Criticism of night flights at Nuremberg’s Albrecht Dürer Airport is intensifying after the number of nighttime movements climbed from 8,635 in 2023 to 11,459 in 2025. The Fluglärm-Schutzgemeinschaft Nürnberg und Umgebung has pressed for tighter limits on tourist flights between midnight and 5 a.m., while the city and the State of Bavaria defend the airport’s round-the-clock operating model, which also supports ambulance and rescue traffic.
Hundreds of residents joined a protest on Thursday over the noise burden in surrounding neighbourhoods along the flight paths. The airport’s night operations remain a core part of its business model, making Nürnberg one of the few German airports with genuine 24-hour service.
The city has pointed to the economic importance of the airport and is weighing higher night-flight charges, alongside possible aid for affected households such as improved soundproofing and air-conditioning support. The airport maintains that the night rule is based on aircraft noise certification rather than the purpose of a flight, allowing tourist services to continue if they meet the technical requirements.
Local pressure is also building from nearby municipalities, with Fürth’s mayor backing a gradual reduction in night flying. Critics argue that other Bavarian airports manage without the same volume of overnight traffic, but no binding restriction has been decided yet.