The reconstruction of the airport in K. Vary is the first successful project funded by the EU

Karlovy Vary - The reconstruction of the international airport in Karlovy Vary - Olšové Vrata is the first successful project in north-west Bohemia that has been awarded a grant from the European Union during the planning period of 2007 to 2013. The Karlovy Vary Region, as the owner of the airport, will receive about 80.1 million crowns from the European Regional Development Fund for the construction of the new terminal. The financing agreement for the project was signed today by the governor of the Karlovy Vary Region, Josef Pavel, and the governor of the Ústí Region, Jiří Šulc.
    The construction of the new check-in terminal will cost a total of 98.1 million crowns. In addition to European funds, the Karlovy Vary Region will also receive 7.7 million crowns from the state budget and will contribute 10.9 million crowns to the project itself. The new terminal, construction of which has already started, is expected to be completed this December, Pavel stated. "All costs will first be covered by the Karlovy Vary Region and as soon as the terminal is approved and put into operation, we will receive money from the EU. We have prepared for this action in advance, so we have the finances," he said.
    After the completion of the new terminal, the Karlovy Vary airport will be able to handle up to half a million passengers per year. This is eight times more than the number of passengers handled last year. The hall has a futuristic structure resembling the fuselage of a plane without wings. In addition to spaces designated for passenger handling, there will also be areas for commercial purposes. Modernization of the old hall at the airport was completed last May, requiring modifications after the Czech Republic's entry into the Schengen area. The modifications cost about 56 million crowns.
    The Karlovy Vary Region had previously invested over 146 million crowns in the development of the airport utilizing EU funds - for increasing the load-bearing capacity of the runway and security equipment. The reconstruction of the old hall was financed almost half from the so-called Norwegian funds. "The airport is strategic for the development of the region and if we want to attract airlines here, we must offer quality infrastructure. Without financial support from the European Union, its modernization would be much more complicated. However, the region would still have embarked on it," Pavel stated.
    The international airport of Karlovy Vary in Olšové Vrata operated last year with a profit after tax of about 2.5 million crowns. Its economic balance improved compared to a loss in 2006, which was 1.8 million crowns. Of the profit generated, the airport will use about 1.9 million crowns to cover the loss from 2006, which the region had planned. The loss occurred due to an unplanned shutdown during the modernization of the runway. Last year, 64,641 passengers passed through the terminal. Compared to 2006, the number of passengers handled increased by about 82.65 percent.
    In the planning period from 2007 to 2013, a total of 263 projects aimed at obtaining EU grants for the so-called Northwest cohesion region have been pursued in the Karlovy Vary and Ústí Regions. Out of these, 175 projects have advanced to the next round. For applicants from the Ústí and Karlovy Vary Regions, nearly 746 million euros (approximately 18 billion crowns) are prepared in the Regional Operational Program by 2013.