The first phase of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport’s expansion has begun with a new bus gate under construction to ease capacity constraints which may arise from the upcoming expansion and reconstruction of the integrated terminal buildings. Preparatory work, which commenced in February 2019, is ongoing. The expansion of the airport’s departures area, expected this summer, will likely result in the closure of some its C concourse gates. As a result, it is currently in the process of building a new bus gate on its ground floor, with the capacity to handle 140 passengers. “Construction is expected to be completed during the spring of 2020. This new gate will serve as spare capacity for travellers until the expansion of the terminal is completed, so as to ensure the uninterrupted flow of passengers and their comfort”, the state-run Belgrade Airport company, which is overseeing and monitoring the airport’s 25-year concession, told the “eKapija” portal. Belgrade Airport currently has three bus gates.
Belgrade Airport noted, “The entire modernisation, reconstruction and expansion project aims to elevate the passenger experience. The majority of the upgrades will take place within the next five years, including, among other things, the expansion of the terminal by 42.000 square metres, the construction of a 3.500 metre inserted runway, nine new taxiways, rapid exit taxiways, a 55.000 square metre apron, while the existing one will be overhauled and expanded, a new 6.200 metre de-icing platform, a new 2.400 capacity car park, as well as new access roads”. The plan also foresees the overhaul of the existing control tower and its repurposing once construction of the new control tower is completed. The inserted runway will be built parallel to the existing runway and used during the latter’s reconstruction. Once the overhaul of the existing runway is completed the inserted version will be used as a taxiway, as well as for take offs and landings if required.
Greek construction and real-estate conglomerate GEK Terna, which is heading the project jointly with operator VINCI said, “The project scope includes a series of infrastructure overhauls, aiming to develop and upgrade the airport's capacity and operating conditions, in order to enable airlines to offer new routes and increase passenger and cargo traffic in line with Serbia's economic growth, based on current and future data”. The expansion project is valued at 262 million euros. The manager of the construction site, Edouard Boronkay, recently said he expects all of the planned work to be completed on time, by 2025.
Good that they are building a bus gate before they start closing the jet bridge gates.
ReplyDeleteThe view from the C6 gate (this photo was recently posted on another forum)
ReplyDeletehttps://i.postimg.cc/B65fBBS4/IMG-20200208-132941.jpg
So that's where C concourse will continue.
DeleteObviously, where else can it continue. They will do the same with the A gates on the other side.
DeleteYes there is a lot of activity. I was at the airport earlier this week and they have already installed a crane too.
DeleteI guess the 'landing strip' in the middle is where the terminal building will expand over, they'll probably make it all the way to the road in front of the parking positions.
DeleteI guess ATRs will be moved to the B platform, I think there are 11 parking positions there, more than enough for JU and Wizz Air.
there are 7 positions on B platform, one is occupied during winter for snow services
DeleteB1 is whee the government jet sits. Other positions are also used by cargo jets that arrive every day. They will definitely need to expand remote stand parking.
DeleteCharter flights are being moved to earlier morning slots so there is enough gate space during the regular morning wave.
DeleteI booked a flight to AYT and we take off at 04.55!
DeleteThat was my comment, don't know why it posted as Unknown.
DeleteYep first departures for charters have been moved from 4.00-5.00 at airport's request.
Delete04.00 departure is brutal but then again people are going for holidays so it gives them a whole day at their final destination. I noticed that this summer there are many summer packages for Cyprus with JU. One of our employees is going there in June, flying on JU, staying in Agia Napa (I think for a whole week) and is paying something like €300!
Delete7 days? Is this something new in Serbia, normally they have 10 days packages.
DeleteMost have discontinued 10 day packages. Now you pick between 7 and 14.
DeleteIf the bus gate can take up to 140 people then I assume it will be used for JU charters? B733 and A319 have 144 seats.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know the capacity of A4a and A4b? They seem quite small downstairs.
They are small because they only ever board ATRs from there.
DeleteWhere will they put the bus gate?
ReplyDeletehttps://i.imgur.com/v3v9dDp.png
That picture is from the A section of the terminal, bus gate will go on the left, in the gray zone. My guess is where the VIP terminal is right now.
DeleteI also think it might go to the left because they have been moving airlines from their offices located on the very far left of T2 on the ground floor.
DeleteSo JU, LH and its children, SU, QR and TK had to move?
DeleteAs far as I'm aware QR moved a long time ago to the hallway connecting T1 and T2. I think there is (or was) a Wizz Air crew centre over there and as you say TK and SU.
DeleteJU station manager was also moved, now they have a nice new office in the middle of the check-in terminal, right next to YM and Комерцијална банка. Much better than what they had before.
DeleteNew bus gate will be built under A7 and A8 gates.
DeleteOk thanks. So it should be where I put that question mark on the map. What is there at the moment? Spare space?
DeleteIf they are going to put it there (A7-8) then it means they will have to kick out foremen out of their offices. I wonder where those guys will go? Across the tarmac where the cleaning services are or next to them where buses are parked? So many questions yet so few answers. No bueno Vinci.
DeleteCan someone tell me what used to be where the A bus gates are? Someone told me this used to be for area for domestic flights but I'm not so sure.
DeleteIf you are referring to A4a and A4b, the space where they are today used to be part of the luggage sorting facility for departing passengers.
DeleteI read in another article that now they expect 15 million passengers by the time the reconstruction of the whole airport is completed. They increased their forecast from 12 million. I guess advance bookings are good and airlines flying there are optimistic.
ReplyDeleteJust yesterday someone wrote that Belavia will upgauge BEG from CRJ to E75 from April and May.
Makes sense they are revising their forecast. Look how much extra movement they are going to have even before the summer growth:
DeleteFrom April
BEG-MXP 7 to 8
BEG-ATH 7 to 9
BEG-SKP 6 to 8
BEG-SKG 5 to 7
BEG-TIA 6 to 11
BEG-LJU 12 to 17
Last April BEG had 467,469 (+4.4%) passengers, this year they are almost certainly going over 500.000!
From 26.04 ATH goes to 10 weekly. Double daily from June.
DeleteWhat about the train station connecting the airport to the city centre? Also what happens with the second runway? If the traffic reaches 12 million it will be a problem.
ReplyDeleteTrain connection is up to the government to build. They said they would and it would apparently be underground.
DeleteWell they are going ahead with the brilliant inserted runway project so that's that.
DeleteAlso the plan is for Belgrade metro (whenever that miracle happens) to be extended to the airport. It's supposed to be the green line that goes over Ledine, New Belgrade and then all the way to Zvezdara through Vukov Spomenik and Bulevar kralja Aleksandra.
Current terminal capacity is 7 million, a number Belgrade will easily reach this year. It's good that they are at least doing something to ease the pain until terminal capacity is fully expanded.
ReplyDeleteBEG has really come a long way over the past few years. It's also nice to see JU grow and expand into new markets previously unserved.
Would be nice to get a third daily in summer on LH from FRA and for MUC to have triple daily year-round.
ReplyDeleteBravo Serbia!
ReplyDeleteBravo France!
Bravo Greece!
You covered them all! :D
DeleteFinally.
ReplyDeleteWas there no space for a second runway?
ReplyDeleteDoes it even need one?
DeleteBEG has ambitions to become a major regional player so it might not need it today but tomorrow anything can happen. ;)
DeleteAn airport hotel is far more necessary for the development of BEG than an extra runway.
DeleteYou sure? A new runway brings more flights that bring more peole to the hotel
DeleteLOL Anon at 10:10
DeleteNo, a second runway does not bring in more flights.
Demand from passengers brings it.
A second runway to an airport that has traffic under 20 million pax only brings added costs to the airlines that operate in it and makes tickets more expensive.
What are you basing on your 20 million argument? Are you saying OTP, PRG, WAW... are not utilizing their second runway and that it's only an expense for them? I would love to see the numbers you are basing your argument on.
DeleteDifference between utilization and necessity is know to you?
DeletePovecanje kapaciteta za odledjivanje aviona je izuzetno vazan jer je i ove zime primetno veliko kasnjenje cim udari jaci minus a obim saobracaja je sve veci.
ReplyDeleteSo the C gate (T2) expansion is happening first.
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteWill be interesting to see what kind of plans they have and if they will also have gates on the other side of the terminal building like in that design.
DeletePutting gates on both sides of the C concourse would actually be very smart.There is more than enough space. I hope they adopt this idea.
Delete+1
Deletethat's the area where there is some parking at the moment. I think taxi parking?
Yes, taxis are there.
DeleteGood to see things moving forward.
ReplyDeleteThis is much needed. Air Serbia is expanding and so are foreign carriers. During early morning wave and evening hours the terminals are overcrowded.
ReplyDeleteNo hotel is in their plans?
ReplyDeleteThere is in the masterplan posted some time ago as well as a whole zone for commercial buildings
Deletehttps://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lA8e2n3dipo/XiIXn_FH24I/AAAAAAAAwWU/VaJ0tf9d9kgHJpnQu8QaFLcK08U_vn4NwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Aerodrom-Nikola-Tesla-PDR%2Bnamena01.jpg
Hotel is never developed by the airport operator. They give land and then the chosen hotel chain builds it.
DeleteThat inserted runway is a waste of money.
ReplyDeleteIt's not a waste of money. What would you rather? For the airport to close while they reconstruct the main runway. Because it would have to close. It is something that can't be done during night time because the runway needs serious repairs. Even Vlaisavljevic who is being credited here by some in the comments as some sort of aviation expert (although he is far from it) said years ago they would have to move to Batajnica to do the runway repair.
DeleteThey need to build a separate independent runway at least within a clearing distance of this one so they can be used simultaneously in the future.
DeleteUnless you are having 40 million passengers a year, 1 runway is enough.
DeleteAthens, Vienna, Bucharest, Prague... all have less than 40 million yet they have two runways so you make a wrong statement
Deletethere is a difference between "have" and "need"
DeleteIs that your expert opinion?
DeleteAnd what happens when the airport reaches 20, 30, 40 million and there is no more room around to build it? Or you honestly think Serbia is that organized to plan that much in advance? Seems like the airport will keep on growing so my wait and increase risk of not having where to build it?
DeleteBecause it probably won't happen in the next 24 yrs while Vinci is running the airport and they probably couldn't care less what happens with the airport once they are gone.
DeleteWell then it shouldn't be them who build it but rather the government, after all they are the actual owners of BEG and the land on which it sits.
DeleteI’m quite skeptical as there’s no official plan of the expansion, but I hope they expand it a lot since it looks like it will hit 12 million or maybe even more in 5 years time.
ReplyDeleteOf course there are official plans. They just didn't give them to you.
DeleteThe detailed regulation plan has been on display for months at the Surcin municipality building. You could have even been involved in the public debate about it.
DeleteThere's no way it will hit 12 million in 5 years. Growth of 1 million per year is pretty much impossible
DeleteCan't wait
ReplyDeleteThe 42.000 m2 they plan to build is bigger than the current terminal.
ReplyDeleteWhich means both A and C areas will be considerably expanded.
DeleteYep
DeleteThey are moving GA from where it is now, that will give them a lot of extra space for expansion.
DeleteIt is true. Current terminal is 33,000 sqm. So this is a significant expansion.
DeleteU tih 42000 m2 spada i povrsina iznad postojecih terminala tj. jos jedan sprat se gradi radi razdvajanja odlaznih i dolaznih putnika.
DeleteLooking forward to a nice and modern look.
ReplyDeleteI think the main thing that needs to be done is reconstruct the runway and I'm glad it will be done in the first five years.
ReplyDeleteBring more new airlines.
ReplyDeleteYes please.
DeleteReally think that TAP will be coming back to give it another try, given the Vinci connection and the success of recently launched Iberian flights :)
DeleteThe scale of things they will do in the first 5 years is large even though people don't understand. First they will build an inserted runway, reconstruct existing runway, add 5 new A gates, build supporting infrastructure like administrative buildings, make a new taxiway system and build new taxiways. From what I hear B gates apron will also be extended and improved and the C gates will be extended to the point that it is like a brand new terminal.
ReplyDeleteGood luck BEG.
ReplyDeleteWill they finally separate arriving and departing passengers?
ReplyDeleteYes, this is very important.
DeleteWhy? There are many airport around the world where they are not separated.
DeleteSuch as?
DeleteSingapore Changi to name one. It had 68,3 million passengers last year and is considered on of the best airports in the world. No separation of arriving and departing passengers and like in Belgrade they do the security check at the gate.
DeleteKuala Lumpur also doesn't separate arriving and departing passengers, and handled 62.3 million in 2019.
DeleteI think majority of Schengen zone airports have mixed incoming & departing passengers.
DeleteWhen people talk about that they often just want centralized security. Those are 2 different topics.
Jos jedan dobar razlog da se obilazi ANTB i sa uzivanjem posmatra gtradnju, dogradnju i modifikaciju terminala i ostalih objekata. Svima koji iskreno vole ovaj aerodrom i iscekivali pocetak radova, sada je doslo vreme. Do izgradnje terase za posmatranje saobracaja (onlookers platform). Iskreno sam kao i mnogi, ocekivao Treci Terminal i ("neumetnu") pistu. Ipak iskreno aerodrom ce biti
ReplyDeleteNeprepoznatljiv. To je dovoljno za optimizam licnu radost.
Za tri sedmice na letu za Sydney, sa zadovoljstvom cu se prosetati oko i kroz terminale koje iskreno volim. Na kojima sam prisutan vec 50 godina. Serbia on the move! We love you. 🛫🇷🇸🛫🇫🇷🛫🇦🇺🛫😀🛫🌞🛫...
Rodney Marinkovic and Aviation Enthusiast Association. 🛫
Has SMATSA started building the new tower yet? They said they would start right after the new Year.
ReplyDeleteWell first quarter actually
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2019/12/construction-of-new-belgrade-control.html
Not yet as far as I'm aware.
DeleteHopefully Government will finally publish the concession Agreement
ReplyDeleteTruth be told no one cares about it like few cared about the JU one. If Vinci does its job right then who cares.
DeleteIt would be interesting to see in the contract if Nis has been limited in terms of passenger numbers.
DeleteI think it was reported that they are only going to limit INI if it directly affects BEG growth. Since that doesn't seem to be the case there is no reason to put any limitations at INI. Anyway, it's not like airlines are lining up to launch INI flights. Getting to 700.000 would be a miracle given where they were just a few years ago.
DeleteThis gate can also be used by OS which sends the Q400 on the overnight flight. No need to give them a regular gate in the morning, they can be parked on the B platform with the rest.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I hear Wizz will be parked at B platform as well.
DeleteOuch, that's bad. Is BEG trying to drive them out of the airport?
DeleteWell they are an LCC. It is logical they use a bud gate. There are very few airports where they use jet bridges.
DeleteWhy drive them out? They don't pay for gate usage, so there's no obligation to provide them with one.
DeletePersonally I like those remote stands, especially in summer in the morning. Maybe they will move those 'barake' opposite B platform and build another row or parking stands?
DeleteThe joint venture between Vinci and Terna has its own website as well but it is still under construction.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.vinci-terna-jv.com/
I assume it will be activated when T2 expansion begins. Belgrade Waterfront does a good job on its website with contant construction updates, drone footage, photos. Hoping for the same here.
DeleteBig project. Congrats
ReplyDeleteAny plans to organise security check at one point instead of at each gate?
ReplyDeleteIn general some reorganisation of passport control is needed as the ques are huge.
What's the point? If they had security at one point then you would have huge ques there and then people would have to go through second security at the gate anyway because arriving/departing passengers are not separated. They had this at BEG before and then removed the first security screening a few years ago because it was just taking up space.
DeleteYou do security just when you enter the zone from outside. If someone is in transit he/she had a check already at home airport. Arraving passengers are not checked anyway, so I don't see the link.
DeleteHaving one check is easier to organise, you need less equipment and stuff and for passenger it's just one big quee and waiting is 5-10 mins max.
I live in Bruxelles and that's how it is done exactly and I wait less then in Belgrade.
Amsterdam is the same.
Yes, because AMS and BRU fall under One Stop Security arrangement (EU, Canada, UK, US, Singapore). As BEG has arrivals mixing from non-OSS countries (Turkey or Russia), then area would not be considered sterile and security checks would have to be performed at each gate. As they are being undertaken today. Separating passengers by adding another arrival level (building one) would actually create one Transfer Point Security Search. It will be interesting to see how BEG will create one. Also, it would be nice to have Serbia sign the same agreement, in order to have arrivals from BEG landing in OSS terminals in mentioned countries, passenger having faster connection times, etc.
DeleteYou do security just when you enter the zone from outside. If someone is in transit he/she had a check already at home airport. Arraving passengers are not checked anyway, so I don't see the link.
ReplyDeleteHaving one check is easier to organise, you need less equipment and stuff and for passenger it's just one big quee and waiting is 5-10 mins max.
I live in Bruxelles and that's how it is done exactly and I wait less then in Belgrade.
Amsterdam is the same.
In my opinion they need to refurbish A6 to A10, especially the toilets downstairs, they are disgusting and stink. Also those blue tiles are vile and really outdated, remind me of some bus station toilets in rural Serbia.
ReplyDeleteAlso, maybe it's time to consider introducing another bus line to the airport. Line 72 goes to Zeleni Venac but one that takes the highway to the city and that goes in a different direction would be great. It takes forever to pass Bezanija and Novi Beograd.
@NEMJEE Does it happen to know which company has taken over the south wing expansion in Athens airport? Is it the same with BEG airport? Thanks in advance for your help.
DeleteNot only that but they've actually downgraded the timetable and equipment on the route.
DeleteInstead of 20 min. now it's every 30-40 min. with solo buses.
Sorry, I do not know that Bel Cielo. I do know that Terna will be building a new airport in Crete which will be run by Fraport.
DeleteDid they announce full charter schedulle?
ReplyDeleteI would have liked to see a more visionary approach to rail transportation to/from the BEG. Vinci and the government could have cooperated with the new high speed rail line being built between Beograd and Budapest. By this I mean there could have been a station at the airport on this HSR Line. With a station entrance in the main lobby area of Terminal 2 or in a future new Terminal. With passengers having the option of after arriving at BEG to walk down to the train station located underground just below the terminal, sit on a local train, either BG voz/Beovoz, and head for all points in Beograd, or even continue on to Pančevo for example. Or board an international train south for Niš, Skopje, or north for Novi Sad, Subotica, Szeged, or even Budapest.
ReplyDeleteThis is how it is at Schiphol, and at other major European airports. I realize this would be a major expense, but it is what is refereed to as a one in a lifetime endeavour, or once in 100 year long term investment.
Anyway, just my thoughts. It would be great if there is any kind of rail service to the airport some day. Cheers!
Absolutely my thoughts.
DeleteWould be nice.
DeleteYou guys crack me up every time. It's very simple. New bus gates are needed to evacuate current C7-C10 remote stands so that first phase of C concourse extension can be built. That phase will extend from current C6 gate to approx where C10 stand is right now, or approx up to number 92 on this picture:
ReplyDeletesource: beobuild.com
https://i.postimg.cc/x9FhrDCC/terminakapacitetiant.jpg
The rest of that C concourse (left of number 92) will most likely be built in some later phase.
Beobuild has more recent photo of the current state of construction:
Source:beobuild.com
https://i.postimg.cc/SRBYDgZz/IMG-20200218-133504.jpg
beobuild.rs, not .com
DeleteWhose cracking you up?
Deleteyou guys.
DeleteAnd what is so funny that cracks you up? As if someone here claimed something else than what you wrote. Even the link you provided was put up as the second comment.
DeletePeople making airport suggestions are funny. It doesn''t matter if ideas are good or bad. They still think they can influence the outcome. Deal has been done long time ago. It's sealed and locked, no one will look at comments to introduce new changes. We can just observe what is being built and at what pace.
DeleteWell, it's an aviation portal, it's only normal (even expected?) for people to give their opinion and to discuss what is being done and what should be done when it comes to Serbian aviation.
DeleteSure, but if one's opinion is that A380 is a perfect aircraft for Montenegro Airlines or that Air Serbia should start flights to Tahiti, that person would be ridiculed here. Well, suggesting new ideas about Belgrade airport concession at this point in time is at the same level of ridiculousness.
DeleteDon't know, I don't agree with your comment on the expansion. Just because Vinci is building something doesn't mean that's it for BEG. As long as people are realistic in their proposals I think it's fine. After all, why should we limit ourselves in such a way thus preventing an interesting discussion from happening. How often do we discuss on here purely hypothetical things, BEG's expansion is no different. Who wants to discuss such things can, who doesn't want to can simply move on. :)
DeleteLets hope there will be no new delays with JU, like in 2019 during the terminal expansion.
ReplyDeleteThis will be essential for the new routes..
true dat.
DeleteMany things need fixing at BEG, starting with bitchy employees, especially gate agents.
DeleteYes, Vinci must spend time on them - training, good salary, fruit and good vibes.
DeleteFraport did this with its siblings and the same can be done with Vinci.
As we can see BEG stands in a prestigious airport placing:
https://www.vinci-airports.com/fr/nos-aeroports-dans-le-monde
In the map, it is only BEG in Eastern Europe, which is a story.
RTS had a story on the redevelopment plans at the airport in it's Koridori program - https://youtu.be/XCzu7K6Kxek
ReplyDeleteBelgrade could be a popular destination for a w/e visit but no way (for me at least) until they build a rail link. More convenient and cheaper places to chose from.
ReplyDeleteThis is nonsense, taxi from airport to city center is ~16eur, that is quite affordable. You will pay for bus tickets more in some cities. For sure this is not deal breaker for any visits.
DeleteRail link is good thing, should be done in incoming years, but its not "emergency" thing. Especially considering that at the moment there is no railway network to connect to :)
I think taxi can be even cheaper than €16 depending on where you go in the city. Also there are two bus links with the city, one €2, other €4.
DeleteBelgrade can try the Sofia or Vilnius models. In Vilnuis you pay 0,70€ from the airport to the centre by rail and in Sofia it is 0,80€ by metro to the centre. There are solutions for Belgrade too, on my opinion.
DeletePlan is to eventually build a metro line to the airport.
DeleteYes it can be cheaper then 16e depending of destination & ways you order taxi.
Delete16e (1800rsd) is rate to city center with official airport voucher. You arrive, go to counter at airport and get voucher. Most tourist will go this way. And that is quite affordable comparing to many other capital cities across Europe. I've seen just very few of them being slightly cheaper (without possible addition of hassle with driver insisting for tips of 20% in some of them ;)
Nice to see that they have found a solution to the taxi problem, Belgrade is slowly fixing one by one problem. I think the best is yet to come and 2019 was the proof of that.
DeleteYes, taxi service at BEG is now much better comparing to few years ago.
DeleteIt's still not perfect, there is room for improvement on complete experience.
Guys, these are just brilliant developments. Congrats to Belgrade!
ReplyDeleteFinally good news Belgrade needs a world class airport because it is a world class city ....go there every year n bought a apartment there, another thing should be no smoking anywhere inside
ReplyDelete