New look for Belgrade Airport
Work on the overhaul of Belgrade Airport’s two terminals has begun. The reconstruction of the scruffy old business class lounge is in full swing, according to the “Aviokarta” portal. The business class lounge, used by all airlines offering a business class product to their passengers from Belgrade, is being expanded and modernised. Located near the A transit area gates, the lounge will be completed in September. Following its completion, work will begin on the expansion of both terminals 1 and 2. The expansion project entails the construction of a new floor above the current terminal buildings. It will be used by passengers arriving on incoming flights, thus separating them from the departing passengers.
Construction will take place in four phases. The first one will see the expansion of the C1-2 gate and the expansion of gates from A1 to A5. As a result, an extra 2.750 square metres will be added. Gates C3-4 and C5-6 will be expanded in the second phase. The third phase will involve the expansion of the A6 gate and onwards with the fourth and final phase seeing the construction of the completely new floor which will stretch over 4.900 square metres. Another apron will be built next to terminal 2 which will be able to handle four medium sized aircraft. Once the project is completed, a total of 9.900 square metres will be added and the terminal 1 air bridges will be replaced.
New look business class lounge
Belgrade Airport is one of Serbia’s most profitable state owned companies, turning a multi million Euro profit annually. The airport’s terminal 2 was spruced up several years ago, although the gate transit areas were left untouched.
So let's see, they intend on building another floor where the arriving passengers will go? So you make them go up so that they have to go down again? How stupid is that?
ReplyDeleteNot to mention that it would have been easier to just build a corridor under the current terminal where passengers would go straight to the passport control, rather than up and down.
And what on earth do they plan on putting on that extra floor? Why on earth do you need an entire floor for passengers that can't wait to get out of the terminal?
Maybe they will make the gates have like stairs so passengers can nicely go up when they get out and then back down to baggage claim, I dont know this is weird. We will see what will happen, I am excited to fly to Serbia next summer, I am excited to see what will change.
ReplyDeleteAnd isent it terminal 2 that needs the new gates, not terminal 1, which is getting all new ones? What is going to be completed by next summer...?
Oh yeah, I think in the picture on this news page it shows the second floor. Admin, am I correct?
ReplyDeleteFrom every gate, on each side there are 2 arch - like figures. And then it looks like there is a second floor all above t2, not too much over t1.
Don't alot of modern airports have this system where arrivals go through on the top floor and departures are on the one below?
ReplyDelete@Peter
ReplyDeleteExactly, an airport that has a similar layout is the Terminal 2 at Munich airport. All non-Schengen arriving pax (using gates) are sent to the top floor and then moved to the security screening area.
There are many other airports as well.
Yes, some massive airports with hundreds of passengers per day.
ReplyDeleteSome European airports that take you immediately down are Athens, Larnaca, Madrid, Warsaw, Budapest...
By the way, interesting fact, this year on average there were 90 passengers from Soci to Belgrade. That's actually quite good.
ReplyDeleteSorry for Off but news are very fresh:
ReplyDelete7th Q400 for Croatia Airlines is confirmed!
omg. the business class lounge at BEG is SUCH a dump! totally ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteWhat Belgrade airport needs is even more "Belgrade is a great place to do business signs". Every time I use the airport (about one a month), those signs are bigger and there are more of them.
Either a sadistic joke or extremely pathetic if someone actually thinks that.
Finally they explained what they plan to do and it is good that they think ahead, as during busier months airside and transit areas are packed Finally they will get rid of those small waiting rooms and get much more space there, let alone second security check points...
ReplyDeleteAll in all, it is great news. The sooner the start it the better.
2purger: thanks for the update! any more details? e.g. when can we expect it to start flying for OU, how many more is OU negotiating for, where will it (they) come from, etc.?
ReplyDelete2all: sorry for the off-topic, I know this post is about BEG (always nice to see renovations uplifting the standard), but since purger came with this information, I thought I might be entitled to ask for more details ;-)
OT:
ReplyDeleteI am so excited about the new airline. Hope its TAP. Minister Jeremic was there recently. Maybe there was discussion regarding this :) Not sure which other company it could be. Although, if Ryan Air will comence flights to MNE and BiH, why not SRB. Maybe its Ryan Air.
They should expand T1 more,bigger hall,more gates at least 2.shops should be included also at the a9 gate if they expand it, Arcade hall with sega and sony and flippersetc
ReplyDeleteFirst OT :thank you purger !
ReplyDeleteSecond :
This upgrade as ugly it may be
is an improvement !
Only alternative is to tear down terminal !
In long term I see a big problem for BEG and especially for its single runway :Extensive buiding and construction of houses around !
Belgrade expands around and in ten years the runway will totally be surrounded by living areas!
That means to expand airport and runway you have to tear down hundreds of houses or whole surcin .
ReplyDeleteAt landing you can see people inside of their sleeping rooms :)
Every plan for future should see building of an airport far outside of belgrade with alot of space for even three runways even if they only materialise in 50 years !
I hope they change the post office looking departures hall into something more appropriate.... the arrivals hall should be more taller so that it looks more spacious. Terminal 1 should be expanded more and with new glass air bridges, parking could be better, there is sooo much that could be done, maybe it will be cheaper to just build a new and bigger terminal?
ReplyDeleteGuys.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, there is no need to currently expand T1. Apart from Wizzair (three flights per day) and some charters in summer season, it is DESERTED most of the time.
Second, terminals don't have gates. There are the A gates, and there are the C gates. But they are not part of either terminal 1 or terminal 2.
New bussiness lounge? I never been there but 7-8 years ago they made a new one...financial affair is just ongoing with ex-minister involved among the others. Every investment is potential corruption affair here on Balkans!
ReplyDeleteAny time frame...or will it be "Skadar na Bojani"?
ReplyDelete@second last anonymous: that was the VIP lounge at the VIP part of T2. Doesn’t have anything to do with the business class lounge
ReplyDeleteIt shouldnt be any t2 and t1 terminal-it should be one integrated area. Beg can at the maximum have 7 milion pax a year and that will happen within a decade....they should think further and forward what to do with beg apt.
ReplyDelete@ anonymous no.8
ReplyDeletenot true, there is more than enough room for a totally new terminal and a runway on the other side of airport, once it is needed in the future. Airport has bought entire land behind NIS petrol station and garages long time ago. It is just used by farmers until airport needs it, in some decade or so.
They should build a new runway and terminal not a stupid corridor
ReplyDeleteBelgrade really doesn't need any third terminal or second runway. That would be megalomania. T1 is empty most of the time. They should refurbish the shabby corridors and gates of T2 instead!A hotel on the airport grounds would be very important.
ReplyDelete