Liberec is selling its airport in Ostašov

Liberec - The city of Liberec is offering its airport in Ostašov for 104.9 million crowns. The selection process will be decided solely by the price that interested parties present to the municipality. So far, only one company is competing for the approximately seventy-hectare land. Others can apply until April 30th. Mayor Jiří Kittner (ODS) stated this to reporters today.
    However, the sale is not favored by the Liberec Region. Its leadership does not wish for the airport to end up in private hands. "We have not received any clear offer from the Liberec Region indicating that they want to buy the airport. And I cannot imagine that they would give us over 100 million in a short time," Kittner declared. The municipality of Liberec will also publish information about the airport's selection process abroad.
    "The airport should remain with the city. It is the only area in the vicinity where it can be located," stated Martin Sepp (ČSSD), Deputy Governor of the Liberec Region, earlier. The region is interested in the airport, but currently, it could pay about 35 million crowns for it, given the tough economic times.
    "We want the airport to operate as a public international one. Therefore, we have provided the Aeroclub Liberec with a grant of 1.1 million crowns for three years. The money should be used to ensure, for example, safety and other matters to eventually obtain a license to operate," Sepp added.
    However, the municipality recently terminated the lease agreement with the Aeroclub Liberec for the airport. The reason was the planned sale and unfavorable conditions. According to Deputy Mayor Ondřej Červinka, the city was losing 150,000 to 250,000 crowns annually on the airport.
    The airport has been serving Liberec since 1923. It currently operates as international but is not public. Aircraft from abroad must announce their arrival 24 hours in advance. Due to noise and the lack of a lit area, planes are only allowed to land in Liberec during the day. There is no fixed runway, and only small aircraft weighing up to 5.7 tons with 12 to 14 passengers can land on the grass. Building a solid runway would cost an estimated 200 to 300 million crowns.
    According to Kittner, the airport in Ostašov must remain regardless of who wins it in the selection process. "The airport is part of the city's zoning plan, and its operation is a so-called easement," Kittner summarized.