Pristina's time to shine
The new multi million euro terminal in Pristina is set to open its doors to passengers this fall. Construction work on the 45.000 square metre building is nearing completion with late September being tipped as the official opening date for the new terminal. Project manager Holdon Koktur says 130 million euros has been invested into the terminal building, which will have the capacity to handle 3.2 million passengers per year. “We have expanded the airport’s capacity and I am sure that the government will be satisfied. We have invested more into the project than was originally planned. I am very pleased with our progress“, Mr. Koktur commented.
Pristina Airport believes the new terminal will also lure passengers away from using its nearest rival - Skopje Airport. “People do not want to cross the border to use Skopje Airport. It is not attractive for those in Kosovo to travel two hours to Macedonia. We are ready for any kind of competition and believe we will provide much better services than other airports in the region”, Mr. Koktur said. He added airport authorities are considering subsidising low cost airlines in order to attract more customers. Low fares have recently attracted many from Kosovo to use Skopje Airport, with the airport recently launching its own shuttle bus to Pristina.
Pristina Airport is the former Yugoslavia’s third busiest after Belgrade and Zagreb. In 2012 it handled 1.524.134 passengers and has been recording considerable growth throughout this year as well. The new terminal, which will employ fewer than 700 people, features three air bridges. Furthermore, a new control tower, apron and car park have been built as part of the project, launched when the Turkish-French operator Limak-Aéroports de Lyon took over the airport.
The only thing they need to do is to change the name of the airport. I am sorry but it is offending for Serbs, Gipsies and some Albanians.
ReplyDeleteWho cares?
DeleteSerbs and Gypsies have nothing to say in Kosovo.
The name is perfect and will stay where it is!
^ I guess the purpose of the airport's name is to provoke the anger of the Serbs.
Deleteunbelievable to name the airport after him.
ReplyDeleteVery sensitive issue to place political names on airports anyway. Best is no name or only some exceptions like Tesla in BEG or Chopin in WAW.
But nice terminal. Interesting to see that the most southern cities of ex YU, will soon have the best airport terminal infrastructure
The only thing they messed up is that they are not using glass airbridges! These ones are horrible as it feels like you are walking through an underground tunnel.
DeleteYou right they should use glassy air bridges much better, but any way that looks amazing very interesting terminal !!! New world
DeleteWell, that's still better than Zagreb, with no air-bridges AT ALL.
DeleteAs things goes, PRN will overtake ZAG very soon, trust my words. Pristina will be the second airport in ex-Yu, Zagreb is unable to even ever build a terminal but Pristina has done it already.
Delete@KosovoAugust 4, 2013 at 2:52 PM
DeleteI think almost all major airports in Ex-Yu look better than present Zagreb passenger terminal, give a take few years Zagreb will gets own star of the art 72000sqm Passenger Terminal with glass passenger boarding bridges and spanking brand new 58m tall ATC, and massive multi level 3600car underground garage of which 600 cars will be in fully automated parking system, terminal itself will be covered with 8500sqm of photo voltaic solar panels and 32 mini wind turbines will also be installed and integrated in to the roof, whole thing suppose to generate at least 10% of passanger terminal's energy needs.
Interior of the terminal will be just as spectacular with palm trees, cascading plants from top to bottom floor with artificial water falls and water feature that will be connected to outside artificial lake.
Whole thing will look out of this world once completed.
No longer will Zagreb airport be looked on as an ugly duckling, it'll be transformed in to a beautiful swan.
Forget about names, look that's amazing terminal interesting how they build sky bridges for arrivals to 2nd floor, for departures to 3rd floor!! Good job I really like it and that's huge for heavy aircrafts also.
ReplyDeleteOT:
ReplyDeleteZagreb airport as this very moment, good traffic all year around, was following Zagreb airport traffic for the past 7 months and i can see massive change on last year traffic, increased number of landings and operations.
This year I expect Zagreb to handle 2.5 million, if not 2.55 million, numbers are good.
image:
http://oi40.tinypic.com/2ilzvir.jpg
So whats now with Croatia Airlines opening flights to Moscow???
DeleteRumour or truth?
Most likely a rumour, why would Lufthansa allow this when they can funnel all passengers via MUC, FRA or TXL?
DeleteWikipedia says flights to Moscow will begin 15 August...
DeleteIt would be nice if our journalists would investigate in those things.
Yes, i especially mean Ex Yu Aviation-blog!
Don’t you think that if flights are to launch in 11 days tickets would be on sale?
DeleteI have a legitimate question and I hope people will reply with it using facts and knowledge and not nationalism.
ReplyDeleteHow realistic is it that PRN could overtake ZAG? Please take into consideration that ZAG is in the EU which might result in the shut down of OU.
Croatia Airlines' downsizing and so on... Could we see PRN in the second position?
Here in the Former Yugoslavia everything is possible!
DeleteOf course PRN could overtake ZAG or even BEG.
We can not use facts and knowledge in regard to anything future.
Also nationalism can not be ignored in a region where you go
in bed as Yugoslav and wake up in Macedonia and the next morning you wake up in Albania without ever leaving your home.
Why do you think that Turkish companies invest in airports like Prishtina or Skopje instead of Zagreb or Split that have much more potential?
Because they think they invest in a region that in a decade or so will be in some way part of a bigger Turkey.
They actually invest into themselves.
I know that is exactly the answer you did NOT want to get,
but at least it is my HONEST answer...
Why will Zagreb airport stay number two even as Croatia is now part of EU?
That is a decision made actually by Brussels:
Why build up ZAG as a hub for the whole South-Eastern Europe when the plan is for Serbia to enter EU?
Why should some airline open routes to Zagreb,when they can fly to Belgrade instead - a Belgrade that is expected to be in the EU in some years.
You see not business-people but politics make those decisions.
Politics in Brussels or Ankara but definitely not in Zagreb,Belgrade or Skopje.
Unfortunately the times of Yugoslavia are long gone ,where we were masters in our home!
@AnonymousAugust 4, 2013 at 3:33 PM
DeleteNo idea if that is possible, Pristina is important airport for Kosova, and that it'll remain, as only means for Albanian Kosovars to enter Kosova relatively easy, the other route is via Macedonia and Albania.
Can Pristina overtake Zagreb, sure, everything is possible, would Pristina overtake Zagreb, no I don't think it'll happen, Zagreb is quite important important airport in Croatia and current terminal is too small to attract many airlines due to these factors Zagreb has remained relatively stagnant and recession which has hit much of the EU and Croatia, is another factor.
But Croatia started to recover in 2nd quarter sort it has hit bottom of the recession.
Zagreb is becoming major tourist destination and city brakes destination as of late, with 17.5% yoy growth thus far.
If this growth is repeated in 2014 Zagreb will surpass its prewar figure of 1.02 million tourists and 1.75 million nights.
Considering that some 250-300 000 American/Canadian tourists visit Zagreb and Croatia each year (arriving by Air in 99% cases) 120 000 Japanese and 80 000 South Korean and now 40 000 Chinese tourists, U're looking at Zagreb potentially becoming a major tourist destination in its own right, rivaling Split and Dubrovnik eventually in terms of popularity and number of visitors. Currently Dubrovnik is getting 3.5 million tourists per year.
Zagreb can hope for these numbers but it might take a decade or two before it get near these numbers. but as a Capitol of an independent nation and center of commerce, banking and industry Zagreb is becoming major business destination as well, 53.5% of all travelers using Zagreb Airport in 2012 or 1.25 million where business travelers.
That number will only go up and when Croats start to fly more often with increasing purchasing power and now strong tourism growth, Zagreb airport will see massive growth over next coming years. For indication look at similar countries, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Greece.
I predict following traffic for Croatian airports by 2020,
Zagreb : 5.75 million
Split: 3.25 million
Dubrovnik: 3.2 million
Zadar: 870 000
Pula: 720 000
Rijeka: 250 000
Osijek: 120 000
For ex-YU
Belgrade: 6.5 million
Prishtina: 2.8 million
Ljubljana: 2.55 million
Skopje: 2.3 million
Podgorica/Tivat - 2.2 million
Sarajevo: 1.8 million
Ohrid: 200 000
Nis: 65 000
Maribor: 50 000
anonymous @ 3:33pm
ReplyDeleteThis is rather unrealistic, as we expect ZAG figures to go up. Being now a EU capital, ZAG will attract more business travel, further increase of leisure travel etc.
For PRN 3rd rank in ex YU is already excellent Position, but I guess most competition for PRN comes not from ZAG, rather from DBV or SPU.
I have the feeling out of PRN/DBV/SPU that SPU will see the most growth in the coming 10 years.
If OU will shut down others will take over. Good example are GVA and BSL. When LX left BSL and GVA with only few daily departures, Easyjet took over and is now very succesful. Same happens in ZAG. OU goes belly up, foreign carriers will step in. Especially LCC
How exactly will ZAG see more business traffic? The only route that will see more demand is Brussels.
DeleteWell one thing is true, Pristina Airport has future ahead. Dont forget that Kosovars are most isolated in Europe and to travel u need visa. If visas will be removed, than u will see another boom. Having in mind that living standart of Kosovo people is improving and Croatia with all foreign debs!!! Everything is possible??? Just look at Athene....
Deleteeconomical Facts Croatia / Kosovo
ReplyDeleteCroatia
GDP 79.69 bln USD
GDP/ca 18100 USD
Export 12.34 bln USD
Import 20.76 bln USD
Unemp 18.60 %
Kosovo
GDP 13.53 bln USD
GDP/ca 7400 USD
Export 0.41 bln USD
Import 3.30 bln USD
Unemp 45.50 %
so obviously there is still quite a big difference between Croatias and Kosovos economy
I think Kosovo airstats is mostly depending on ethnic traffic where Croatia is standing on 3 legs: leisure/business/ethnic
how quick they will grow depends all on the local reforms/development (corruption/FDI friendly environment etc)
White Elephants...
ReplyDeleteEverywhere you look.
Zoki, consider the following:
Delete1.
PRN last year had just over 1.5m pax.
2.
Limak-Aéroports de Lyon (not Lymak) have won a 20 year concession to operate PRN.
3.
If the mean annual pax growth will be 5% for the next 20 years, by the end of the concession PRN would have 4,051,941 pax.
4.
This terminal is being built for the next 20 years.
5.
Pax growth for the first half of 2013 is 15%.
6.
Limak operate SAW. Their pax growth track record speaks for themselves.
I could say more, a lot more, but I think this will suffice.
Don't speak bullshits.
ReplyDeleteZAG
2010. 2,07 millions
2011. 2,32 millions
2012. 2,34 millions
so in 3 years +0,27 millions
PRN
2010. 1,30 millions
2011. 1,42 millions
2012. 1,53 millions
in 3 years + 0,24 millions
even by tendention of 0,11 millions per year, and if ZAG will not have any growing at all, PRN needs 7 years to come to ZAG number.
belgrade should have flights to pristina
ReplyDeleteI doubt that an airline like Air Serbia will ever be allowed to touch down on Prishtina airport...
ReplyDeleteWell I actually doubt, that PRN needs more flights. Most important ones are covered (Zurich, and other emigration flights), and there is no business demand in Kosovo.
DeleteJAT Airways did made a request to start flights to Pristina some years ago. I dont know why is not happening???
DeleteGood to see the terminal will be operational soon but I have to add that I too think the name choice is very tasteless. Up until now I had no idea who Adem Jashari was and after a quick Google search you come up with some dude carrying an AK-47. Is this really how Kosovo would like to be seen by the region and the world?
ReplyDeleteAnd just for the record, I am happy that Kosovo has its independents. You cannot ignore that this is clearly what the majority who 80% happen to be Albanian want. I understand the historical ties Serbia has with the region but you cannot ignore the demographics. Stability in both Serbia and Kosovo will be insured with keeping the status quo and the sooner Serbia recognises this as painful as it seems the better it will be for Serbia.
Stability in Serbia and Kosovo has a direct link to the impressive passenger increases we are seeing at both airports which is an indication of how the economies are on the improve.
Croatia similarly had to give up it's once real ambition of at least joining Herzegovina to Croatia. I can tell you this honestly, 15 years ago I was all for it but today I see that Herzegovina is better for both Croatia and Bosnia to be where it is today apart of the federation.
'a part' of BiH I meant to say.
DeleteI respect the fact that you do not like the name of the Airport but, I am sorry to say, the Airport is in Kosovo and it is the people of this Country who decide what will the name be and not someone from abroad. Imagine if in your case, wherever you are from, someone from abroad tries to tell you you should not do this or that because if "offends" them, tell me that wouldn't seem illogical to you? I am sorry that some people find Adem Jashari's name offensive but he is a national hero in Kosovo, whether you like it not. Who know's, maybe if General Gotovina had died heroically in battle, Zagreb (or some other airport in Croatia) could hold his name in pride today. I bet Serbs would not be happy with that name either but, what do you think, would Croatians change the name of the airport just because Serbs are not OK with it?
DeleteOr let me provide an ever more illustrative example. Imagine if Macedonia simply decided to withdraw the name of SKP Airport "Alexander the Great" because Greeks have a problem with it. Did they? Of course they didn't, so why should Kosovo do it?
Don't get me wrong. Personally, I would have preferred for PRN Airport to be called "Skenderbeu" which would make a nice contrast to the Airport in Tirana which is called "Mother Theresa". In a way, it would have sent a sort of message that we, as a nation, are a force to reckon with in both war and peace. But that's that.
By the way, the author of this topic got it wrong, there are going to be 4 jet bridges in PRN not 3. The Project Manager confirmed this a few days ago on Tv.
Well Im Kosovar and myself Im not happy about the name. It was decision of PM for his electoral campaign and same time he named highway, Ibrahim Rugova. So stuppid, but hope someone will come in the future and move all these patriotic names...
DeleteYes, but that's beside the point. Whether we change the name of the Airport or not is something that we and only we will decide, no pressure from abroad the Country should effect that decision.
DeleteAs Serb i would accept to name the airport after Skanderbeg.
DeleteAt least his mother Vojislava was Serbian.
Ehm no, you are wrong. Skenderbeu's mother was called Vjosava and need I remind you, Vjosa is a river in Albania. Also, both Skenderbeu's parents were actually Albanian royalty and there is a ton of material that prove his exact origin. So, nice try, sorry you failed. In any way, even if PRN changes it's name to "Skenderbeu" (which I am in favor of) I can guarantee one thing to you, personally. It will never, I repeat never be called "Skanderbeg".
DeleteThat Croats are so keen about Kosovo independence is really no surprise.
ReplyDeleteWhatever is bad for Serbia will get their approval.
Good article! Please suggest me something for my Gatwick Parking
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know when the new terminal will be in operation?
ReplyDeleteThats great to hear about pristina airport completion . do they have secure parking like airport parking gatwick
ReplyDeletethe huge scale of construction is quite interesting, the effort will make it worthwhile. cheap gatwick parking
ReplyDelete