Due to personnel shortage

No personnel: Eurofighters now take off from Linz

Three Eurofighters are expected at the airport in Linz-Hörsching on Friday. Austrian airspace is now being monitored from there.(Bild: Bundesheer)

The Austrian Armed Forces have now put their plans into action: as of today, Friday, at least three Eurofighters are stationed at Linz-Hörsching Airport and no longer in Zeltweg, Styria. The Austrian airspace is to be monitored from Upper Austria over the weekend. The reason for the relocation is staff shortages in the military.

As the "Krone" revealed in November 2024, there is a massive personnel problem in the Austrian air force: due to a lack of air traffic controllers, radar control officers and technicians at the Hinterstoisser air base in Zeltweg, Styria, the airspace over Austria was not monitored for several days in the past. The reason for this: if there are no ground staff, the Eurofighters cannot take off either. 

The Hercules fleet is already stationed in Hörsching.(Bild: Matthias Lauber/laumat.at)

Helicopter personnel ensure the deployment of fighter jets
As a result, a plan was devised within the General Staff: The jets are to take off - at least temporarily - from Linz-Hörsching Airport, where other parts of the Austrian Air Force are also stationed. Specifically, the "Hercules" aircraft of the air transport squadron and two squadrons of Agusta Bell 212 transport helicopters, for example. This means that there are crews on duty in Upper Austria who can also ensure the operation of the Eurofighters. 

From today until Monday, active airspace surveillance will be carried out from Linz-Hörsching. To this end, three Eurofighters will fly to Hörsching this morning and return to Zeltweg on Monday morning.

Oberst Michael Bauer, Bundesheer

Bild: Klemens Groh

In any case, three Eurofighters started their flight to Linz on Friday morning, confirms Colonel Michael Bauer from the Ministry of Defense information of the "Krone": "From today until Monday, the active airspace surveillance of Linz-Hörsching will be carried out. To this end, three Eurofighters will fly to Hörsching this morning and return to Zeltweg on Monday morning."

Bauer dispels the fears of airport neighbors that there could be a massive noise nuisance in advance. According to reports, there will be no practice flights.