Belgrade Airport completes first expansion projects

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport has completed the first of a number of ongoing expansion projects as part of its 730-million-euro upgrade. Yesterday, the airport undertook an Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) exercise at two new bus gates with the capacity to handle 130 passengers, marking the project’s completion. The gates have two direct exits to the apron and will be used to serve aircraft at remote parking stands. They are expected to play a greater role once work begins on merging the existing terminal building with the new expanded wing of the facility, which is currently under construction. Their integration into a single functioning unit will force the temporary closure of some gates while the process is underway.

Preparatory work for the refurbishment of the existing departure gates with jet bridges has begun, with two gates by two to be overhauled at a time. This will also lead to the construction of a third “gallery” floor on top of the existing building - a five-metre wide corridor. Upon landing at the airport, passengers will enter the jet bridge and go up to the new arrival gallery. They will then reach a central transfer zone, a chimney-like structure with escalators going down to the first level, for transfer passengers (corresponding to departure level), and the ground level, for baggage reclaim and the arrival hall. The segregation of arriving and departing passengers during the first phase of the project will enable Belgrade Airport to centralise its passenger and luggage security. The plan for September next year would be to use centralised security with the airport’s Pier C only and Pier A some six months afterwards, or end of March 2022. The second option would be to open the first phase of the terminal extension (Pier C and Pier A) at once at the end of March 2022 depending on phasing to accommodate airport operations in the coming months.

Belgrade Airport also recently completed work on the overhaul of its duty free and food and beverage facilities, which will be in use over the next few years until the entire building is overhauled. 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 less than 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. Work on the new 3.500-metre inserted runway is also in full swing. It is expected to be ready in October or November of 2022 at the latest. 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.