Application to continue noise protection requirements as part of 24-hour operation
Planning and investment security for location and jobs
New fee schedule triples night-time noise surcharges
Cologne/Bonn Airport is setting the course for the future: with its proven business model based on the two pillars of passenger and freight traffic, the airport is of outstanding importance for the people and economy of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a mobility hub, a global logistics hub and one of the largest workplaces in the region. An essential prerequisite for these key functions is 24-hour operation for passenger and cargo flights, for which the airport has an indefinite night flight permit. In order to continue to fulfil its role as an international transport hub in the future, the noise protection regulations for night-time flight operations, which are currently limited until 2030, are to remain in place permanently. At the same time, the airport is continuing to develop and implement noise reduction and noise protection measures.
In order to ensure planning and investment security for the airport and the numerous companies represented at the site with their approximately 14,500 employees, the airport has applied to the Ministry of Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (MUNV) for the permanent continuation of the noise protection requirements. This step involves making the noise protection and noise reduction measures for local residents, which are limited until 2030, binding for an indefinite period. To this end, the application was submitted to the responsible MUNV and the administrative procedure was initiated. The application therefore concerns the continuation of the existing regulation.
"We want to secure the economic strength of the airport and the entire location in the long term. The 24-hour operation with passenger and freight traffic forms the foundation for this. With this application, we want to ensure reliable framework conditions and planning security beyond 2030. This is essential for the future of the airport as well as its customers and partners," says Thilo Schmid, Chairman of the Management Board of Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH. ‘This is linked to a clear commitment to consistently develop and apply our comprehensive noise protection concept and to implement noise reduction measures in order to continue to fulfil our responsibility to the region.’
New fee schedule for 2026: Night-time noise surcharges almost tripled
One example of the airport's ongoing commitment to noise reduction is the continuous increase in noise-related fees. The airport is continuing this development with a new fee schedule that has been in effect since the beginning of 2026: for example, the night-time noise surcharge for a Boeing 747-400 (noise class 9) will increase from £462.50 in 2025 to £1,214 by January 2028 – almost tripling. At the beginning of this year, the night-time surcharge for this type of aircraft was already increased by around 75 per cent to €809. In addition, the new fee schedule provides further incentives for modern and quiet aircraft types, including the Airbus A320/321/330neo, the Boeing 737 MAX and the Boeing 787. ‘The new fee schedule specifically promotes the further development of modern, low-noise aircraft during daytime hours. Night flights will once again become significantly more expensive and the day-night spread will increase even further, because the night-time noise surcharges will be increased much more than those for daytime traffic,’ says Thilo Schmid.
Protecting local residents from aircraft noise is a high priority for Cologne/Bonn Airport and is firmly anchored in the company's strategy. The airport has been successfully implementing its comprehensive noise protection concept for decades. It is based on four pillars: (1) active noise protection through night-time flight restrictions and precise approach and departure procedures, (2) structural noise protection through the financing of noise protection measures for residents, (3) noise-related charges and financial incentives for the use of quieter, modern aircraft, and (4) transparent, up-to-date information on noise levels and flight movements on the neighbourhood portal. In order to continuously develop this concept and the measures, the airport cooperates closely with airlines and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), among others.
Cologne/Bonn Airport has an indefinite permit for 24-hour operation. Night-time air traffic is restricted by official regulations. These include a ban on certain flight directions and the use of particularly noisy aircraft at night, ongoing noise checks and the obligation to permanently reduce noise at night. Compliance with these requirements is reviewed every five years by an independent expert opinion. Since the first review in 2000, the airport has consistently met these requirements.
Further information: https://www.cgnnebenan.de/flughafen/betriebsgenehmigung.html
