Niš Constantine the Great Airport expects renewed momentum later this year when it opens its new terminal building (pictured). The airport, which handled a record 448.312 passengers in 2023 saw a softer start to the year, welcoming 26.391 travellers in January, down 18.2% year-on-year. The decline comes as a result of an 11.8% slump in the number of operated flights and a 10.1% decrease in capacity, with Ryanair operating 41% fewer flights this January compared to last, while Wizz Air reduced operations by 19.6%. However, the airport has begun work on diversifying its network by attending route development conferences and earlier this month took part in the CONNECT Route Development Forum in Turin.
The 7.160-square-metre new terminal building will have the capacity to handle 1.5 million passengers and up to six aircraft at the same time. “This will satisfy the airport’s needs for the next thirty to fifty years considering that Niš is a secondary airport and operates in a very specific environment due its proximity to airports in Skopje, Sofia and Pristina. This has an impact on our operations”, the CEO of operator Airports of Serbia, Mihajlo Zdravković, said. He added, “Construction of the new terminal has been mostly completed and we are now working on equipping the building. At the same time, we are working on the project for the demolition of the existing terminal. It will be replaced by another building, which will be connected with the new facility and cater for arriving passengers only”. Mr Zdravković noted that while the new building was initially to open this summer season, it has been slightly pushed back due to supply chain issues with specific equipment required by the airport. It is now likely for the new terminal to open in September.
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Commenting on air traffic development, Mr Zdravković, said, “As an airport we can’t influence airlines but the improved facilities, not only in terms of passenger handling, but also aircraft services will have a positive impact. We have invested 5.9 million euros in acquiring new equipment over the past three years, as well as installing a new runway lighting system. Thanks to these investments, airlines know that when they deploy their aircraft to Niš, they will be serviced quickly, efficiently and without issue. That gives carriers a certain degree of confidence. On the other hand, the improvements we are making for passengers will hopefully boost demand”.
The new terminal at Constantine the Great Airport will boast ten check-in desks, self-check-in stations, eight passport control booths, four passenger gates and one VIP gate. Furthermore, it will feature one air bridge and a luggage sorting facility. New food and beverage outlets, as well as duty free shops, will also be added, stretching over 700 square metres. Together with the existing terminal, the facility will jointly stretch over 10.000 square metres. The airport’s management recently requested for an environmental impact study to be conducted by the relevant authorities to enable the construction of a new 1.680 metre taxiway.
