Bratislava Airport has a new terminal
Bratislava - M. R. Štefánik Airport in Bratislava, the largest airport in Slovakia, opened a new terminal yesterday. The first passengers will start using it from Thursday, and full operation will commence in July.
In the new hall, flights from the domestic carrier Danube Wings within the Schengen area will first be processed. From the middle of the month, regular flights from other carriers will be added, followed later by charter flights.
The new airport hall is opening shortly before Saturday's parliamentary elections. Representatives from the strongest government party, Smer-SD - Prime Minister Robert Fico, Transport Minister Ľubomír Vážny, and Culture Minister Marek Maďarič, attended the opening.
Construction of the new terminal began in 2008. After its completion, the current departure hall is to be demolished, and a terminal will be built in its place. Work at Slovakia's largest airport is expected to be completed in 2012 and, according to earlier estimates, will cost nearly 86 million euros (2.2 billion CZK). Most of the funds for the construction will come from the state, which controls the airport, while part will be borrowed by the airport company.
The annual capacity of the airport is supposed to double to five million from the current 2.5 million passengers after the construction is completed. However, following the collapse of Slovak airlines SkyEurope Airlines, Seagle Air, and Air Slovakia, the number of passengers has significantly declined. Last year, it fell by 23 percent to 1.71 million passengers, and in the first quarter by about five percent to 287,022. Currently, the largest carrier at the airport is the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair, while irregular transportation for travel agencies will mainly be provided this summer by the Czech Travel Service.
The new building is expected to increase passenger comfort. In the past, during peak summer times, some travel agencies checked in their clients in makeshift facilities near the old departure hall. However, passengers will find a minimum of services in the new terminal for now, as operations are to be opened gradually.
In the new hall, flights from the domestic carrier Danube Wings within the Schengen area will first be processed. From the middle of the month, regular flights from other carriers will be added, followed later by charter flights.
The new airport hall is opening shortly before Saturday's parliamentary elections. Representatives from the strongest government party, Smer-SD - Prime Minister Robert Fico, Transport Minister Ľubomír Vážny, and Culture Minister Marek Maďarič, attended the opening.
Construction of the new terminal began in 2008. After its completion, the current departure hall is to be demolished, and a terminal will be built in its place. Work at Slovakia's largest airport is expected to be completed in 2012 and, according to earlier estimates, will cost nearly 86 million euros (2.2 billion CZK). Most of the funds for the construction will come from the state, which controls the airport, while part will be borrowed by the airport company.
The annual capacity of the airport is supposed to double to five million from the current 2.5 million passengers after the construction is completed. However, following the collapse of Slovak airlines SkyEurope Airlines, Seagle Air, and Air Slovakia, the number of passengers has significantly declined. Last year, it fell by 23 percent to 1.71 million passengers, and in the first quarter by about five percent to 287,022. Currently, the largest carrier at the airport is the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair, while irregular transportation for travel agencies will mainly be provided this summer by the Czech Travel Service.
The new building is expected to increase passenger comfort. In the past, during peak summer times, some travel agencies checked in their clients in makeshift facilities near the old departure hall. However, passengers will find a minimum of services in the new terminal for now, as operations are to be opened gradually.
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