The CEO of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, Velimir Radosavljević, has said that with nearly 3 million passengers in 2010, Belgrade’s airport can expect large scale investment in 2011, Serbian media report. From January 1, Belgrade slashed its landing fees, which should attract more low cost airlines. According to the CEO, the airport will see an increase of at least 15% in 2011 compared to last year , passenger wise, most of which will come from low cost carriers. Wizz Air will open its base in Belgrade on April 1. “We are trying to create a free and fair market for everyone. No one has any special treatment and no one is discriminated against”. Radosavljević noted.Two major investments are planned for the airport in 2011, the expansion of Terminal 2 and the expansion of the parking platform. “The most important investment in 2011 will be the expansion of the terminal which will increase passenger comfort and services. We have to be very careful not to disturb other traffic during the expansion. This is why we have divided the project into 14 phases. There will be 8 new gates added to the terminal and the new areas will be opened once each phase of the project is complete”, Radosavljvević explains. He added that the expansion of the parking platform, which will allow more airlines to use the parking area instead of the gates, has already begun. “We have already connected our two main platform areas. We will add another one stretching over the size of 2 football pitches”.
What a waste of money! Id!ots. You have capacity for another 5 milllion passengers with the exisiting capacity!
ReplyDeleteAnd 'fair treatment for everyone'? Is that why Wizz & easyJet are getting over 50% discounts to everyone else?
They are building the parking platform just because Wizz asked them. I wonder what would be their reaction if Jat asked them the same
ReplyDelete@First anonymous
ReplyDeleteThey do not have 'another 5 million' but they have capacity for 5 million, meaning that there is another two.
Belgrade Airport is already getting crowded hence why the expansion of the terminal is needed.
As for the expansion of the parking, well, what can i say, I do not know why they can't parked the one plane of Wizzair on the 'B' parking spots.It's not like they are going to have 10 planes based in Belgrade!
Besides them I do not know who else would use those parking spots. Maybe Germanwings?
BRAVO, Svaka Cast... Napokon lepa vest iz BGD-a. Hristos se Rodi!!!
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if this is because of Wizz Air, but this is good news. Bringing in more airlines will increase competition, decrease ticket prices, and put Belgrade back on the "hot spot" list for aviation. BEG does have a capacity for 5-6 million, but I think that they want to expand it while they still have the money. BEG is the most profitable airport by far in all of Ex-Yu and this year they received enormous profit. Better to invest that in the airport than pocket the money.
ReplyDeleteAnd they are also expanding the parking spaces in order to receive long-haul aircraft. So they are obviously trying to restart transatlantic flights.
Anyway, all this is good news, Hristos se Rodi!
I flew today on Malév from Budapest to Belgrade (LF=37%) and when we landed we were parked on the gate A4 next to us was LH 735, OS F70, TK 738 and then on the C gates OK left and there was JK and LX.
ReplyDeleteThe airport was packed with people and it really felt as if more space was needed!
Malev’s figures have really collapsed in the last few months. A 37% load factor is dismal for Christmas Eve when flights are usually packed in order to get here for Christmas and they have been going badly over the past few months as well. Wizz Air is also doing very badly on most of its routes recently and I think they have expanded too fast into Serbia.
ReplyDeleteAnyway this is good news for BEG (the expansion I mean).
I am not surprised that Malév is doing that badly. First of all their service is not that great and their planes are not in the best condition.
ReplyDeleteThe Dash-8 HA-LQA was rather worn out and the leather on some seats was torn.
This morning I flew on EuroLot from Wroclaw to Warsaw and then on Malév to Budapest (and Belgrade). Even the leg from Warsaw to Budapest was 45% full.
However when I flew to Warsaw from Belgrade on Lot a few days ago the flight was about 55-65% full. What was interesting was that most of the passengers came out in Warsaw.
It makes me wonder, who are the real winner and real losers when it comes to the serbian market? What doyou think?
I would guess the real winner is Swiss and one of the biggest losers would be Malév. I am not so sure how Austrian is doing, they keep on sending their F70 way too often to Belgrade!
Yes, you're right - capacity it 5m pax, so it's another 2 million.
ReplyDeleteAs to the id!ot who suggested that expansion would bring airlines - hello? They can't decrease charges (the only way that the airport itself can increase flights to belgrade)if they're spending heavily on capital expenditure programs like unnecessary extra gates and parking platforms.
It's exactly this sort of ridiculous planning that keeps the ex-YU region mired in poverty and unemployment.
It is investment for the future and not so distant one...They can handle 2 more million pax with current capacity, but in a few years time it is not going to be enough...Plus airside gates A were never renovated and lack space, so it is logical to do the renovation and increase retail space there...All in all, I see it as a positive and wise thinking of investing profit into own infrastructure, rather then spending it somewhere else, tho not urgently needed right now, but it will be needed quite soon.
ReplyDeleteGreat news for Belgrade. But if you ask me, they should completely refurbish Terminal 1. It still has the old check-ins and is barely used. Ideally, BEG should recreate its Terminal 2 @ Terminal 1. 10 million pax should be enough for the next 20-30 years I think. But expansion is a good sign. And at least they have the funds to do it.
ReplyDeleteWhat is going on with the second runway? Can anyone please tell me whether they are gonna actually build another runway. I think they should as soon as possible, right after the terminal expansions are done.
And what do you guys think about these expansions allowing trans-Atlantic flights? I mean if Zagreb is (supposedly) starting them, then Belgrade surely can. But does anyone think that these gate expansions are also planned for more than just an increase in regional traffic?
@Author
ReplyDeletethe correct quote of BEG CEO is that BEG expects 15% LCC PAX in 2011, not otal PAX increase.
BEG is not doing this because WZZ or someone else asked them it's rubbish, they are doing the terminal expansion because they (finally) have to separate arriving from departing PAX. I must admit that there is not much service available at BEG. Hopefully under comfort issue they would address this during this expansion. As for the platform expansion, those 6 additional open stands will also be intended for eventual widebody A/C. OK, they can be parked at B platform but it can't be used in full capacity when 74F or A4F parked.
@ first Anonimous
Read the news before comment! Do you have a valid proof for WZZ 50% discount claims? I suppose not since FYI EZY is not operating BEG...yet. Mate, I'd suggest you to go try spinning somewhere else, this is serious blog!
Like I mentioned, Belgrade was too crowded when I landed fro Budapest yesterday. Naturally once the rushour is over there is more than enough space but as time goes by more and more flights are going to be added. What is Belgrade supposed to do, get to the same position as Zagreb to not have enough space for the passangers and then think of the expansion?
ReplyDeleteThis expansion will enable the passengers to have more space to move around. In my opinion Belgrade needs another big free shop, this one is too narrow and too small (when there are more than three flights at the same time).
Good job for them, I am happy that something is going to happen finally.
Hoe about doing some work on existing terminals. Was in November in Business Lounge...horrible
ReplyDeleteThe Business longe is just a disgrace!!! Actually it's just plain disgusting!
ReplyDeleteI love the "Belgrade is great for doing business" signs all over the airport.
ReplyDeleteNo one can accuse Serbs of not having a sick sense of dark humour.
Very happy to hear good news for Belgrade Airport!
ReplyDeleteHope to see BEG-RJK flights soon, maybie even this summer.
They should definitely upgrade existing services, separate arriving passangers and be done with the second security control, thus allowing for gate waiting areas to become open and accessible space. That alone would do a lot for the looks.
ReplyDeleteBut, I have a feeling that A5-A9 (or is it A10) are still underutilized, and that there is still room there before additional gates are needed. Maybe they should "force" LCC to use gates instead of buses by equalizing the price for both services, so no additional parking spaces would then be necessary. LH "sleeps" at C gates, right?