Belgrade Airport expansion begins

Future look of Belgrade Airport

The expansion and overhaul of Belgrade Airport’s two terminals has begun. With the new business class lounge completed and opened for passengers to use, construction work has now begun on the refurbishment of the A (terminal one) and C (terminal two) gates. The first phase of the project, which will be completed by the summer of 2012, will see the expansion and refurbishment of the C1-2 gate as well as gates from A1 to A5. The price tag of the first phase will amount to 5.5 million Euros. Work will be carried out so as not to disturb flights and passengers. Pictured below is the area being overhauled.

Gates C3-4 and C5-6 will be expanded in the second phase. The third phase will involve the expansion of the A6 gate and onwards with the fourth and final phase seeing the construction of a completely new floor which will stretch over 4.900 square metres. Another apron will be built next to terminal two which will be able to handle four medium sized aircraft. Once the project is completed, a total of 9.900 square metres will be added and the terminal one air bridges will be replaced.

The airport will finance the project entirely through its own means with no bank loans required. It marks the biggest overhaul of the airport building since terminal two was renovated several years ago. The airport’s two terminals currently have the capacity to handle seven million passengers per year.

Last Friday, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport welcomed its third millionth passenger in 2011. It is the first time the airport has managed to break the three million mark since 1988. If sustained growth continues into 2012, Belgrade Airport is on course to post its best figures since opening its doors forty years ago and a place in Europe’s top 100 busiest airports list.