The Serbian government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China Shandong International Economic & Technical Cooperation Group concerning the second phase of construction and modernisation of Niš Constantine the Great Airport. It comes just months after the airport opened its new terminal building. The second phase of the project includes the demolition of the old terminal building, the construction of a new facility, which, combined with the recently opened terminal will form a single functioning unit, as well as the overhaul of the runway, expansion of the apron, construction of new taxiways and a new control tower. Work is expected to begin shortly, with the project to be completed in 2027.
The Serbian Minister for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, Goran Vesić, said, “This marks the continuation of our efforts to transform Niš Airport into a modern, efficient facility. For some of these projects, we already have construction permits, including the runway, taxiway, and tower. For others, we will receive permits very soon, but in any case, construction can begin in a very short time”. China’s Ambassador to Serba, Li Ming, emphasised the strong bilateral ties between China and Serbia, saying the modernisation of the airport would boost passenger traffic and deepen cooperation between the two countries.
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| Niš Airport complex upon project completion |
The infrastructure development come at a time when the airport faces declining passenger numbers, handling 282.869 travellers during the first three quarters of the year, down 20.4% on the same period in 2023. The airport blames the underperformance on Wizz Air which has been forced to reduce its operations due to the grounding of aircraft as a result of manufacturing issues with engines on part of its fleet. The Serbian government has said it will provide subsidies for low cost carriers to expand their respective networks from Niš. “Next year Niš Airport should be able handle over 500.000 passengers, which is why additional low cost carriers need to launch flights. We will now enter into talks with low cost airlines over the introduction of new routes”, the state said recently.
Who are they building all of this for?
ReplyDeleteROI (Return on investment) = Never :)
DeleteThey said just the other day they are in talks with an LCC to open a base in Nis.
DeleteProbably Wizz or Ryan
DeleteINI should become Belgrade South, and all the LCCs fly there.
DeleteINI should focus on its catchment area. As a low cost BEG alternative it will always lose to BUD who in the near future will be around 3hrs away by train with a better destination network and INI could never compete with either
DeleteRoi
DeleteBrining 1 milion passengers in serbia
They spending 500-600 million and state makes from taxes 100 milion plus a year
Who cares if flag airline and airport dont make money
They been used to
Bring 3-5 million passengers a year
1 billion bringing money and country makes 200 million a year from
Theyre taxes
Niš will be less than two hours by train when the high speed rail is eventually built.
DeleteVesić je juče izjavio i da su u toku razgovori sa jednom niskotarifnom kompanijom da otvori bazu i stacionira jedan avion u Nišu.
ReplyDeleteWonder which airline it could be
DeleteVerovatno WIZZ,mislim da ne žele Rajan blizu JU.
DeleteFingers crossed its Ryan
DeleteIt has no sense for Wizzair to open a base halfway between 2 other, in Skopje and Belgrade.
DeleteIt has to be someone else.
Wizz had plans back in 2018 to base 2 planes, while there were still BEG and SKP bases. Therefore this constation about bases nearby has no sense. Just look at their network in Romania and Poland regarding bases. INI catchment area has population of around 2 milion people. Will they open a base depends on many factors, money wise primarily, and will there be any subventions. On the other hand we have RYR who does not have bases outside of EU except UK and Morroco. If you look capacity wise WZZ will grow their fleet in 2025, and RYR can shift their capacity from Germany since they are impact by tax increase and base closures there. Other LCC I wouldn't even consider since they are not present so much on the Serbian market.
DeleteLooks good
ReplyDeleteNah, first year of less flights after a number of growth years due to external factor, if you bothered to read the article. Next year will be a record.
ReplyDeleteThe last rendering of what the airport will look like upon project completion is widely optimistic!
ReplyDeleteWhy? One side already looks like that
DeleteIt’s wildly REALISTIC. If you’ve visited the airport - which I did in August - you would know that it looks like the renders.
DeleteImpressive
ReplyDeleteWell done
ReplyDeleteConstriction of Belgrade-Nis fast rail will also begin soon
ReplyDeleteLate next year.
DeleteRailway to NS was in construction 4 to 6 years.. on plain site, only hills of FG was the obstacle.
DeleteNow imagine how long will they build railway to NI.. 7 to 8 years.
Really nice looking small airport.
ReplyDeleteWithout new flights all of this does not count for s***.
ReplyDeleteThey are negotiating new flights and there are already flights from Nis to quite a few destinations.
Delete140 mEUR for ‘quite a few flights’?
DeleteSerbia has to be really rich country when it can afford such projects.
Have you even read what the project entails? No, thought so.
DeleteCongratulations to Niš
ReplyDeleteIt actually looks nice and will look even better when the whole project is completed, ie when the glass building is also builr on the other side of the white building in the photo. That will happen when they demolish the old terminal.
ReplyDeleteFinally new tower and runway overhaul.
ReplyDeleteFinally. They have been announcing it for years.
DeleteMuch higher priority should have been expanding the high speed railway network to Southern Serbia (future Belgrade-Niš high speed line).
ReplyDelete1 hour 40 minutes travel time to Belgrade would basically make INI obsolete except for moderate LCC, charter, and cargo traffic. INI would then max out around ~400-500k per year, and there would be no need to expand the airport further except for adding an ILS system.
Since the Belgrade-Novi Sad high speed line opened two years ago, all of the populated areas on that line (Novi Sad, Pazova, Batajnica, etc) became de facto suburbs of Belgrade. From the winter timetable, there will be over 40 trains per day on this segment.
And in less than 7 weeks from now, the second segment of high speed railway will open, from Novi Sad to Subotica. Travel time from Subotica to Belgrade will be 70 minutes, thus completely integrating Subotica, Vrbas, Bačka Topola with the rest of the growing network.
Thus it is pointless to invest large resources into INI airport, because the only future it has is as a regional LCC airport for South East Serbia, and as a secondary airport in times of abnormal weather at BEG.
Oh, Mr. ANALiticar, we know your opinon abot Nis airport. You are furious about all the investments so far there, so I think you will need immediate medical attention fot this new 140 millonn announcement. Do not worry, it’s only Serbian taxpayers money, although you claim that that they are very poor.
DeleteYeah big brain, pointless Ini cause screw anyone who lives past Nis and wont get the rail network for next 10 years.
DeleteAnd you think there will be 40 a day trains frequency when that new high speed railway opens? I am travelling a lot to INI and no, even the perfect timing to get from Niš to BEG which cannot be 100 min (that is the advertised from Niš to Prokop) will take at least 3 hours plus you need to be 2 hours prior to the take off time. Even if I need a transfer at some European airport it makes more sense to travel from INI and then have a 3-4 hours long stopover at VIE for example than taking a train or by car to BEG.
DeleteINI is not a competition to BEG. Why on earth you guys always seem to take this so personally and can’t just take it that there are people who would rather fly from INI because it’s more convenient for them to do so.
Lol as if analitičar would ever acknowledge the huge success of the Belgrade-Novi Sad high speed line (and the imminent success of the extension to Subotica).
DeleteThe truth is that high speed rail will come to Niš much sooner than most people think. This won't happen because the current government is particularly benevolent or competent, but because there are much greater outside powers that insist that Serbia immediately fixes the corridor 10 railway axis so goods can flow along the north/south axis.
The benefit to the traveling public is entirely secondary.
But overall this will put a ceiling on INI because BEG's influence and catchment area will expand further.
Wow. Novi Sad as a Belgrade suburb? That’s a new level of Belgrade centrism over there
DeleteAnon 11:31
DeleteAnd where did I say that there will be 40 trains per day to Niš? That is how many trains there will be between BG and NS once the extension to Subotica opens next month.
All the people in Central Serbia must travel to either BEG or INI when catching a flight. Once the railway network is fixed, it will give all these people complete access to the network of JU (80+ routes) plus the dozens of other airlines that fly from BEG.
Anon 11:46
DeleteA large number of people travel daily between BG and NS for work or study.
Traveling between BG to NS now takes less time than travelling from BG to various prigradske opštine such as Mladenovac, Sopot, Obrenovac, etc.
@anon 1146- well...de facto it is on a "suburbia" level, but it goes both directions. You need less time sometimes to go from Prokop to Novi Sad then to drive over Gazela bridge so yeah, Novi Sad became suburbia of Belgrade and Belgrade became suburbia of Novi Sad
DeleteNiš woun't be any sort of Belgrade's suburb, as it is a completely different region. Also, there are not going to be any direct long distance trains at BEG, but only suburban ones, which does not help transfers. And morover, high speed rail is not cheap.
DeleteAlso the idea that the high speed rail will come 'soon' ignores the legacy of lies and failed deadlines on the existing railway.
DeleteRailway is two way, right? I've already used INI from Belgrade when travelling to Malta an Stockholm
Delete@01:10
DeleteExactly. The number of people from the South who would start using BEG instead of INI is probably less than the number of people from Belgrade area who would now be more likely to use cheap flights from Niš.
+1
DeleteFunny thing is that it will look way better than the airport in Belgrade.
ReplyDeleteTrue dat!
DeleteOd Vansija biti lepsi i bolji i nije neki narociti uspeh…
DeleteWhat an odd, odd investment!
ReplyDeleteHow far is the airport from the city?
ReplyDelete8km
DeleteLOL it is not 8km, it is exactly 5km from the airport to the Hotel Ambasador (the very definition of Nis city centre), google maps is your friend
DeleteI'm guessing we will see more Ryanair and Wizz Air flights.
ReplyDeleteThat would be ideal.
Delete@anon 09:28 - you can’t tell people the truth. It’s easier to blame airport management, or GoS, ask any local and they will tell you money is being directed to BG. Doesn’t matter that W6 has no planes and it’s global knowledge.
ReplyDeleteThe new terminal still doesn't have any coffee place, food place only WC and few benches, the only coffee you Will get at coffee machine near customs parking lot
ReplyDeleteYep, looks plain and empty. The space itself has a lot of potential though!
DeleteI mean the PC picture and in real world totally different. Now from picture there are parking spaces near entrance of airport and bus is parked also near entrance but in real life buses are parked on opposite side of airport and there no parking spaces near entrance. Because of wild taxis there are going to put again ramps
ReplyDelete