PHOTOS: Belgrade Airport construction update

NEWS FLASH

The expansion and modernisation of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is continuing to advance. Last week the airport launched a new energy plant to reduce the environmental impact made by its heating and electrical energy. Using more environmentally efficient energy sources and switching from heavy fuels to natural gas, the new plant has 44MW of total heating capacity and is equipped with a state-of-art trigeneration system for production and distribution of heating, cooling and electric energy. The total heating capacity of the airport has been increased by 25%, while the carbon footprint has been reduced by 25%, which equals a reduction of green-house gasses by 3.000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide. Using a smart building management system, the airport will optimise energy consumption dependent on the outdoor temperature.

Extensive reconstruction of the area in front of the terminal building is now taking place, which includes the modernisation of access roads, parking lots and the extension of the terminal to make place for centralised check-in and security procedures. This part of the project involves the shifting of the existing drop-off and pick up area and the extension of the check-in hall through the construction of a completely new zone. Check-in will be centralised with some 100 check-in desks. Passengers will then proceed to the first floor for centralised security checks, after which they will enter a large duty-free area. The first phase of the landside work will be completed by May, after which parts of the area in front of the terminal will be reopened. However, the entire project will be completed next year and involves a total of ten phases.

The airport is also testing different features of its recently completed expanded C concourse wing prior to it being opened to the public this spring, including its new airbridges.

Work on the existing Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 buildings are continuing to take place, both in the check-in and departures area. The construction of the arrivals corridor, or a new floor, is also advancing.

The new control tower, a separate project being carried out simultaneously by the Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services Agency, is also advancing with construction work expected to be completed soon.