The Higher Administrative Court in Bautzen began hearing challenges on Tuesday to the approved expansion of the DHL cargo facilities at Leipzig/Halle Airport. Ten plaintiffs are contesting Saxony’s September 2024 planning approval. The hearings are scheduled to run until 5 November, with 16 and 17 November reserved; the court has not set a date for its ruling. The approval remains immediately enforceable, but construction has not begun.
The project would add 39 hectares to DHL’s apron, together with taxiways, de-icing areas and operational buildings. The wider freight area would grow from 58 hectares to nearly 100 hectares. Leipzig/Halle Airport GmbH has put the cost at about €300 million and estimated construction would take around two years. The airport plans to wait for the outcome of the legal challenges before starting work.
The plaintiffs include the Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt branches of environmental group BUND, four business operators, three individuals and the city of Schkeuditz. Their objections cover aircraft noise, ultra-fine particles, climate effects, nature protection and the city’s planning authority. BUND argues that the environmental and community impacts make the approval unlawful; Saxony’s regional authority maintains that it considered noise, environmental protection and climate impacts.
The expansion is intended to increase capacity and accommodate larger aircraft at DHL’s Leipzig/Halle hub. DHL has operated its international express-freight hub there since 2008 and has committed to remain at the airport at least through 2053. Leipzig/Halle is Germany’s second-largest cargo airport after Frankfurt.