Mystery at Klagenfurt Airport: Is the location becoming a 'plane graveyard'?

Klagenfurt Airport, already struggling with low passenger numbers, is now facing a new mystery as six former Lufthansa CityLine Bombardier CRJ-900 jets have been parked on its tarmac for weeks. While the airport insists the aircraft are undergoing routine maintenance, industry experts express skepticism and fear the facility could become a "graveyard for planes."

The jets belonged to Lufthansa CityLine, which ceased operations in spring 2026. The first two aircraft landed in Klagenfurt in late March, followed by four more. Solinair, a Slovenian maintenance company, has opened a branch at the airport to service these planes. Klagenfurt Airport maintains that these are regular maintenance activities and that no long-term storage or decommissioning is planned.

However, anonymous aviation experts voice significant concerns. They point out that these approximately 15-year-old aircraft may struggle to find new operators following CityLine's shutdown. The market for used regional jets is currently saturated, making it difficult for these planes to be absorbed elsewhere. If the jets remain in Klagenfurt for an extended period, the airport, which already faces structural challenges, risks developing an image as a "plane graveyard," a fate that has befallen other smaller European airports with aging aircraft.

The airport's traffic primarily consists of a few routes to Vienna, Cologne, and London. The opening of the maintenance company's branch was initially seen as a positive economic development, but it has now sparked new questions about the airport's future and its role in the aviation industry.