The Croatian government has announced the construction of a new multi million euro terminal at Split Airport, which will stretch over 34.500 square metres and increase the airport’s capacity to 3.5 million passengers per year. Furthermore, the car park and bus area will be expanded by 35.500 square metres. Work on the 59.3 million euro expansion project is expected to begin in autumn or early winter. It is estimated to take just over two years to complete the investment. The new terminal will improve the quality of passenger services and will enforce European Union standards for international border crossings in line with the Schengen Agreement.

The Croatian Minister for Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Siniša Hajdaš Dončić, said the airport’s management had worked on the project documentation for two and a half years, adding that he hoped for a construction permit to be obtained in July. "The funding has been secured from our own sources to the amount of 17.1 million euros, and the rest will be financed from loans, which will be granted by development banks without government guarantees. There is no reason why this project should not be completed in two and a half years, resulting in a revamped airport that will have a capacity of more than two million passengers annually, a figure expected to be achieved in 2017/2018", Mr Hajdaš Dončić said.

Split Airport was the former Yugoslavia’s third busiest airport in 2014 and is the second busiest in Croatia after Zagreb, handling a record 1.7 million passengers last year. Plans to build a new terminal at Split Airport were first announced in 2013. It’s Managing Director, Lukša Novak, said, “During 2015 we expect to increase passenger numbers by 6%. As a result, we will handle some 1.860.000 passengers. We also plan to continue to invest in airport equipment which will ensure the best aircraft handling and services”. Mr Novak added that the airport will hit the two million passenger mark in 2017. During the first five months of the year, Split Airport welcomed 338.563 passengers through its doors, an increase of 6.8% compared to the same period in 2014. Just this weekend, Split Airport will handle 22.000 passengers on 105 different flights. Split becomes the third airport in Croatia which will build a new passenger terminal over the next three years, joining Zagreb and Dubrovnik.