"Our airport is of crucial importance not only for our country, but also for the Greater Region. For our visitors, it is their first impression of Luxembourg,” stated the minister for mobility and public works, (DP), on Thursday evening at PWC, ahead of a roundtable discussion on the future of the airport. “For us, it represents a real calling card. It also plays a political role: it is our only external border with our European partners and the rest of the world. It is also an essential engine of economic growth.” Backes also acknowledged the difficulties encountered during peak travel periods and school holidays.

The minister reaffirmed the government's commitment to supporting the site's growth. "I can illustrate this commitment by the recent decision to allocate the Cité de l'Aéroport [office park] to Lux-Airport, providing an additional option to meet future challenges and needs. We maintain close and regular contact with the Lux-Airport operating company. In addition, the fleet development plans of the local airlines, Cargolux and Luxair, clearly reflect an optimistic vision of the future and their connection with the site."

She then highlighted the "massive investments have been made to modernise the airport", such as:

- the renewal and modernisation of baggage handling systems,

- the complete renovation of the runway

- the construction of a new fire station,

- a maintenance hangar for Luxair,

- and the extension and construction of parking spaces.

Backes also mentioned other renovations to the terminal, aimed at rethinking the interior spaces and improving the infrastructure to offer greater comfort. "I am convinced that a successful journey starts with a stress-free experience. That's why the airport has put in place optimised processes to ensure that security checks are completed quickly."

Four modernisation projects underway

"Four improvement and modernisation works," she said, "are in the implementation phase:

- modernising security lines: as well as rethinking processes, the airport will be installing faster, more efficient screening systems, reducing waiting times for passengers. A fast lane was also introduced in 2020 to facilitate security checks for busy customers.

- The expansion of the terminal's surface area, which will make it possible to accommodate more passengers and improve overall comfort.

- the extension of the business lounge, which will be moved to the first floor and offer additional relaxation areas, while its current location on the ground floor will be transformed into a duty-free area;

- an increase in the number of parking spaces to meet growing user demand. Car park L opened in July 2024, adding 650 new spaces to bring the total to over 9,000. The extension of car park M will offer a further 800 spaces by the end of the year".

The passageway between terminals A and B and the baggage reclaim area will be modernised with more pleasant lighting and more comfortable furniture. The airport's sanitary facilities will also be renovated, with an increase in capacity.

As far as air freight is concerned - Cargolux is one of Europe's top ten airlines - "it is vital that we continue to modernise our cargo infrastructure and incorporate forward-looking technologies in order to guarantee our long-term competitiveness. This is clearly one of my priorities for the future of the airport and represents the most significant investment over the next six to seven years."

Green fuel

"In June 2023, a new milestone was reached with the introduction, for the first time at Luxembourg Airport, of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), in partnership with Cargolux, World Fuel Services and Neste. This biofuel, produced from renewable waste, has enabled Cargolux to operate a carbon-neutral flight to Zhengzhou", said Backes.

"This is a major step forward that demonstrates our commitment to more responsible aviation that emits less CO2. Construction of a new ‘fuel farm’ will begin shortly to adapt the airport to the fuels of the future and increase storage capacity. This project, which has been in gestation for a long time, has been able to be accelerated in recent months."

Other major investments over the next few years include

- the construction of a new terminal for business aviation (the general aviation terminal) and the VIP lounge, which is also a government priority,

- the renovation of the taxiway and three aircraft parking areas,

- the construction of a new maintenance hangar for Luxair, as well as other necessary hangars,

- the construction of a new catering facility,

- and - last but not least - the construction of a new control tower.

After mentioning the Skypark Business Center - the largest wooden building in Europe - and its hotel, the Moxy, which is already fully booked, and after highlighting the challenges of digitalisation and automation in passenger assistance, parking management and facial recognition to facilitate security checks, Backes reaffirmed that "the government considers that air traffic control is an essential element of national sovereignty and will therefore remain within the public service. Luxembourg will also be able to take advantage of its strategic position to establish itself as a centre of expertise and offer air traffic control services to other airports."

She also emphasised the need to develop alternative solutions for certain business segments, as Luxembourg airport brings together commercial aviation, cargo, business aviation, sport aviation, helicopters and, in the future, drones.

No PPPs

"When it comes to developing the airport, I hear some people proposing the use of public-private partnerships. But the airport is a critical infrastructure for our country. For me, it is unthinkable, and even irresponsible, to embark on such a path for the development of our airport", she declared firmly.

Finally, she stressed, citing her other cabinet portfolio, "as minister of defence, that over the coming months and years, our airport will have to adapt to new expectations and challenges in terms of resilience, in an increasingly complex geopolitical context. It will be called upon to play a growing role in our collective defence within Nato."

Read the original French-language version of this news report /