Air Traffic Control Centre opens in Ljubljana

New headquarters for Slovenian air traffic control

Ljubljana Air Traffic Control moved into a new multi million euro control centre at Jože Pučnik Airport on Tuesday. The new building, worth 27 million euros, stretches over 10.800 square metres and will cater for the growing number of aircraft flying over the country on an annual basis. On average, Slovenian air traffic control handles 734 flights per day, with the number expected to double by 2020. The now former Infrastructure and Spatial Planning Minister, Zvonko Černač (a new government was sworn in during the week), attended the opening of the new premises adding that he was happy that the project had been successfully concluded. He highlighted that the work had been completed within the planned financial framework, which was not always the case with such large investments. The new Air Traffic Control Centre is one of the most modern in the region.

The new Air Traffic Control Centre is the latest in a string of aviation related infrastructure projects in the country. Recently, the construction of a brand new terminal at Jože Pučnik Airport was approved. The new terminal, which will be built next to the existing passenger building, will cover an area of 31.200 square metres. Its price tag will amount to between 55 and 89 million euros. Furthermore, late last year, a brand new passenger terminal at Maribor Airport was opened. A cargo and logistics centre is also set to open near the airport while the old passenger terminal has gone under reconstruction.

The new Air Traffic Control Centre in Ljubljana was designed by the “Sadar + Vuga” architect studio in 2006 and originally featured a one hundred metre air traffic control tower as well. The Air Traffic Control Centre is part of the massive Aeropolis project scheduled for completion by 2021 which intends to create a small city around Jože Pučnik Airport with its own business centre, business park, logistics park and hotel.