Zagreb Airport is considering reopening its old passenger terminal, which has been closed for passenger use since March 28, 2017, with a decision on the matter due to be made by the end of the year. Under the existing concession agreement, the consortium running Zagreb Airport, the Zagreb Airport International Company (ZAIC), is obligated to begin expanding the terminal building no later than ninety days after the end of the year in which passenger numbers first reach five million. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic this was estimated to occur in 2026 and is still on course to transpire following the global health emergency. However, expansion of the existing terminal has been estimated at seventy million euros, making the reopening of the old terminal a more affordable and faster solution.
Stakeholders are discussing the possibility of moving low cost carriers to the old terminal. Ryanair, which has been the airport’s main driver of passenger growth over the past few years, has shown interest in the facility, although the airline has reportedly sought exclusive usage rights. “We have begun certain preparatory design activities related to expanding capacity in order to ensure the infrastructure needed to support future growth”, the airport told the “Jutarnji list” daily. It added, “The old passenger terminal forms part of the airport infrastructure within the concession area. A section of the facility is currently used for general aviation purposes, while another houses administrative offices. In line with development plans, possibilities for additional utilisation are being considered. At this time, no concrete decisions regarding new usage models have been made”.
The Croatian Ministry for Sea, Transport and Infrastructure has previously said discussions on the reopening of the old terminal have taken place. The state is reportedly willing to extend the concession of Zagreb Airport to its operator by three years and nine months if the consortium running the airport returns the old terminal to a functioning state. Zagreb Airport’s existing concession runs until 2042.
According to the 2013 concession agreement, the next stage of airport expansion (Phase 2) is divided into three sub-phases: 2A, 2B and 2C, with each triggered by achieving certain passenger milestones. If Zagreb Airport handles five million passengers this year, construction of Phase 2A must begin no later than March 30, 2027. Subsequent phases are triggered at 6.1 million and 7.3 million passengers respectively. The bulk of Phase 2A must be completed within 365 days, or 540 days if all three sub-phases are combined. If the concessionaire fails to complete any Phase 2 work within the contractual deadlines, penalties amount to 15.000 euros for each day of delay.
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| Zagreb Airport Phase 2 expansion plan |
It would be kind of symbolic if they reopened the terminal in March 2027, exactly 10 yrs after it was closed.
ReplyDeleteOmg old ZAG terminal is really ugly, stuck in 70's. Flying with Ryanair from old ZAG terminal would be like taking a public transport bus, awful 😣
DeleteMakes sanse for FR. Doesn't make sense for anyone else. What FR wil guarantee is the lowest fees, exclusivity of the terminal and faster turnaround times for... Well free
ReplyDeleteWhy would it not make sense for anyone else? Lower operating costs means lower prices for passengers and higher profits for airlines. New airlines would come, old ones would stay, the ones who left would return. Zagreb Airport's fees are too high.
DeleteMaybe someone will transfer from a flight to an LCC flight.
Delete@ 09:02
DeleteExactly. It would be a powerful tool to further blackmail Zagreb. If they are the only ones using the old terminal, then they can ask for any kind of exclusive discount as this can be justified with the use of the facilities that no one else uses and therefore those wouldn't be subsidies/discounts, that would just be the "normal" price for the old terminal.
The fact that during the concession tender they presented that phase 2 would be done straight away, then cut down on the original project after they won and now 10 years later they again want to avoid expansion...
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteIt's good business. Their opponent is a clueless government. Good for them.
DeleteI’m not convinced reopening the old terminal is the right move. It might save money now, but in the long term Zagreb will still need to expand the new terminal anyway. Why delay the inevitable?
DeleteBecause by the time it's inevitable it will be some other CEO who has to put his hand in his P&L for this sort of capital expenditure ;) that's how corporations work.
DeleteWould make sense but only if all LCCs move to that terminal.
ReplyDeleteThe old terminal was never that bad. With some refurbishment it could easily handle LCC operations. Many airports across Europe operate separate terminals for budget carriers very successfully.
DeleteZagreb Airport’s growth has been driven largely by low cost carriers over the past few years. Creating infrastructure specifically for them could actually help sustain that growth.
DeleteWith the Middle East disruptions and potential loss of traffic to UAE, Qatar and Israel, is 5 million passengers guaranteed this year?
ReplyDeleteIt need around 6% growth to reach 5 million right?
DeleteManagement must be over the moon that this will definitely slow growth.
DeleteWell it just makes more sense to open the old terminal. The cost of everything will skyrocket, including construction material.
DeleteQatar only has one daily flight and so does flyDubai. It's not a huge amount of passengers especially as Turkish will pick up a lot of them.
DeleteNot a bad idea at all
ReplyDeleteWhich comparable European airports with 5-10 million passengers have two terminals located far apart? Why wasn't the new terminal built directly adjacent to the old one? Why not simply extend the new terminal with gates for low-cost carriers?
DeleteIf the old terminal is reactivated and offers cheaper fees for airlines, Ryanair won't be the only one wanting to move into it.
Sofia
DeleteMany airports reuse older terminals for charter or seasonal traffic. Zagreb could do something similar, especially during the busy summer months when passenger numbers surge.
DeleteI would love for the old terminal to reopen 😀
ReplyDeleteWhy? It wasn't exactly nice
DeleteIt was overcrowded, so just before closure not a very nice experience. But in general it's a perfect terminal for LCC, just a short walk directly to the aircraft. It was also nicely renovated.
DeleteIt's a fantastic building, a great architectural design, part of Zagreb's heritage and a great venue for additional capacity at Zagreb considering that it's just an empty building at the moment.
DeleteAnother one here in favour of reopening of the old terminal. Ive been saying since the day one new terminal was opened that the old one should have remained fully functional serving LCC. Really would like to see it happening even 10 years later
DeleteBut old terminal does not meet current Schengen standards. So there would have to be some reorganisation and reconstruction. More than people would think.
DeleteNot true. ZAG had completely separated international and domestic traffic - both gates and passenger flow, both arrival and departure. And if any adjustments needed at all, which I doubt, can be done in a week or two
DeleteHow many gates does the old terminal have?
ReplyDeleteI believe 15.
DeleteDo passenger planes still park in front of the old terminal?
DeleteYes some
DeleteRyanair is perfect for the old terminal. People would just walk onto the aircraft from the gates.
DeleteHow would they be able to discriminate which airline can use old terminal and which not?
ReplyDeleteWould not be the first or last airport in Europe with purely LCC terminal.
DeleteOld terminal has around 2 million capacity so by reopening it they could avoid expansion for at least 2-3 years.
ReplyDeleteMore like 10-12 years. There wont be any expansion of new terminal if they open the old one. It makes no economic sense.
DeleteI think you are wrong. I believe if Ryanair gets the old terminal there is a chance for their significant expansion there. And if miracle would happen for OU to become proper flag carrier and decent company rather than humiliated feeder, ZAG could count on much larger volumes of traffic than it handles right now. But let's just wait and see
DeleteHumilation hyperbole all before noon.
DeleteJust wonder why it triggers you so much? Regards to Buzin, the third floor
Deleteexpected
ReplyDeleteThey will have to have some bus between the two terminals for passengers. They are not close at all.
ReplyDeleteWhy would people need to get between the two terminals?
DeletePleso prijevoz can just operate from new terminal to city with a stop at the old terminal and problem solved.
Delete^ Definitely
DeleteZET already operates line 290 Velika Gorica to Zagreb Kvaternikov trg, approximately every half an hour, connecting both terminals, and both cities, for very cheap price. Pleso prijevoz is ridiculously expensive, operates also on half an hour and not continuing to Velika Gorica. Plus travel is longer because they use Novi Zagreba and Buzin road which is congested almost always. Also they are in serious problems and might cease operations soon
DeleteI do not think it makes much sense to have two terminals with so few passengers, besides saving the concessionnaire some money.
ReplyDelete^ the main goal of this is to save the concessionaire money.
DeleteIt makes sense because it's literally a building that's right there and available. It's an instant capacity expansion.
DeletePhase 2A already exist
ReplyDeleteThe widebody gate at the far end alreadt exists?
DeleteI think they added that gate some years ago. It's where they put Air Transat.
DeleteAnon 09:29 Phase 2A doesn't exist. They slightly changed parking scheme at gate 25 because at one time there had two widebodies to be parked partially at partially same time. It also stayed that way for later possible cases. The airlines were Air Transat and Emirates. But nothing was built or extended, the same layout of terminal was there,and especially not a phase 2A.
DeleteThat would be great use of the old terminal.
ReplyDeleteThe LCC would benefit from it, the investment is limited and that would free space in the new terminal avoiding heavy investment.
Exactly. Good idea in my opinion.
DeleteHorrible idea that only benefits the concessionaire, nobody else.
DeleteI still can't believe that this terminal, which was more or less the same since the 1960s was used all the way until 2017.
ReplyDeleteYes, new building was long overdue.
DeleteIt's a fantastic building built to last.
DeleteI have fond memories of the building too.
DeleteAnon 10:03 No it wasn't a same since the 60's, there was one expansion during 70's and another in the 80's. The sixties is only the building in which were check-in counters, offices on the first floor, and the restaurant with observation deck.
DeleteAbout time they do something with that terminal
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean? It says in the article it is already being used for admin offices.
DeleteThey will need to hire more staff.
ReplyDeleteWon't be cheap to get it up and running again.
ReplyDeleteCertainly less than 70 million for expansion of existing terminal.
DeleteDoubt this will materialise but let's see.
ReplyDeleteCheaper option, why not?
DeleteThey really don’t need two terminals
ReplyDeleteIf they want serious growth which Ryanair can provide and which is obviously successful with passengers, yes they do need another terminal
DeleteWhy would the government ever agree to this? Let alone, extend the concession if they do it?
ReplyDeleteA big part of any concession concept is to get the private company to build infrastructure which will then remain for the state to use after the concession expires. There is a clear plan here that they agreed to. It specifies expansions only as expansions of the new terminal. Why would the government agree to give up what is supposed to be its future ownership? And then even pay for that by extending the concession? What on earth...
Anon 11:27:
DeleteI agree 100% !
Disagree 100 %.
DeleteWhy?
Because letting FR to old terminal is highly likely to bring many many more passengers in short period of time, which will enable expansion of new terminal not in just one but more or all planned phases, much sooner than by keeping status quo. The "only" thing left then is Croatia Airlines. If changes happen there as well, numbers at ZAG could skyrocket. Unfortunately for that one I am not so sure it could happen soon
Me above
DeleteThe fact that this is even being discussed is a consequence of the disastrously bad concession agreement for which the then-government under Milanovic is responsible (thanks to the then-Minister of Transport, Hajdaš Dončić).
ReplyDeleteAn airport with 5 million passengers should not have to have two terminals so far apart; the result would be significantly higher, doubled costs.
Original concession agreement was not disastrous at all. New terminal was supposed to be much bigger, more functional and nice. Changes which made it look and functional came later, when people you call responsible were not in charge any more. But it's so wellknown and so obvious way Kradeze functions: lies and accusing others for everything they did
DeleteOdlična ideja
ReplyDeleteFinally a sensible discussion. Spending €70 million immediately when the airport hasn’t even reached five million passengers yet seems excessive. If the old terminal can be refurbished quickly and cheaply, it makes sense as a temporary solution.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to know what the refurbishment cost of the old terminal would be.
DeleteOld terminal was completely and totally refurbished two years before new one was opened. One thing more why I couldn't understand they stopped using it as passenger terminal. Plus it's kept maintained over the years. So costs shouldn't be big neither refurbishment significant. Mostly just to be equipped with machines and tools
DeleteIf Ryanair gets exclusive rights to the old terminal, that would essentially create a two-tier airport. Other low cost carriers like Wizz Air or easyJet should also have access, otherwise it just gives one airline too much leverage.
ReplyDeletePassengers will probably be confused if two terminals start operating again. Transfers between them would also be impractical. Hopefully the airport considers passenger experience and not just costs.
ReplyDeleteOU won't be happy with this because you will give Ryanair (and other LCCs) even more reason to grow from Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteThey have already reacted angrily at this notion.
DeleteOf course. It's much easier to complain and bitch around instead working to be bigger, better and more competitive
DeleteNooo, I don't want to use the 70ies show box in a capital city.
ReplyDelete