NEWS FLASH
Construction work at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is continuing to advance. Despite initial announcements by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which has provided a loan to VINCI for the airport’s overhaul, that the new processor building would open in March, this is yet to materialise. However, the airport has simulated check-in procedures and handling of five flights at the new building, as well as an emergency situation. Arriving passengers, who are already using the building to exit the airport, no longer have to use detours to reach the temporary pick-up zone, with travellers now able to use new outdoor elevators, stairs and pathways instead. The area which will connect the first floor of the new central processor and the Terminal 2 building is also visible. The new facility features check-in, passport and security, with the existing passport control now being dismantled.
.jpeg)
 |
| Area where central processor and Terminal 2 will be linked on the first floor |
 |
| Partial dismantling the existing passport control area which is still in use |
Inside Terminal 2, work has been completed on the overhaul of the C5 and C6 gates which have been closed for almost a year. Furthermore, the A4 gate has now been overhauled and reopened, with work still ongoing at gates A5 to A10. The new floor that is being constructed above these gates has now reached up to gate A9.
Work on the airport’s access roads is ongoing and expected to be completed this summer. Belgrade Airport’s General Manager, Francois Berisot, said, “Construction work at Belgrade Airport began in January 2020 and is on schedule. Work is currently taking place at several locations. Soon we will put into operation the new inserted runway and begin the overhaul of the current runway for the first time in sixty years. The completion of all of the airport's most crucial projects is scheduled by the end end of the year”. Testing of the inserted runway’s Aeronautical Ground Lighting has been taking place in recent days.
BEG has my full support when it comes to this expansion.
ReplyDeleteThey are finally competitive to handle a lot more passengers than in the past.
Now we need Wizz Air to bring 5th plane next summer.
I would rather see greater presence of other LCCs.
DeleteThey also have my full support for the upgrades at BEG.
Greater presence of LCCs would be bad news for JU.
DeleteWhose concern should that be?
DeleteWizz Air with its 4 A321s should be considered as a good LCC presence in BEG.
DeleteJU might be many things but they are no longer a monopolist on a vast majority of their routes.
Many people were burned by really bad Wizz experience last summer so don't expect 5th plane or Ryan any time soon. Reasonable people noticed real growth will come from Air Serbia this season. If someone needs more planes, it's them.
DeleteYes but Wizz Air's experience in Serbia was nowhere near the one they had elsewhere. Yes, they had operational meltdowns but so did JU and pretty much every carrier flying in and out of Belgrade. If we look at the situation these days then Wizz Air seems to be more reliable than JU.
DeleteThey were also more cautious with their expansion which is why they are adding a whole bunch of routes from late July. JU on the other hand had to to cut and reschedule a lot of their upcoming summer flights.
How exactly will they connect the new central processor with the existing upper floor? Will the existing upper floor eventually become part of the security-controlled area with shops, etc.?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean? There are stairs in the new building and there is a 1st floor in the new building which is just connected to the first floor in T2. You can see where they are linked in the photo. The ground floors are also linked.
DeleteFrom what I saw you enter the new building, go upstairs where passport control is located. You pass it and reach security which will remain where it is right now. I suppose they will close the stairs that currently take you from the check-in zone to the departures.
DeleteSorry if I was unspecific. I meant what will happen to the current T2 first floor, once security and passport control moved to the new processor.
DeleteMy guess is that they will use the extra space to add more shops and so on.
DeleteWhen you pass the new passport control and the security check, you will enter the "old building" in the part where the security zone starts now. The hole place is going to be duty free and comercial zone.
DeleteAir Serbia CEO has been sharing detailed exciting news and positive energy about new developments since he started in the new role. On the other hand Belgrade Airport CEO in a recent Telegraf interview listed mostly known project info but didn't even mention detailed plans for this important central duty free and commercial zone. Only one generic computer render of that area was released long time ago. Different approaches.
DeletePersonally I would rather have him focus more on their fleet and the issues they have been experiencing with it.
DeleteI don't know how is that absolving Airport from sharing at least some info about central part of the new airside duty free and commercial zone.
DeleteMaybe journalists should ask more specific questions when interviewing the CEO of the airport? I highly doubt the journalist at Telegraf knows much about aviation.
DeleteNemjee you are saying Marek and Telegraf journalist are to blame for Berisot not talking anything at all regarding this central duty free and commercial zone? Fascinating logic. Or lack thereof. Berisot could have talked about it in detail in the interview but he didn't. No one stopped him. He provided generic responses like this one: The completion of all of the airport's most crucial projects is scheduled by the end end of the year.
DeleteInstead of an open air parking, they could have built a parking building including roof covered way to the terminal or is that next on the construction agenda?
ReplyDeleteThere is already a covered multi level car park at BEG.
Deleteboth parking lots should have had solar panels above the cars. It brings shade and provides electricity. Plus the long-term parking should have a live webcam on their app so I can check on my car while away for a long period and make sure it is still there.
DeleteSome people treat this as a finished project. I am sure the access road construction is a priority to installing webcam on the app. Gees have you ever been to a construction site? You need to finish the building first and then install the web cams.
Delete@anonym 1050h
DeleteAnd how do you get there? I know with an umbrella. But thats 1980 style. Today either parking garages are connected to the terminal via underground ways or you have a roof covered gangway like in Split
It doesn't look as everything is going to be ready for Summer.
ReplyDeleteThis phase will be ready by September? That's what my cousin told me from Belgrade
DeleteWithout sounding too negative, but it looks quite retro. Like 2000s design but at least better than nothing.
ReplyDeleteNothing negative, you are right. The new expansion is very basic and nothing out of the ordinary.
DeleteMy guess is that they urgently needed to expand given how fast passenger numbers were growing. Summer 2020 was supposed to be record breaking and BEG would have struggled with existing facilities. In a way covid saved them from a complete meltdown.
We are definitely getting an improved airport though there is absolutely no wow factor.
There are many airports out there which expanded without building state of the art facilities. Some that come to my mind are VIE, WAW, ATH...
Well, the works were a condition of the tender, Vinci has no interest in investing any more money than what is needed to keep the airport operating for another 20 years.
DeleteHonestly I am fine with a functional airport as long as it is operating smoothly. My issue is that they could do a better job at keeping it clean. I am not just referring to the toilets but to the gate area and especially dirty carpets and so on.
DeleteThey have a concession for 25 years, after that there is a possibility they won't get another contract. They invest in expansion with a limited budget because in 20 years they might lose the contract, so why make a spaceship? If they owned the place, I am sure they would invest more.
DeleteThey are investing a lot. Over 700 million EUR. ilinvestment isn't just the building. I mean they are finally installing automated baggage handling in BEG which is long overdue.
DeleteThey are investing in a market that is growing and which is becoming quite lucrative for them. Have we forgotten how much they paid for it?
DeleteAlso, from what I remember Incheon was supposed to get BEG but then Macron came to Belgrade and somehow Vinci won in the end.
No one is denying their investment, I am just saying that if they owned the place, they might have brought some good firm for planning and design to make it look a bit more modern. At the moment the place is clean, spacious and functional, that is about it.
DeleteNemjee is totally right about Macron. Plus, even though Ljubljana is struggling of gaining traffic for many reasons, Fraport did a decent job and the terminal looks simply great. Fraport also improved traffic in many of its Greek, Bulgarian, Brasilian, Peruvian and also look at Antalya. Just booming.
DeleteCroatian airports are also looking very good. Sarajevo that has less budget are getting a more humble yet decent airport it seems.
Also lets not forget that the Vinci contract restricted INI to 1 million passengers.
https://www.exyuaviation.com/2018/04/serbia-to-limit-airport-growth-outside.html
Positive side is the runway and more check-in areas but the overall design even reminds a bit of the old T2 in Heathrow with lower roofs if somebody remembers.
How can you judge anything when you haven't seen the finished product?
DeleteIt looks meh, so far.
DeleteAgree its okej
DeleteWell traffic is doing really well in BEG so no one can really complain about that. After all, passengers are generated by the market so there is little a concessionaire can realistically do. What they can do is handle it and make sure that their experience while passing through is good.
DeleteLike I already wrote, they needed this capacity fast in order to cope with growing demand. Designing a state of the art terminal would have taken longer and I doubt they had the time.
Once when BEG passes 10 million they can think of an expansion which can be impressive. For the time being functionality is here to stay, which I personally don't mind.
Though I hate how low the ceilings are, I appreciate that there is a lot of light and that you can see planes outside.
Low ceilings and no colours. Just Google image old Terminal 2 Heathrow and you will realise similarities in the design. I used it before it was demolished.
DeleteBilo je bolje i jednostavnije pre renoviranja.
ReplyDeleteNe razumem - kako je bilo jednostavnije? Ljudi imali manje para, pa manje putovali, pa manje putnika, pa manji terminal, pa lakse bilo doci s jednog na drugi kraj?
DeleteСлажем се, најједноставније је када је аеродром био код Тошиног бунара. Од тада па на даље идемо силазном путањом!
DeleteBombastično
ReplyDelete"Soon we will put into operation the new inserted runway and begin the overhaul of the current runway for the first time in sixty years." Well this is not true, runway was ovehuled two times in that period
ReplyDeleteExactly. Monsieur directeur thinks that we did not do anything before he arrived here. he thinks that the history of Belgrade airport begins with him. Simply, it’s a lie.
DeleteHe mis-spoke, as they say.
DeleteI hope they:
ReplyDelete1. restore the smoking terrace close to the business lounge - and make it similar to the one on Istanbul, nothing better than proper open air ventilation.. the airport smoking rooms are disgusting
2. put trees on the parking lot, as was probably in the original plan... :/
I hope they ban smoking completely and everywhere! In every public space, including bus stops etc. Smoking kills! Smokers kill!
DeleteI guess it will serve it's purpose but honestly it shows 100% onu narodnu "seci usi krpi zadnjicu".
ReplyDeleteSomeone know when will the new runway open ?
ReplyDeletesoon my friend, soon.
DeleteTarget dat expired (23/3/2023)
DeleteI think we should wait for a final product with all the details done. Right now it is a big construction site with messy stuff, hence partial eye-sore. If done as planned, it will be huge improvement from the old one. Maybe no 'wow' effect as some have noted, true, but should do the job. If commercial/food area in the departure part looks good, airy with some higher ceilings, plus trees/curve appeal on the outside, it could enhance overall experience and compensate for some retro (2000s) parts.
ReplyDelete* curb appeal
Delete"The new floor that is being constructed above these gates has now reached up to gate A9."
ReplyDeleteIt won't reach A10. Plans show that floor ends at A9.
What will happen with the old tower?
ReplyDeleteWill there be a observation deck?
What is happening with the museum?
And the roof-top observation deck ?!
DeleteNow that would be very nice.
Tear it down .
DeleteIf people want many towers inside a cramped place they should go visit San Gimignano .
They NEED a new business lounge. It's getting pathetic, no space, low quality and absolutely no offerings
ReplyDeleteI am amazed by the amount of malicious comments here. But I guess will still better to have a functional airport with close to 100 destinations, then to have a beautiful building with a dozen or almost no flights at all.
ReplyDeleteI am amazed you think one can't have both. You should up your standards and we'll have both.
DeleteDemocracy, my friend. We are here to discuss the good and bad things. Some people will like the 100 destinations airport and others will say it looks too retro. BEG is developing for sure as an airport but if you are gonna be a hub, obviously people will expect much more. Imagine the business travellers that are usually so exigent. We saw this in some business trip reports here.
DeleteGood news is that BEG still looks generally decent, but we have to admit that Split or Ljubljana have nicer terminals not being hubs. Competition! :) but BEG will be just okay.
Does anybody know what's gonna happen with the old terminal? Like renovate expand it etc
ReplyDeleteThere is no old terminal.
DeleteFirst pic reminds me of VIE.
ReplyDeleteThree more days to open extension during March as mentioned.
ReplyDeleteConstruction of airport is performed by a bunch of morons ( aka civil engineering) and run by completely incompetent operator ! Maybe AB will bi bigger but not better . First , civil works ! A complete chaos is arranged by some idiots. Where is entrance , where is parking … Chaos . Vincci or Terna should know that fence made of tinniest wire possible , is very confusing, since view is unobstructed , but movement is . In old time , site fence was full. Also , parking exit gate is absolutely moronic ! Even on old airport that gate was bottle neck . Now, with double ramp ( why?) is even worst. But , hey , this just parking . Oh yea!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I saw a piece of security-important communication project. With cardinal mistakes in design .
No intention to defend them, as I think they could do better, but I don't know that and maybe this is the best possible solution. Anyway, changes of traffic flows are happening every 2-3 weeks, project is in final stage of work and it would be nice to show a bit of patience.
DeleteEven if some temporary solution is not good, it is still just a temporary solution and that should be taken into account.