 district (independently for TOP 09).

According to Deputy Mayor Petr Hlubuček (STAN), who is also the mayor of Lysolaje and pushed for the earlier dissenting opinion to be revoked, the construction documentation does not reflect current data. He claimed that the Environmental Impact Assessment EIA is based on data from 2005, and the construction plan itself is 50 years old. According to him, the construction does not meet today’s economic, social, and ecological needs, especially in light of the coronavirus crisis, which will transform air travel. He also pointed out the negative consequences of tourism in the capital.

Representatives of the public, the mayors of Nebušice and Suchdol, representatives from the Czech Agricultural University (ČZU) and the Academy of Sciences, Senator Marek Hilšer representing the association of Prague senators, the organizers of the petition against the construction with about 1200 signatures, and the director of the Prague Zoo, Miroslav Bobek, expressed negative opinions regarding the plan during the meeting. Arguments were raised concerning increased emissions, the proximity of the runway to residential areas, increased noise, or insufficient transport connections to the airport.

Airport director Václav Řehoř, in response to the criticism, stated that the airport is not just for Prague but for the entire country. He added that the negative impact of the new runway will indeed be felt in Lysolaje, where the runway will come closer, and in the ČZU campus in Suchdol. Thus, the situation will worsen for several thousand people, while canceling the current cross-runway will prevent aircraft from flying over the city, affecting hundreds of thousands of people. He confirmed that the airport is prepared to cancel night flights post-construction, which otherwise would need to be strengthened.

The airport has already applied for a zoning decision for the construction, but it is currently suspended because the court canceled the update of the Central Bohemian Region's spatial development principles based on a proposal from the city districts of Nebušice and Suchdol, which defined the area for construction. The airport, together with the Directorate of Roads and Highways, has submitted a cassation complaint against the decision to the Supreme Administrative Court, which has not yet been resolved.