Airport weather frogs

Salzburg’s aviation weather will soon be compiled in Vienna

(Bild: Tröster Andreas)

Soon there will be no more weather forecasts at Salzburg Airport. The province is opposing Austro Control's plans.

Employees have been worried for some time, and now the provincial government is also sounding the alarm: the aviation weather office is to be relocated from Salzburg Airport to Vienna. As the responsible Austro Control confirmed in response to an inquiry from "Krone", the aviation weather center is already being managed from Vienna on a daily basis.

Austro Control speaks of a "modernization", the state sees it differently. "We are vehemently opposed to centralizing the aviation weather station, as regional weather conditions cannot be taken into account from a distance," says Provincial Vice President Stefan Schnöll (ÖVP).

Schnöll argues with special topography
The SPÖ and FPÖ have been warning against this step for some time. Airport Supervisory Board Chairman Schnöll has now written a letter to the responsible Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens). The topographical peculiarities in Salzburg can only be assessed locally. Schnöll fears that there is a risk of significantly more flights being diverted to Munich or Linz.

Austro Control states that such a case has not yet occurred. "It is also unacceptable for us from an economic policy point of view if more and more highly qualified jobs at public institutions move to Vienna," says Schnöll.