The multi million euro expansion of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is continuing despite the ongoing coronavirus Covid-19 health crisis which has had a significant effect on the airport’s passenger numbers and revenue. Despite a state of emergency being imposed in Serbia and the introduction of a state-wide curfew, the Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabić, noted that all ongoing infrastructure projects are progressing according to schedule and that there would be no delays or work stoppages. According to Ms Brnabić, passenger traffic at Serbia's two main airports, in Belgrade and Niš, has halved since the beginning of 2020, due to the coronavirus outbreak and the suspension of numerous flights. It follows on from a record January.
Currently, work is being carried out on the expansion of the airport’s Terminal 2 building. Construction is being carried out on the extension of the C concourse gates, which will feature additional jet bridges. The airport’s two integrated terminals will be expanded by 42.000 square metres. Furthermore, the airport is also currently in the process of building a new bus gate on its ground floor, with the capacity to handle 140 passengers. The initial aim of the additional gate was to alleviate capacity constraints due to the closure of other gates during the construction processes. The expansion project is valued at 262 million euros.
Work has also begun on expanding the arrivals area, as well as the arrivals public hall. In addition, the construction of Belgrade Airport’s new control tower began recently. Valued at 17.5 million euros, the project involves a new 75-metre, four-level, control tower located next to the existing air traffic control centre. A two-level flight control centre will also be built at the base of the tower and linked to the air traffic control centre. The facility will be built over an area of 7.500 square metres. The existing control tower at Belgrade Airport, built in 1962, will be closed and repurposed following the completion of the new facility in a year’s time.
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| Arrivals area expansion in progress |
Bravo Vinci!
ReplyDeleteBravo!
DeleteI think the virus saved them from having a total operational meltdown this summer, they were definitely not ready to handle all the traffic that was announced. BEG also struggles with finding enough employees to work there from what I heard.
ReplyDeleteHopefully all this blows over soon so that life can go back to normal. Will be interesting to see how long it takes for them to start recovering. I think it will depend on what Serbian tourists do and if they don't cancel their summer trips.
Nemjee, do you maybe know whether BEG plans to separate arriving and departing pax. Do they plan to build an extra floor above the current gates?
DeleteYour point about them needing workers is completely true. Recently ive been seeing a bunch of hiring ads on instagram of all places
DeleteAnon 09.33
DeleteSorry I don't know but logically speaking I doubt it will happen soon. I think this C-gates extension was a necessity because they saw how constrained the airport was. I mean this summer, if there was no virus, there wouldn't be enough gates for everyone during the busy periods of the day.
Anon 11.42
Indeed and they put some fancy titles for simple positions like cleaning of foremen. I was told by some BEG employees that people are leaving because of low salaries and bad work environment.
Good to see construction is ongoing.
ReplyDeleteAt least some positive news in a sea of negativity.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame they don't produce some render so we can see what it will look like.
ReplyDeleteThis is was the C expansion was supposed to look like before the concession
Deletehttps://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UnUrbUTurLk/Vnhflv46NtI/AAAAAAAAUyY/i1ZVSyiHePw/s1600/bgfuture.gif
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VgI9d0Hdrdc/VctfxQt9nhI/AAAAAAAAS4w/pJ4QCt7H70o/s1600/begfuture.jpg
DeleteThere is a whole video on how that expansion was supposed to look like
Deletehttps://youtu.be/j_gqh3Tl95o
And they planned to build that in 9 months.
DeleteI'm curious to know if they will put jet bridges on the other side of the building as well, towards the access road? Anyone know?
ReplyDeleteI doubt it. At least not at this stage.
DeleteYes, they will.
DeleteAnd when is work on C concourse gonna be finished?
ReplyDeleteI doubt before the next summer season
DeleteNice to see this activity. This dark period will pass and soon airports will be busy again.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to a nice and modern look.
ReplyDeleteSame. And a clean and airy structural design.
DeleteThe C hall will become quite long. Hope they put in moving escalators.
ReplyDeleteYou mean a moving walkway?
DeleteDon't think so since the area is not that wide, they can't make it wider because of a road that's right next to the terminal, that's the one that takes you from the departures hall to the highway.
DeletePerhaps they can build over that access road if necessary.
DeleteI wonder if it might be tight because of buses, that area is really not that high. I noticed they put a billboard with information on the construction of a new arrivals hall. I have a feeling it will be moved closer to where C5 and C6 are today freeing that whole area for an expansion. They already started digging where the western side of the lower parking lot is.
DeleteWill be interesting to see what becomes of BEG in the end.
Charlie&Nemjee - you have been here for years. We discussed this less than a month ago. Did you not see this:
Deletehttps://i.postimg.cc/x9FhrDCC/terminakapacitetiant.jpg
http://www.beobuild.rs/forum/download/file.php?id=87456
source: beobuild.com
Current expanasion is only a first phase. Plans indicate another expansion at some later date. End of Concourse C will be far from the terminal and moving walkway is almost certain. It doesn't take a lot of space and it can move at high speed over a long distance.
Hi anon @16:54, thanks. Yes I did see those drawings from Beobuild. (They really do great work). And yes, I would hope that they do plan on including a walkway, it will be a good walk to the last gate.
DeleteGreat to see BEG expanding and therefore anticipating more growth in the coming years. I really think airport development (especially BEG) should be a national economic priority for Serbia.
I think that after this expansion of C gates, in the next 5-7 years a new terminal will be needed.
I remember that as well but what we don't know is how and in what way the project will advance and develop. That's what will be interesting to find out. Looking at that project it's almost certain airbridges will go on both sides of the new C-terminal expansion. Personally I think that's great. Let's see in how many phases they achieve this.
DeleteAnd when will the runway reconstruction start?
ReplyDeleteWhen they build the inserted runway.
DeleteAnd when might that be. Any timeframe?
DeleteThey said they would start work relatively soon.
DeleteThe entire area around the airport is one big construction site.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if people have seen this. This is the bid that was submitted by Zurich Airport during the concession tender. I think VINCI has similar plans
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pqx5VLH3C8
This looks really good.
DeleteGood luck BEG.
ReplyDeletehope they will refurbish the whole t1
ReplyDeleteT1 was refurbished a year ago and it looks good. The only thing left are the remaining A gates.
DeleteWhat about a viewing gallery?
ReplyDeleteBravo Srbija!
ReplyDeleteI still hope that Vinci will already start negotiating new non-JU routes.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Terna website, the runway will be 3,5km!! Nothing is mentioned about the second one:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.terna.gr/en/activities/infrastructure/project-aerodomio-beligradioy-nikola-tesla
This means that BEG will have a new terminal by 2025.
" Nothing is mentioned about a second one"
DeleteIt says
Construction of new 3,500 m runway.
Refurbishment / upgrade of existing 3,400 m runway.
The new 3.500 metre one is an inserted runway, which will be turned into a taxiway once the existing runway is refurbished.
Taxiway, but nothing mentioning a second runway.
DeleteIt uses the terms second runway
DeleteI am sorry, but the info is misleading. It says:
Delete-Construction of new 3,500 m runway.
-Refurbishment / upgrade of existing 3,400 m runway.
In all cases it will be a new runway from 3400 to 3500m but I don't think it will be a second one. It's quite unclear. The word second is not mentioned.
It says construction of NEW 3.500 runway and Refurbishment / upgrade of existing 3,400 m runway. Which means it is talking about two runways.
DeleteBut what will happen is that they will build a parallel runway right next to existing one which will be closed once the existing runway is upgraded. They already said so publicly and it was published here.
Anyone know when was the last time the runway was completely refurbished?
DeleteLast time work was carried out on the runway was in 2005 but I'm not sure if it was completely refurbished back then.
DeleteThat was when they installed CAT IIIb
DeleteThanks. Wasn't there a time before that when they moved some flights to Batajnica and Nis? I think it was sometime in early 2000s or late 1990s.
DeleteNo, it was in the eighties. All the flights operated from Batajnica, with check in done in Surčin.
DeleteInteresting. Didn't know that. How long did it go for?
DeleteHuh. Can`t remember that. A couple of weeks, I guess.
DeleteIt was nothing more than a bit longer ride from gate to plane:)
There is no render or any sketch for any of this projects?
ReplyDeleteOnly these. But I'm not sure these were the final designs
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2019/02/vinci-to-present-belgrade-expansion.html
So far there are 83 cases in Serbia but I think the real number is close to 500. Serbia allowed many gastos to return who were infected. Good thing is that weather is nice so that will help reduce side effects of the freaking virus. Hopefully soon we get regular weather of more than 20 degrees so that life can return to normal.
ReplyDeleteI think in a month the situation will be more or less regulated.
Your "thinking" on the real number being 500 is based on what? Crystal ball?
DeleteYour "thinking" about warm weather reducing the side effects of the virus is tragic reminder how some people are misinformed about the virus. For example, Philippines have over 200 cases and 17 dead so far. Temperature over there is 33-34 degrees. Warm weather will NOT return life to normal on it's own.
Most hot countries have it because it was brought there by someone. There were almost no cases in sub-Saharan Africa and the other day first one appeared in Nigeria after an Italian brought it. So maybe educate yourself on this matter before attacking others.
DeleteCOVID-19 is basically the flu, a bit weaker. It likes cooler temperatures because it is around 22 degrees in the nose and mouth, perfect to settle and start from there. When temperatures rise so does the temperature in the nose and mouth.
Also, people don't die from COVID alone, they die because they already had a preexisting condition.
Please read on this a bit more before posting nonsense.
Kakve neistine, anon@17:01. Virus nije slabiji od gripa, naprotiv. Ne napada preko usta i nosa vec ide na pluca. Ljudi sa odlicnim zdrastvenim stanjem takodje dobijaju upalu pluca od ovog virusa i umiru. Virus naravno nije nastao u zemljama sa toplom klimom ali se sve vise siri po njima sto se lako proveri na internetu, Malezija ima 780 slucaja.
DeleteА како вирус доспева до плућа? Сигурно се не упија преко коже. Он улази у наш организам кроз уста и нос и ту налази плодно тло за даље ширење. Уколико га висока температура дочека у тим деловима тела онда је велика вероватноћа да ће га ту имуни систем додатно осакатити а онда и уништити.
DeleteЗдрави људи, посебно млађи, не умиру искључиво од грипа или короне. Они умиру јер већ имају неких здравствених проблема. Човек у Новом Саду је у тешком стању али он је пре целе ове приче већ имао већ проблема са бубрезима. Исти случај и са другим. Младић за ког се сумњало да има не може из Београда да се врати у Лесковац јер му мајка има хроничну болест и вероватно не би преживела.
Стари и већ болесни људи су генерално у опасности овде. Млади нису. Опасност код младих је та што шире саму болест и излажу ризичну групу опасности. Зато је старијим од 65 година забрањено да излазе напоље.
У томе је цела прича. Италија је у великом проблему, као и Шпанија због старог становништва. Погледајте читуље у Италији, све сами старци и старице.
Као што је горе написано, није га било ни у Африци па су донели болест. Богиња није било на америчком континенту док Европљани нису стигли. Кина и Јужна Кореја су била жаришта короне и они су је проширили по целој Азији. Ето примера ради, стјуардеса која је радила на лету Сеул-Лос Анђелес је тестирана на корону и била је позитивна. Нажалост Амери нису тестирали остатак путника који су се вероватно у међувремену заразили и тако ширили вирус даље.
Почело је тврдњом да ће се ефекти умањити због топлијег времена. Неће.
DeleteВећа је вероватноћа да хоће него да неће.
DeleteInteresting that JU cancelled the whole regional wave tonight but flights in the afternoon are more or less going normally. Wizz Air in BEG has not cut much which is interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of the regional airports are closed. Also no foreigners are allowed in Serbia and most destinations people from the region transfer to are cancelled. On top of that there is an EU travel ban.
DeleteThey will not be able to continue working without interruptions. Some materials come from countries in Western Europe like Italy where production has stopped and is forecast to impact other projects in Belgrade already within the next 2-3 weeks. Airport will be no different. If the outbreak of Covid gets serious enough, then all bets are off.
ReplyDeleteBiggest problem are the truck drivers. All of them have to be quarantined for two weeks upon returning to Serbia. This has created a massive shortage meaning deliveries are massively delayed. I was told that the government will cancel this rule thus freeing them from staying at home. We will have to see what happens in the end.
DeleteSupply chains interrupted in China since January are coming back online. There is no evidence process will be significantly different in EU within couple of months.
DeleteDugo cekani tekst i fotografije aerodroma su poceli da se objavljuju. Bolje nemoze biti u trenutnoj situaciji. WINCI &
ReplyDeleteTERNA, za nadati je da ce na stranicama ovog bloga, objavljivati progrses izgradnje. Bar tri puta godisnje. Naravno, ukoliko postoji volja ljudi koji odlucuju o infomisanju nas u Srbiji. Pa i nas koji pratimo razvoj Beogradskog aerodroma. Kao i Aerodroma Srbije.
Iskrene pozdrave i preobrazaj buduceg Beogradskog Haba.
Rodney Marinkovic. Sydney. ✈🌐✈
I have been to multiple airports around the world (US specifically) and have direct airline industry family experience since childhood. I do work for the US financial firm and we analyze all sectors including airlines. Here are my few thoughts.
ReplyDelete- This is the greatest calamity airline industry has faced as never before, and rest assure recovery will be long, painful, bloody (in terms of financials) with some big names gone or assimilated.
- We do not follow ex-YU airlines, but JU seems as the only one with some kind of chance. Again this is only guess as no one knows how the game will be played on the global scale. I base this only by the news data ive seen as JU clearly shows some pro-active management and corporate moves unlike other ex yu airlines.
- BEG seems to have a promising future. I just hope they will open the space inside terminal as it seems a bit claustrophobic now and I hope exterior design is the same across the whole airport (I've seen mix/match terminals and they do not look nice. But again this is subjective, my view only).
- Zurich airport tender video of proposed BEG looks great. But not sure if Vinci will do it like that.
Since you seem to be in the financial industry, do you mind giving us your opinion on JU, YM and OU and why you think only JU has a chance to make it? It's good to hear and expert opinion!
DeleteAeroflot is also terminating BEG and LJU for about a month, ZAG remains operational. Let's see if JU suspends Moscow. Interesting, Red Wings will keep on flying from what I've seen.
ReplyDeleteTIV is also being suspended.
DeleteLJU is closed. Raff the news here.
Delete*read
DeleteTrue, raff them please.
Delete