Munich voters reject extra airport runway

BERLIN (AP) - Voters in Munich have rejected plans to build a third runway at the city's airport, the second-busiest in Germany after Frankfurt.
Authorities in the Bavarian capital said 55.4 percent of voters in a referendum Sunday backed a motion calling on the city, one of three owners of the airport operator, to oppose a new runway.
The company's rules call for unanimity on important decisions, and Munich Mayor Christian Ude said he would accept the result "without ifs or buts." Bavaria's state government, however, said it still hopes the runway could eventually be built.
Supporters, including the center-right state government and the center-left Ude, said it is important for the region's economic development. But the Green party and other opponents dispute the need for it.
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