The expansion of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport and the construction of a new control tower are progressing according to schedule. As part of several ongoing projects at the airport, work on two new bus gates, located underneath Pier A with the capacity to handle 130 passengers, is nearing completion. The gates have two direct exits to the apron and will be used to serve aircraft at remote parking stands. Simultaneously, the first phase of the expansion of the Pier C complex is currently in progress and will see the addition of eight gates equipped with airbridges, as well as four bus gates for outbound passengers flying out from remote aircraft stands. Its completion is expected in exactly a year’s time, in September 2021, with the second phase to begin immediately afterwards. It will entail the construction of an additional four airbridge gates.
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| New bus gates |
Preparatory work for the new 3.500-metre insterted runway is in full swing, with over 50% completed. The inserted runway is expected to be ready in October or November of 2022 at the latest. It will be linked to the runway through a new system of taxiways, including four rapid exit taxiways. Other ongoing and upcoming projects include the overhaul of the existing terminal, new apron, new de-icing platform, remote car park facility, power plant, solar power plant, as well as a solid waste and wastewater treatment plant. Further details for each project can be found
here.
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| Inserted runway |
The Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services Agency is in the process of building a new 75 metre control tower at the airport. The concrete foundations of the four-level tower are being laid next to the existing air traffic control centre, opened in 2010. A two-level flight control centre will be built at the base of the tower and linked to the air traffic control centre. The facility will stretch 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, which is planned for August 2021.
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| Control tower |
Cover photo credit: Uroš Mitrović
Good to see. Keep it up
ReplyDeleteSo the tower and pier C expansion should be completed around the same time.
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteNow that Kosovo and Serbia signed a deal, we could see Belgrade - Pristina flights.
DeleteI must say construction is going really quickly considering they started in March.
ReplyDeleteWould be nice if we could see somewhere what it will all look like in the end
ReplyDeletehttps://beg.aero/sites/belgrade/files/vinci/news/fingerski_hodnik_c_buduci_izgled.jpg
DeleteAny other pic except that one?
DeleteFrom the aerial photo we can see that the C pier expansion is bigger than the entire existing C pier. And that's just the first phase.
ReplyDeleteYou can see that bu the number of gates it will have :)
DeleteThe biggest improvement of them all is the fact that they are building a third floor and separating inbound and outbound passengers.
ReplyDeleteWhy is this necessary?
DeleteI don't think it is the case at Schiphol?
It's common sense, passenger flow is better if it's in one direction.
DeleteI love BEG. Hope all the changes keep it passenger friendly.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!
ReplyDeleteLooking good. I’m glad that construction work has begun. This modernisation (which BEG does need) is good plus it’s not a waste of money..
ReplyDeleteNice, steady progress. When is terminal expansion scheduled to start and when will Aviation Museum get additional hangar?
ReplyDeleteTerminal expansion has already started. Don't you see that new building in the photo/video?
DeleteThat's C pier expansion. When will central terminal expansion start?
DeleteIn the linked article it says October 2020. So next month.
DeleteI'm so curious to see what they will do with the (old) control tower once the new one is built.
ReplyDeleteThey should open an observation deck :)
DeleteOr a nice restaurant at the top :D
DeleteAs far as I know, the control tower is operated and (owned) by SMASTA. So it will really be up to them to decide what they will do with the tower.
DeleteThe actual space up there is relatively small. No room for a restaurant, maybe a cafe.
DeleteCan't wait to visit the open-air museum when its finished!!
ReplyDeleteEverything is great but 'уметнута писта' 🤦
ReplyDeleteFor that we can thank the government. It was their condition to the new concessionaire.
DeleteThe new condition should have rather been a whole new runway.
DeleteWhat a waste of money.
DeleteThere was no other option. For a second runway you would have to tear down hundreds of houses or whole od Surcin .
DeleteBelgrade really doesn't need any second runway. That would be megalomania.
DeleteThis will be a second runway.
DeleteThere was plenty of space for a second runway without tearing down any houses.
Deletehttps://goo.gl/maps/gxDP2EREc9yWeFcm9
I still don't see where you would fit it. There is not enough space on the other side without moving part of the highway. And in addition to that, that area is outside of the airport complex and is not owned by the airport.
DeleteI'm also not seeing where you would fit a runway. Either the houses or the highway have to go. And it's possible the runway would then get too close to either, so the entire section of the of the highway or all of the houses (or both) would have to get demolished. There is no need for a second runway and let's face it - despite cheerful analysis that we were getting during spring how the aviation will bounce back - we are now seeing how wrong they were, the pandemic will set the industry back and it will take years (if not a decade) to get back to 2019 levels.
DeleteOnce for all, London Gatwick is operating with one runway and Belgrade's capacity will not reach a need for a new runway probably ever. Also, Belgrade has excellent layout of the runway with literary no problems with crosswind almost ever, hence meteorological reasons for an additional runway does not exist. The "umetnuta" runway will allow smooth reconstruction of the existing runway and will resolve taxiway capacity in Belgrade, which is becoming an issue. So, this is very logical and reasonable.
DeleteThe other runway was meant to be on the other side:
Deletehttps://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EwrzXyUVbz8/VQUzbPfixUI/AAAAAAAAQPM/xMmWbaU9y54/s1600/beg2025.jpg
Wtf you talking about houses and highway?!!*%$#
Are you blind?
That was meant from the beginning.
Yes, that 2005 masterplan (which was not adopted) is based on the masterplan from the 1980s when houses didn't exist around the airport.
DeleteThe houses are irrelevant since the runway was meant to be on the other side.
DeleteThey are not irrelevant at all. In addition to the actual runway there has to be an empty permiter around the runway, like you see on the existing satellite image. So it can't fit,
DeleteGovernment has made a new masterplan for that area (since that area is owned by the state not the concessaionaire). It will be used for commercial space, businesses etc.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/jqxNHbLzlhNygAE_U_C_Zxp1knJeckNRFpKCD9n8p9MoZG_F8vUmNJBmUT2OkHZeGi_ssBMv3CKG_TkoWFT8tr1ZPfG4Tw3X1m6dz8alJPJm0KhSx8h4GjzrdcI
And where is that empty perimeter around the actual runway?
DeleteLook at the satellite image and the empty space around the runway surface.
DeleteThere is ample space for a similar scenario on the other side.
DeleteThe runway could have been 3.000 meters or less like in SAW/BUD.
We would then get complaints how they cheaped out on the runway and that it's "short". In general, haters gonna hate.
DeleteIn general, 3.000 is enough for 90% of traffic.
DeleteIST runways were that much.
It would anyway be secondary, the main one is 3.400.
But just to confirm, we do now agree that the 3,400/4,000 runway definitely cannot fit on the other side since the "settlement" would have to be demolished/highway moved? Since up there we were told we were blind, so just checking whether you are giving up on that argument now.
DeleteWhat freaking settlement?
DeleteWhere do you see a settlement?
As a matter of fact there is more than enough space on the other side:
Deletehttps://ibb.co/XWyG5n4
What about something like this?:
Deletehttps://i.ibb.co/qNQV7Y1/BEG-Rail-Plan.jpg
Everything was possible if these idiots didn't screw it up with 'inserted runway'.
DeleteAgreed. Since they already are building a second runway that should have put it on the other side of the airport, even if that means tearing down houses and moving the motorway.
DeleteThis way you cannot do simultaneous lands/take offs. You really have the worst possible result for a 'second' runway. You will have one but with limited use.
Absolutely.
DeleteWonderful news however I am still sceptical about this new floor. Why would people disembark, go up a floor only to go down two levels. Doesn't make sense at all..
ReplyDeleteIt's the same at many airports across the world.
DeleteA lot of modern airports have this system where arrivals go through on the top floor and departures are on the one below.
DeleteAn airport that has a similar layout is the Terminal 2 at Munich airport. All non-Schengen arriving pax (using gates) are sent to the top floor and then moved to the security screening area.
DeleteThere are many other airports as well.
So everyone was complaining how the gate security sucked and how BEG should finally become a "European" airport and have centralized screening. Now that that is being done, it's labeled as weird and not making sense.
DeleteWhere did you get the impression that BEG is weird?
DeleteGreat and I think the new C gates will be ready before September 21.
ReplyDeleteMe too
DeleteI'm going to miss the retro interiors. Do we have any pictures of what the interiors will look like?
ReplyDeleteAbout the interior they said in the previous article "The facility will have an open space configuration for gate areas and circulation areas for departing passengers."
DeleteThis is what C pier will look like
Deletehttps://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0RwVQfoNyC0/Xt1L6hxDs6I/AAAAAAAAyuo/hOik7W3KI0sophks1gUZUp8v4e9hShYfgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/t2.png
Is there a chance to somehow directly link the aviation museum to the terminal area?
ReplyDeleteIt's very close but the issue is making it accessible for transit passengers. Unfortunately I think that is impossible.
DeleteAll the visitors to the museum (I am talking about people not traveling) would have to go through rigorous security control and the entire museum would have to be "fortified" to enable transit passengers to just pop up and return to the terminal. You would also have to prevent museum visitors from accessing the terminal. I agree it would be cool linking the two, but just creates needless headache. A fast track to the museum from the terminal would make more sense.
DeleteThe entire complex with the museum looks very nice.
ReplyDeleteThe aviation museum building looks like out of a sci-fi movie. Really cool.
DeleteI hope that they will refurbish and streamline the facades around, so that there is a continuous look.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice if they brought back the old look to T1 with the beautiful fountain in the middle of the building.
ReplyDeleteDon't count on it.
DeleteThey need a food court, more resting space for connecting passengers and larger duty free space. :)
ReplyDeleteWe will get all of that
DeleteAgree about the food court. The current cafe and a Hleb & Kifle bakery really isn't good enough especially with more and more transfer passengers using the airport and spending a few hours in the transfer zone.
DeleteThey also need area to safely leave the baggage on long connections, so passengers can hang out without it. Storage lockers.
DeleteLockers are a must.
DeleteDefinitivno kontrolori leta sa Aerodroma Beograd ce zasluzeno dobiti svoju platformu na Kontrolnom tornju
ReplyDeletesa svim uredjajima za dvadeset prvi vek.
Ovaj deo Evrope dobija potpuno napredan Aerodrom.
Uz sve promene koje su u toku u komercijalnoj avijaciji,
Beogradski Aerodrom bice spreman, osposobljen i opremljen za buduce decenije.
Rodney Marinkovic and Aviation Enthusiast Associate Group. 🛫🌐🛫
Kraljevo & Sydney ✈
This is great news
ReplyDeleteAnd how long will the work last?
ReplyDeleteIt says in the article...
DeleteThe airport is really starting to look good. Can’t wait for the new level to be built.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, it is great news.
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of my dear Belgrade!
ReplyDeleteKeep that good work and you will shine more than ever...
Gde god da krenem
taj grad me prati
Beograd moj
sebi me vrati
All looking great. However, I find the bus gates section a bit cheap with those chairs. Idk, it gives the impression it's designed for LCC or airlines not using air bridge or a 2 star hotel. Something like that. But, the rest is okay.
ReplyDeleteWe should wait for the finished product first.
DeleteIt does look a bit LCC to me too. Perfect for Wizz Air by which it will be used :D
DeleteI believe the gate capacity is supposed to be around 70 pax, so it cannot be used by LCC.
DeleteYes. It is most likely designed to be a bit LCC because of W6 or those regional hops that don't require an airbridge e.g. SKP, TIA, etc.
DeleteThe capacity is 130
Delete"As part of several ongoing projects at the airport, work on two new bus gates, located underneath Pier A with the capacity to handle 130 passengers, is nearing completion."
The good thing is the additional gates will allow for bigger planes for long-haul flights
ReplyDeleteYes. They said
Delete" The expanded Pier C complex is not completely aligned with the existing C gates, and while it will be unnoticeable to passengers walking the airport’s corridors, the positioning of the new building allows for greater apron space, and in turn, will enable the new gates to handle wide-body aircraft, which is in line with VINCI’s hub strategy for Belgrade. "
Considering we are in the middle of a pandemic, it's good to see that these works are going ahead.
ReplyDeleteand not getting downsized.
DeleteThe restrictions will have to end at some point.
DeleteRecovery at BEG may come quicker as it isnt a tourist heavy destination, nor did JU have a large network reliant of transit pax filling its aircraft. In the mean time, BEG needed upgrades and new facilities, and now is the time to do these works without needing to create large inconveniences.
As far I know from comments on this blog, JU has huge numbers of transfer pax and it is carrying the same amount of transfers on FRA route as LH.
DeleteMajority of the JU pax are still O&D. They only had a few transfer heavy destinations, but the rest was primarily O&D pax. Transfers just help them boost loads and increase frequencies to destinations with a decent O&D demand.
DeleteBEY was mostly only transfer.
DeleteCorrect. The most passengers from BEY were flying to CDG via BEG.
DeleteAt some point I think 50% of JU's passengers were transfers.
DeleteRemember that Air Serbia grew 100% in its first year of operations.
Serbia keeps winning!
ReplyDeleteThese people are really boring!
DeleteReally good development.
ReplyDeleteIt would be nice to see more carriers in the future at BEG with this new terminal. Like LCCs Ryan, Volotea, Transavia France and legacies which can improve connectivity like S7, British, Iberia, Finnair, Scandinavian....
ReplyDeleteEspecialy Finnair. They have huge Chinese network and the largest japanese network among all european carriers.
DeleteFinally a new ATC tower!
ReplyDeleteWill there be an observation deck somewhere at the terminal?
ReplyDeleteThat's bad
DeleteWas near the Belgrade airport only last month, its going to be great by the looks
ReplyDeleteWhat's that large round thing being built right behind SMATSA building? It's about 50m in diameter. Is it flying saucer? Miniature Apple headquarters for Serbia?
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aeronautical_Museum_Belgrade
DeleteNo, this:
Deletehttps://imgur.com/a/97LHJjZ
It's the new parking lot for the building, it's mostly completed
DeleteThanks for that.
DeleteSo SMATSA paved their tenis court and put up a parking lot. ;-)
Old parking lot is now new ATC tower
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhen I see all these planes around the Museum, I always think about Transformers :)
ReplyDelete