With the approval of the city council, the city of Mainz joined the "Bundesvereinigung gegen Fluglärm (BVF) e.V." (Federal Association Against Aircraft Noise) last week. On February 2, 2000, the city council of Mainz had already unanimously decided not to tolerate any further increases in aircraft noise and to take all necessary measures to combat it. Since that day, the city of Mainz has been fighting in many alliances against the consequences of airport expansion and sees its BVF membership as another piece in the mosaic of its fight against aircraft noise and its efforts to guarantee the best possible protection for the population from aircraft noise. Mayor Günter Beck and Environment Officer Katrin Eder expressly welcome this step: "The Federal Association represents a decisive counterweight to the air traffic lobby, whose players, as is well known, were even allowed to participate in the formulation of passages of the new Aircraft Noise Act in the relevant ministries. It is imperative to network in every conceivable area and take every possible step to prevent further pollution of the living space of the people in the region."

The city of Mainz expressly supports the objectives of the BVF, which clearly states that the expansion of airports must be based on the permissible environmental capacity: "This means nothing other than that there is a limit to what is reasonable based on factual circumstances. In Frankfurt, this screw has already been overtightened," said Beck and Eder. People have priority, and the right to a good night's sleep must be placed above the "insistence on a supposed right to night flights."

By joining the Federal Association for Aircraft Noise, the city of Mainz also benefits from its representation on the aircraft noise commissions and its membership in the advisory committee of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety and the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building, and Urban Development. This committee is always consulted before legal regulations on air traffic are enacted, allowing the BVF e.V. to clearly articulate its positions.
Eder: "It was time to make use of the expertise of the Federal Association. It organizes seminars, provides detailed advice to members, and has outstanding expertise in the application of regulations in case law and technology. We are thus not only emphasizing our support for the goals of the Federal Association, but also taking the opportunity to make use of the association's expertise – and at very favorable conditions."

The annual membership fee for municipalities with more than 100,000 inhabitants is €800 per year. The Federal Association Against Aircraft Noise, based in Mörfelden-Walldorf, is expressly committed to promoting environmental and landscape protection and protecting the population from aircraft noise and other adverse effects of air traffic in the vicinity of airports. Katrin Eder, Head of the Environment Department, concluded: "We have been in close contact for a long time, so we have taken a long-overdue step and look forward to future cooperation."

Press release from the state capital of Mainz dated February 23, 2012