Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport and Sarajevo Airport have recorded their busiest month since opening their doors five decades ago, with both seeing solid growth throughout August.
Belgrade Airport handled 590.292 passengers during the month, an increase of 2.7% compared to August 2015. At the same time, the number of flight operations grew 4%.
The airport welcomed an average of over 19.000 travellers per day and surpassed the three million passenger mark during the month.
“Over the three busiest months, Belgrade handled 1.6 million passengers, which is up 2% on the same period last year”, the airport said in a statement. So far this year, a total of 3.291.141 travellers passed through its doors, which is up 0.4% on last year. “This gives us real expectations that we will welcome our fifth-millionth passenger by the end of the year”, it added.
Meanwhile, during the week, the airport released a detailed masterplan up until 2040 which foresees the construction of a new terminal building, runway, hotel, three-level car park and a heliport. Furthermore, the plan includes the overhaul of the airport's access roads and leaves the possibility for the city's rail network to be extended in order to reach the airport.
According to the masterplan, the development of the airport is to take place over five phases. State officials have previously said that Nikola Tesla Airport will likely be put up for concession soon, with the process to be finalised by mid-2017.
Sarajevo Airport also recorded its busiest month on record. The airport handled 118.350 passengers, an increase of 16.8% compared to August 2015. Aircraft movements stood at 1.252. “This is the third time in the airport's history that over 100.000 passengers were handled in a single month”, Sarajevo Airport said in a statement. During the January – August period, the airport welcomed 584.956 travellers, representing an increase of 7.8% on 2015. The Federation government of Bosnia and Herzegovina recently allocated forty million euros in funding for Sarajevo Airport between 2017 and 2019.
Sarajevo Airport's management has adopted a Reform Agenda, which foresees the construction of a new passenger terminal in the near future. Depending on the cost, the airport will either build a brand new facility or expand the existing terminal building.
Under the plan, the airport will also build a VIP lounge, car park, office building for staff and support services, a rapid-exit taxiway and expand the apron.
In 2017, work will begin on upgrading the runway, as well as taxiways.
(EX-YU Aviation News)
