Belgrade approaching pre-pandemic levels as expansion continues

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is staging one of the fastest traffic recoveries on the continent, Airports Council International Europe (ACI) has said, with passenger performance "significantly outperforming the European average". In June, the airport's passenger figures were down just 30% on the same month in 2019, while charter traffic will exceed the pre-pandemic record by 3%. Furthermore, the number of routes on offer from Belgrade this summer stands at 71, just one short of 2019. “There are encouraging signals. If you look at our figures, you can see that Belgrade Airport has significantly outperformed the European average in the recovery of traffic, which stands at just 30% of 2019 levels. The road to recovery will be long, but it is already very clear that it is faster for Belgrade Airport than others, which also reflects the achievements of Serbia with dealing with the pandemic”, the Director General of ACI Europe, Olivier Jankovec, said. He added, “Looking ahead, we see Belgrade Airport positioning itself as an important hub for Eastern Europe, working closely in an integrated manner with Air Serbia, as well as other airlines with the goal to increase the country’s connectivity”.

Commenting on developments at the airport, Nicolas Notebaert, the President of operator VINCI Airports and the CEO of VINCI Concessions, said, “Instead of being discouraged by the pandemic, the government gave us a lot of energy, telling us we need to be the first to recover, that we need to welcome tourists and partner with other countries. The industry is feeling the change happening at Belgrade Airport, with the government, Air Serbia and other airlines all working together. Belgrade Airport is now a modern one, and a modern airport is attractive to airlines. As a partner to 250 carriers in the world, VINCI is looking to make the most out of the recovery ahead, while looking forward to a good summer season, driven by an excellent vaccination program and vaccine supply by the government of Serbia”.

The airport is preparing for the return to a greater volume of traffic as it continues to progress in its multi million-euro expansion project. Work on the new Pier C extension is continuing as planned, with the expanded facility to be completed and opened to the pubic by the end of the year. A number of new airbridges have been installed, with more to come. Work on the new solid waste treatment plant is already completed, which will result in the recycling of all of the airport’s solid waste by the end of next year. The airport has finished work on a new apron for aircraft parking and opened new bus gates. Over 36.000 square metres of new apron space has already been built, with a further 27.000 to be completed by October. A new remote car park, with the capacity to handle over 1.500 cars, has also been finished, while construction of a new car park for 800 vehicles, to be located in front of the terminal, will begin soon. Work on a new solar power farm is ongoing and will be concluded by the end of the year, which will allow for the airport to switch to less polluting energy sources by next winter. In addition, the airport is finalising the construction of a wastewater treatment plant. Preparatory work on the new inserted runway is underway. Upon the completion of the entire project, scheduled for late 2023, the size of the terminal building will increase from 55.000 square metres to over 100.000 square metres, while passenger capacity will grow by six million to fourteen million passengers.

New airbridges