Exklusiv-Interview - HahnAirport Magazin

Bildquelle: © Herbert Piel
She is a powerful woman par excellence
– the 40-year-old Ulrike Müller, who
was born in Mecklenburg-Western
Pomerania and is working on completion of
a bricklayer and a study of architecture (in
Mainz, Germany) since 1993 in many ways
at the airport Frankfurt-Hahn, until they have
launched her six years ago to head expansion
and airport development.
A typical female profession that is truly not
that Ulrike Müller full of energy and with a
lot of know-how – in addition to her job as
a mother of two children – manages charmingly
and eloquent. However, she wonders
in this interview with HahnAirport-magazine,
why she cannot belong as a woman naturally
in such a leading position? ’For the manage-
ment of the airport Frankfurt-Hahn skill, perseverance
and commitment are crucial.’ Ulrike
Müller‘s ’panacea’ in the circle of her 15
employee, national and international negotiators:
’You can not be everybody‘s darling.
You have to possess ability for teamwork,
so that you can lead the team in the right
direction. And sometimes you must be able
to say ’no’. Property at my team it is that we
all pull together, so we can sometimes accomplish
things that would be unthinkable at
other companies, thanks to lengthy decisionmaking.’
A successful example of such a project converted
in record time – in a so-called ’cloakand-dagger
operation’ – was the surface renewal
of the airstrip of the Hunsrück-Airport.
’While they all racked their brains across
Europe over the impact of volcanic ash during
the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajoküll
in April 2010, we just rolled up
our sleeves and caused the already planned
renewal of the airstrip. That was a decision
within two hours, a few phone calls and a
few conversations with the team and our customers
and we‘ve finished with the project.
Our ability to act is great, because we have
very good ideas and we all lend a hand. If
you want, then that works, too!
Asked about the perspectives of the airport
or on whether the passengers or cargo area
important in the next 10 years, had emphasized
the dynamic head of department:
’For us, both areas are equally important. It
is clear that the passage area is perceived
more strongly by humans. For this we have
to present in this sector a good offer, but
the largest growth potential I see at present
in the cargo area. Particularly with our unrestricted
24-hour operating license (especially
regarding the night flights prohibition
at Frankfurt), we have a great competitive
advantage, so we will expand the cargo area
even more profitable. To lead an airport like
Ulrike Müller (Dipl.-Ing./FH)
Head of Airport Expansion and Development
this successfully, you have to build more and
more support legs and to find out these, this
is also an important part of my work.’
As another example of her negotiating skills
Ulrike Müller calls the successful negotiations
with Ryanair, which still wants to take
up training and maintenance operations on
the Hunsrück-Airport in this year. Finding the
necessary space and real estate for it and
willing to provide in time, also goes to her
department.
Asked where the airport will be in the next
twenty years, Müller replied: ’We will stand
with both feet on the ground. It will then decide
what further support legs will be possible.’
Currently, Müller dealt with the subject ’Terminal
Planning’. Of course there is also a master
plan that answers for example questions
like ’What are the potentials of the airport?
Which capacities does the airstrip have?
What about in terms of supply and disposal?
What noise impacts will result in an increase
of capacity? What we need in addition to
the investments already made in our sound
insulation program to invest in the region?
’Also political issues are to be lit up. What
HahnAirport Magazin · Herbst / Winter 2010 / 11
Personalit y
impact has e.g. the planned introduction of
the ticket tax on the expansion? Questions
over questions to which Ulrike Müller and her
team have to find answers, practicable solutions
and finally affordable concepts.
An example of such a successful concept –
whereupon Müller is particularly proud in our
interview – is the forest conversion concept,
which has developed the airport team in close
cooperation with the BUND (german na-
ture conservation organization) to be able to
save habitats of the famous ’pug-bat’. ’Here
we had the right recipe, because studies
have now clearly shown that all bat populations
are still there, which existed before the
conversion. The compromise has thus paid
off for both sides.’ Despite the difficulties
surrounding the rescue of the bats, Ulrike
Müller as a project manager succeeded in
record time in realizing the runway extension
for the Hunsrück-Airport, including all
related legal proceedings through the period
2002-2005. ’We had to be very busy to
regulate all matters of planning, zoning and
litigation just-in-time to all satisfaction.’
Whether she has requests to the Rhineland-
Palatinate policy stresses the manager, ’I
hope to further support from the state government,
which has proven otherwise by its
entry as a major shareholder, that it is attached
to the Hahn. In a 560-hectare property
we all just have to pull together!’ This
maxim surely must also apply to the new
shopping center, which is to make retail trade
location Kirchberg more attractive and viable
– and would offer the airport Frankfurt-
Hahn a further support leg. ■
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