Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is finalising work on a number of key infrastructure projects as it continues to register record passenger numbers. Following the opening of its new central processor building, work is continuing on developing access roads to the new facility which are expected to be completed during the summer. The airport recently opened a new official taxi stand as part of the new road and parking infrastructure near the terminal. Together with additional controls and private security, the airport has eradicated the long-running issue of unlicensed taxi drivers offering their services to passengers.
Inside the new central processor, focus has shifted on the opening of shops and food and beverage outlets. The airport is in the final phase of negotiations with future vendors. Furthermore, work on the construction of a brand new central shopping plaza is underway. It will be positioned behind security and is expected to be completed in the coming months. The 28 newly opened check-in desks will soon be expanded, as the check-in area in terminal two, which is currently closed, will be overhauled and combined with the new ones. Overall, the airport will boast some ninety check-in desks. Construction is also taking place in Terminal 1 near the tour operator counters and part of the check-in desks. Work is still ongoing at gates A5 to A10, which are being expanded with a new floor built above them and connected to the rest of the building.
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| New central shopping plaza area |
Belgrade Airport and Air Serbia are part of a government committee working on the installation of eGates, which will enable users to simply scan their travel documents to be passed through for facial recognition. The technology is already there but is subject to preparations between the Serbian government and the European Union. In the first phase, passengers travelling from Serbia to the EU and vice versa will have the ability use the eGates. Work at passport control in the arrivals area is also under way, with old passport booths now being dismantled to make way for new ones and an expanded passport control area. Furthermore, construction is continuing in the arrivals hall to enable the use of the newly installed automated baggage handling system.
The opening of Belgrade Airport’s new 3.500-metre inserted runway is also expected shortly following over two months of trials and testing. Belgrade Airport’s General Manager, Francois Berisot, recently said, “Construction work at Belgrade Airport began in January 2020 and is on schedule. Work is currently taking place at several locations. Soon we will put into operation the new inserted runway and begin the overhaul of the current runway for the first time in sixty years. The completion of all of the airport's most crucial projects is scheduled by the end of the year”. In late 2018, airport operator VINCI announced that all key infrastructure projects would be completed by 2024.
Excellent to see that they are going to introduce egates!
ReplyDeleteWhat are e gates
DeletePassport check done by the computer.
Deletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPassport_gates
DeleteI flew out today. Traffic was a mess because of the construction. We are on the edge of the summer season, they need to get this in order asap or it will cause a collapse.
DeleteGlad to see they are able to address the taxi mafia.
The lounge really needs to get fixed up. It's falling apart.
how can an airport encompassing 17 different architectural styles can be beautiful?
DeleteCan you list all 17? Or at least 16?
DeleteCant wait to see the airport construction when I will arrive in Serbia
ReplyDeleteWhen do you arrive?
DeleteWhenever I want to....joking, I am getting there in early August.
DeleteAnd as expected, it took them 24 hours to resolve the taxi issue at the airport. When there is a will there is a way.
ReplyDeleteWhat did they do? I haven't used it lately.
DeleteIt says in the article. They built an official taxi stand where all the taxis are checked, you have to get a voucher which you can get at the taxi stand and they hired private security.
DeleteNo, there is nothing about that in the article - mafia taxi drivers that exist at the airport for 30 years and that became particularly violent in the past year (the team from Trg Republike), rubbed the passengers with prices up to 30,000 dinars (250 eur) for the ride to the center. They have beaten people, make treats, etc. At the final, they made treats to the director of the airport. After that, he said to the Gov that if the problem is not solved in a week, he will forbid all taxies from coming to the airport and airport will organise their own taxi service. Thereafter, the Gov did what they were supposed to do for years - they sent special Police squad, New Comunal police forces (that were not in the deal with these bandits), and they sent them away. This is still functioning for a week or so - we’ll see if it is really permanent.
DeleteWell there is. It says there is an official taxi stand, that there is added security and that for now there are no unlicensed taxi drivers hanging around.
DeleteNext step - make it mandatory for all taxis operating at the airport to have functional POS devices and accept card payments. We're in 2023 and I still get eyes rolled when I ask if I can pay with a credit card.
DeleteFully agree. I always insist on paying with a card and getting a proper bill for the service. It’s about time transport ourselves to 2023 when it comes to payments to and from the airport
DeleteThe government doesn't really care about their foreign visitors, they rather want to keep their foreign investor happy. Let's see how long the current situation will last.
DeleteTotally true, they only understand the language of threats.
DeleteBEG is on fire, can't wait to see their April performance. Tomorrow there are 106 departures including HAM & CAI.
ReplyDeleteThere is A320 to Skopje.
DeleteHope they get that fire under control soon.
Delete@13:02 Belgrade is the only airport still featuring Covid signage around the terminal, so I guess this might take a while.
DeleteGood work. Transformation is slowly taking place.
ReplyDeleteFinally they are addressing that passport control on arrivals.
ReplyDeleteIs there going to be a new pasport control at arrivals or they re just increasing capacity of the current one?
ReplyDeleteThey are increasing capacity and replacing booths.
DeleteThe issue isn't the number of booths, it is rather the human factor, with MUP officers preferring to drink coffee in the break room over providing a decent service.
DeleteFrom the inside it reminds me of Frankfurt Airport
ReplyDeleteindeed, jsut like FRA - dark and deperressive
DeleteWill the new A gates open this summer?
ReplyDeleteI am curious to see whether they have managed to add some more space with the open space concept. Previously, the A gates had the charm of a chicken farm.
DeleteGood work
ReplyDeleteSomeone know when will the new runway open?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering about that too..?
DeleteMe thinks within two months.
DeleteCan't wait to see which shops/brands will be on the ground floor in the new building.
ReplyDeleteHope there will be much indy and local shops.
DeleteThey will be owned by some that are close to pussymouth's party
DeleteDumb claims. When you shop at luxury store (you wish!) or dine at an expernisve restaurant in New York or Palermo, do you investigate if owner if connected to Mafia?
DeleteGood to see they will renovate T1 and T2 too.
ReplyDeleteNot so sure on the taxi comment unless it happened in past 2 weeks since I have been last. Private (wild) taxis are at front of queue (everyone knows who these guys are) and they don’t want to drive passengers with vouchers etc or even if they say yes they want 30-50% more
ReplyDeleteNow is better situation.
DeleteTo be honest I am increasingly dissapointed with the restoration & reconsturction process of BEG including new facilities and spaces:
ReplyDeleteThe (new) areas are still small, low ceailings, tight passages, not enought space, materials and finishings looks poor and not well done (fušeraj as we in the Balkans say). There will be some 20 check in desks in total more!? Not enough!
The arrivals hall is not significantly larger comparing to the old one, the only difference is that it has been moved.
DeleteThe departure passport control already now has long quees which are going all the way down the stars to the entrance of the building in the mornings, not well organized at all and not enough dpace in front of the passport control desks.
There are significant delays in the current works. Vinci haven't been able to finish the asphalt in front of the new central processor building and organize traffic for months since the new building has been finished inside.
DeleteI don't wantto start writing about food options inside the terminal and arrival passporr control because they are still under construction so I will give opportunity to Vinci but I am sceptical.
DeleteAll in all it looks like a big "karabudzevina" as some in the Balkans say. It looks like its going to be overcrowded and chaotic eith huge lines in a year or two.
I sincerely hope that I will prOove wrong when its all done and not left dissapointed.
@10.44
DeleteConstruction work is not delayed at all and your comment shows you know very little about the project or bothered to read anything. Access roads are almost completed and they never were planned to open when the porcessor building was completed. All main projects related to passengers will be completed in 2024 as it say in the link in the text from 2018.
Thank you, but I am pretty much into the topic(project) and i read practically all the articles here and also on some other portals and closely following the news about BEG. So if you are commenting from the shoes of BEG Vinci spokesman I understand your point. If not, I don't. Because that kind of attitude will not improve our passeneger experience in this airport.
DeleteI'm just telling you that you are spreading misinformation that the project is delayed. It isn't. In fact all deadlines have been met, some even ahead of schedule.
DeleteAllright, that is your opinion, but I am interested to hear your opinion on other claims I shared here before the delays, especially about the size of the spaces, long quees, number of desks, fušeraj, etc...
DeleteNegative people on here are in large numbers and they will never ever see anything positive regardless what ut is. I departed 3x so far this year and I loved it. Super nice, specios, well designed and it was done quicker then I could imagine as there was covid for over 2 years and shortage of everything. Keep going BEG and most of us love the new terminal.
DeleteI recently arrived at BEG and had overall good experience, but there were some negative aspects, not sure if it was due to ongoing construction or poor overall planning. I am always positive and optimistic person, so I hope I won't be labeled a negative person due to some of my comments.
DeleteMy biggest disappointment is the new central processor, it is slightly larger than the old area, and they swapped the order of passport control and security. Apart from these changes, it is pretty much the same disorganized mess. Same for the customs area, just seems like a bad copy & paste.
DeleteYou will get the same label as I got, a "negative people" from a selfproclaimed experts when you share your opinion based on your relevant experience.
DeleteArrived yesterday in Belgrade, lots of constructions are still ongoing inside, but overall it looks great, really warm colors.
ReplyDeleteOutside though, the parking is a mess, half finished, no order, taxis parked outside the park spots, blocking the way out.
Oh and yes, a bus brought us from the plane to the terminal and this bus driver was the worst. This guy was braking so hard several times, some older people even fell. He had no clue he was driving passengers and not potatoes.
Is there a map of what the entire terminal area will look like after everything is completed?
ReplyDeleteBelgrade needs a rail link
ReplyDelete100%
DeleteI found a link with few videos of what it would look like when it is all completed. I was travelling through BEG in 2021 and 2022 and I was amazed at the progress I saw in 2022. I can't wait to see the completed work. Someone mentioned rail link. I think it would be a great idea.
ReplyDeleteDoes that mean Serbian citizens will be able to use eGates in EU countries?
ReplyDeletehow yes no...
DeleteNo. And from next year, Serbian citizens (and all other non-Schengen not requiring a visa) will have the pleasure to pay 7 EUR for their ETIAS.
DeleteI don't understand why eGates will only work if you are going to/coming from the EU. Why not other destinations as well?
Delete^ read the article. It says in the first phase. It will obviously be exapnded in the future.
DeleteWhy not if the article says so?
Delete"In the first phase, passengers travelling from Serbia to the EU and vice versa will have the ability use the eGates".
Not sure what EU has to do with you leaving/coming to the country, but sure.
DeleteEU has nothing to do with leaving EU?
DeleteCongratulations.
eGates in question are in Serbia and concern Serbian passport holders entering/leaving Serbia. We good?
DeleteEventually, yes. Particularly with the introduction of ETIAS. Those pax that have been pre-cleared will be able to use eGates at EU airports, that is the general intention. It will take more work to make this happen, though.
DeleteThere are already some thrid-country nationals that are able to use those gates at certain airports (for example, US, Australia and if I remeber correctly Korean citizens can use eGates in Italy, etc.)
I second the motion for the rail link to Beg.
ReplyDeleteAnd at least 1 proper airport hotel with a branding: Best Western, Hyatt, ibis, etc.
DeleteWell, not exactly that Best Western and Ibis on one side have anything in common with Hyatt on the other side, except being hotels. The two groups are totally diferrent and the first one is usually in range of 3 stars, and the second is usually in range of 5 stars. Airport hotels are in most of the cases 4 star - Novotel, Holliday Inn, CrownPlaza, Radisson Blue... Of course there are exceptions but this is generally the case
DeleteYou are right, Hilton Garden Inn, Novotel or Courtyard my Marriott could be a perfect fit for BEG.
DeleteAgree and hope soon to happen
DeleteWho would sleep there? Downtown is only 14km away
DeleteAll those passengers sleeping at airport hotels all over the world closer than 14 km to downtown
DeleteI agree that some may think that 14 km is too much to drive, but blow me anyway
DeleteDo anyone know what will happen to the old controltower?And when will they expand the rest of the c gates?
ReplyDeleteWill there be an observation deck?
ReplyDeleteI’ve just arrived from the airport and I have to admit I was uncomfortable inside the building. It is dark, low ceilings, lack of air, almost claustrophobic, not to mention subpar signage. I can only hope the final result will be better. Even my guests arriving from Amsterdam felt the same.
ReplyDeleteExactly the same feeling during last couple of weeks and several trips via BEG.
Delete+1
DeleteI guess you live in a castle if you felt bad and claustrophobic in BEG... Reading those comments, one would imagine the built catacombs and not a decent building for public use according to all necessary standards. Could it be better, always. Was it how some here claimed, maybe in their wet dreams!
DeleteWhen will VIP terminal get a facelift?
ReplyDeletePeople expect too much .
ReplyDeleteTo profit as much as possible companies invest as little as possible .
Thats everywhere in the world like this .
Its just the times we live in .
Flew in/out of BEag a few times in the last couple of weeks…quite disappointed with a new terminal. The only good thing about it is the fact that its new and more specious than the old one. And maybe the façade. Everything else about it is quite bland and generic. Nothing Serbian about it apart of some famous Serbs engraving on the walls down the corridors. No art, no unique enterior solutions, no plants…Even the signs are quite unreadable with dose dots and letters size. Not to mention that Cyrillic is nowhere to be seen. Just compering it to Athens, Larnaca, Zagreb even Budapest and Sofia have more unique touch to it. Maybe its to early to judge, but its not promising…
ReplyDeleteYou have pirotski ćilim motif on the windows
Delete>>Not to mention that Cyrillic is nowhere to be seen
DeleteTry new glasses. Name of the airport is 30 meter wide right at the new building entrance. On the inside, name of the new C gate restaurant is Бистро.
Anon 19:12 Zagreb airport doesn't have any architectural detail unique to Zagreb or Croatia. Not one.
DeleteIt is not fair to compared with Athens as they are in different leagues....and ATH is nothing special either!
DeleteWhat do you expect to see exactly? Even the Chinese, who build only to impress at this point, are doing nothing of sorts. Except perhaps in Beijing only, where one of the terminals is loosely shaped "like a dragon".
DeleteWhat yous talk'in about?
DeleteVidim da su neki sve nervozniji kako se radovi bliže kraju i aerodrom se sprema da zasija u punom sjaju. Bravo Vansi, očigledno radite dobar posao.
ReplyDeleteThere is a huge empty space between baggage reclaim and new customs checkpoint - any idea what's going to be there? I was under the impression they would move the arrivals passport control to where the current belts are (or at least the first two out of four), and then have the empty space used for more belts. But, obviously, that's not happening.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I see that some of the A5-A10 jet bridges (from the 80s) have been repainted and refurbished - guess that means they're staying?
My biggest issue with the new terminal - but this falls under "first world problems" is that 90% of my travels is in the region and on business, and bus gates could not have been placed farther from the security checkpoint. Add the JU lounge location to this, and it makes for a really inconvenient departure experince. Lounge in the vicinity of C10 would make a big difference.
Without metro connecting airport and center of the city, we can't speak of any (wannabe) big airport... There's no taxi service that will solve this issue.
ReplyDeletePrague doesn't have it. Zagreb doesn't have it. Also Naples, Montreal, Orlando, Las Vegas, Venice etc don't have it. Much much larger than BEG airport. So **** off.
DeleteMetro, railway... It is desperately needed.
DeleteIt is not. Six million passengers is far from what those airports handle. Calm down.
DeleteLast time I was flying through BEG, the key issue was that the security with the scanners had low throughput. As such, the delay was in security, not the passport check. Unless they add more scanners, there will always be issues with the speed through which you go through security. Overall, the airport is much better than it used to be, but the security is too slow during the morning peak.
ReplyDelete