City Councillor Kolmer: “Route is mostly adhered to – weather conditions in July were not representative”
Darmstadt. The new departure route Cindy S, formerly "Amtix Kurz," has been in trial operation since July 10. It primarily affects the north of Darmstadt. After about a month, the city of science is drawing up its first interim assessment – with mixed results.
Weather and high occupancy characterize the start
July was characterized by changeable weather, heavy rain, and high flight volumes during the holiday season. This not only led to delayed departures after 11 p.m., but also to deviations from the planned route. "The weather conditions led to deviations that affected not only Cindy S. Complaints also came from the Heimstättensiedlung, the Europaviertel, and the Waldkolonie," explains Environmental Officer Michael Kolmer.
Since July 10, City Councilor Kolmer's office and the Environmental Agency have received approximately 50 reports. The northern edge of Wixhausen, for example, in the new development area Im Appensee/WX8, is particularly affected. The complaints concern deviations, delayed departures, and increased noise pollution. At the same time, areas that have been relieved have also reported positive effects.
Deviations are usually understandable
According to German Air Traffic Control (DfTC), approximately 97 percent of departures proceed on the intended route. Deviations occur, for example, due to direct clearances above a certain altitude or circumvention of bad weather areas. The latter led to an increase in direct overflights over the northern districts and the city center in July.
According to the planning approval decision, delayed departures until midnight are possible in individual cases, for example, in the case of weather-related handling stoppages. In July, such departures occurred after 11 p.m. on nine of the 21 operating days following the start of the relocation. The Hessian Ministry of Economic Affairs regularly publishes data and explanations online .
Long-term monitoring over twelve months
The implementation of the relocation will be monitored over a period of twelve months by the Environment and Neighborhood Center (UNH) . The goal is to record noise levels, compliance with routes, and flight altitudes and compare them with previous calculations. Initial interim results are expected after six months.
Before the start of trial operations, measurements were conducted at locations in Erzhausen, Egelsbach, Arheilgen, and Wixhausen for three months each. These measurements will now be repeated at comparable times of the year to ensure consistent conditions.
The city will also set up a new measuring station on the roof of the Mayor's House by October. The readings will be published in real time (www.dfld.de)
Next Steps
All open complaints will be answered individually in the next two weeks. The city also plans to set up a section on its website to collect frequently asked questions and answers.
(Darmstadt - Red/PSD/Stip)
