Successful Protest Against Airport Noise?

The protests have been heard. Finally. But also one point is again very clear: somebody will be disturbed by the airport. But who? Will it again be an East-West discussion? The state of Brandenburg will re-plan the routes according to the SPD. This means actually nothing though German press is celebrating the stamina of the local residents. The citizens were demanding better protection against the noise and the court decided that they are eligible for soundproof windows and other protection measures.

The routes have been aproved in 2006 already. In 2011 they were presented to German Air Traffic Commission, a modified version and on 13 October the court will speak the verdict on the noise measure concept (and again modified routes?). Looking back to a decade of planning, one could think that Berlin is the first big city that is planning an airport but one can now understand why Germans see no value in the label "German Capital". Bonn was a little town, but functioning, the mony and the economy has always been spread mainly over Western Germany (even before WW2) and Berlin's planning is once more a subject especially Western Germans rather ignore (though 50% is contributed by the land of Brandenburg).

Just to remind you: the airport opens in June 2012. Supposedly.