Tuzla Airport will open its much-awaited and delayed expanded terminal building this May. All construction work on the facility, worth over three million euros, has now been completed. The new structure is joined with the existing terminal, forming a single functioning unit. "We are currently undertaking interior work inside the terminal. I hope it will be completed in April so we can officially open the building at the end of the month or in early May", the airport's General Manager, Rifet Karasalihović, said. He added, "Our intention was for the terminal to have the ability to handle two Airbus A320 aircraft at the same time, and this has now been achieved. It is true that the arrivals hall remains small. Therefore, after completing this project, we will look into building another gate to improve passenger flow".
The airport's terminal has now been expanded from 2.971 square metres to 4.915 square metres. The added capacity will enable it to handle 800 passengers per hour, up from 400. The reconstruction and expansion of the passenger terminal has increased its capacity to 700.000 travellers per year. The facility will now have the ability to handle 400 departing passengers and a further 400 on arrival at the same time. "Within the next five to six years this capacity will become insufficient. I am certain the building will be expanded in the future to cater for increased demand", Mr Karasalihović said. Tuzla Airport anticipates handling up to 624.000 passengers in 2019.
Tuzla Airport's next project will involve the construction of an atrium spreading over 900 square metres, which will house rent-a-car offices, shops and tour operators. A sewage network with a wastewater treatment plant will also be built. Tuzla Airport recently commenced talks with low cost carrier Wizz Air over a new four-year agreement which would see the airline serve Bosnia and Herzegovina's third largest city until at least 2023. The existing four-year deal will expire in November. Wizz Air's CEO, Jozsef Varadi, recently said, "I think it is in the interest of Tuzla and the region to see our continuous operations and them improving their infrastructure. I'm pretty sure Tuzla Airport will be business-minded in that regard".
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| Tuzla Airport atrium project |
Now if only they could do something to fix their crashing passenger numbers.
ReplyDeleteNumbers will probably pick up this April. Winter was a problem because Wizz Air made 4 routes seasonal.
DeleteYes but will they pick up or will they stagnate as those routes were operated last year as well.
DeleteYes we will see how things go. This month will be the real test.
DeleteNot too bad! 2 aircraft means 360 pax approx. i.e. 700 passengers at once.
ReplyDeleteFor the airport, the size of TZL and the figures, it is really okay.
Anyway, if the contract expires in 2023, then TZL must find new routes and take advantage to promote the airport.
There will be an average of 6-7 daily flights with the new VIE-TZL ones already appearing.
https://www.tuzla-airport.ba/en/red-letenja/
Finally! It was supposed to open last May!
ReplyDeleteActually it was supposed to be January 2018. The project deadline was just 105 days. They started construction in late September 2017.
DeleteMuch earlier than January. It was supposed to be open in 2017.
Delete"Tuzla Airport is to begin work on expanding its terminal building in the coming days as it prepares for further passenger growth next year. "
OCTOBER 31, 2016
Visionary project. They expect 620,000 passengers this year but their new capacity will be 700,000.
ReplyDeleteStart of the year was pretty tough, I don't think they'll make it to 600.000 ... at least not this year.
DeleteWhy are things taking so long to do in Tuzla? They still haven't finished the approach lights, terminal is over a year late... what's going on?
ReplyDeleteLack of funds? Lack of vision?
DeleteThe management is extremely unprofessional and has done little of what it has promised. First of all plans to put into use approach light at the airport has not been completed, the expansion of the terminal was scheduled to be finished years ago and there were numerous promises that a second airline would start flying to Tuzla and nothing has happened.
DeleteCompletely agree with the comment above. Politically appointed management is one of the reasons everything takes so long.
DeleteNo wonder Varadi talks about the need of improving infrastructure.
ReplyDeleteI think approach lights are one of their main conditions, and they still haven't been installed.
Delete"I think it is in the interest of Tuzla and the region to see our continuous operations and them improving their infrastructure. I'm pretty sure Tuzla Airport will be business-minded in that regard".
ReplyDeleteIs it just me or does this sound like a threat :D
So there is a chance W6 might base a third plane in TZL this winter?
ReplyDeleteI doubt they will do it winter. Operations in TZL are tricky during winter time. Maybe next summer.
DeleteIs Tuzla canton still subsidizing flights?
DeleteYes. Wizz Air doesn't pay anything to the airport - all costs are covered by Tuzla Canton.
DeleteApron in Tuzla is too small to handle 3 airplanes parked at the same time, even with this expansion, 3 flights that would depart in the same hour might be an overstretch. As it says - 400 departing, 400 arriving, just a slightly more than 2 full A320’s.
DeleteWhat exactly would they do with the third A320? I think they are running out of places to expand.
DeleteThere are a few more places - gasto cities, they could start. Paris being one of them.
DeleteThey could open new destinations from Banja Luka with the third plane. For example to Basel.
DeleteRyanair does not even fly to Switzerland - this is Wizz last chance.
Nice looking one but the question is how functional it will be.
ReplyDeleteBravo Tuzla!
ReplyDeleteI like how they completely changed the exterior of the building which used to look like a shed. Looks good now.
ReplyDeleteAgree. Looks much better now, both inside and out.
DeleteWell done Tuzla! This airport does not get enough credit for the results it has achieved over the past few years.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAirport has little credit here, it's the local politicians we should be thanking and congratulating.
DeleteLooks good. I like it.
ReplyDeleteThey should have built a new terminal.
ReplyDeleteToo expensive. This is fine for now.
DeleteWizz Air should start Tuzla-Beauvais flights. There are no flights between BiH and France
ReplyDeleteThe airport mentioned Hamburg, Paris Beauvais and Milan as possible new routes in the past.
Deletego tuzla!
ReplyDeleteWon't the summer AYT charters starting in June affect the congestion of the airport?
ReplyDeleteFreebird Airlines has an A320 with 180 seats, which is also quite a lot.
They have had those for years so it's not going to be more congested than it was last year.
DeleteNice to see that Sarajevo and Tuzla are expanding.
ReplyDeleteBNX should be next especially if they keep on expanding the way they do. Current facilities are not the best.
DeleteWill they expand the apron too? They will have to if Wizz wants to base a third plane.
ReplyDeleteNo plans for it, it seems.
DeleteThen we won't see Wizz base third plane.
DeleteWhen do the subsidies run out? Let's see if they manage to turn some routes into self-sustaining businesses like they did in SKP. Otherwise TZL will become an extremely expensive project sandwiched between BNX, OSI and SJJ.
ReplyDeleteThey run out when the current contract runs out. In November.
Deleteis that the contract they are re-negotiating now?
DeleteYep
DeleteGood improvements
ReplyDeleteThe atrium will be a nice addition.
ReplyDeleteIt will probably take them ten years to complete.
DeleteLol probably
DeleteThey should give the airport up for concession.
ReplyDeleteWeren't the Turks interested?
DeleteIs there posibillity that Wizz air leaves TZL due to new contract because I thought that after 5 year there is no need to subvention flights anymore?
ReplyDeleteSince they are negotiating a new deal it seems that most of the routes can't survive on their own. I guess we will know after summer. Wizz Air isn't doing that well in this region of ex-YU especially since they are shutting own BSL-OSI :(
DeleteThey are opening 9 new routes from ex-Yu this summer. Just because they shut down one route does not mean they are not doing well in the region. In fact, as an LCC they shut down routes immediately if they are undeperforming, which means LF under 90%. Considering the scope of their ex-Yu network, I would say they are doing rather well.
DeleteWizzair is a wonderful airline. Cheap flights but new aircraft. The only negative is they are ignoring important markets like Belgrade, Zagreb or Banja Luka.
DeleteWizz ignores BEG where they have base with 2 planes?
DeleteBEG - expensive + JU protection
DeleteBHX - now FR territory. W6 too late
ZAG - very expensive
What, forgot to add protection at ZAG?????? ZAG = protectionism against Ryan, Wizz and Easy.
DeleteZAG is actually after 3-5 star airlines because of its image and is unlikely to talk with Wizz. One can easily tell from the type of airlines they negotiate with - EK, KE, AC, IB, etc. This is their choice, we can't interfere here.
DeleteThe only airport in the world with such a business model. Of course what you say is comoletely false.
DeleteWhy is it wrong? Do you think that the management doesn't know about the presence of low-cost carriers? They just don't want to.
DeletePlease stop with the nonsense.
DeleteAC doesn't fly to ZAG, Rouge does which is basically a Canadian long-haul version of Ryanair. I wouldn't give them more than 2 stars. So if we follow your logic ZAG should chase them out.
DeleteIma boljih motela u okolini od terminala.
Delete