The operator of Pardubice Airport is looking for a terminal builder

Pardubice - The construction of a new airport terminal in Pardubice will take approximately 16 months. East Bohemian Airport (EBA) has announced a tender for a construction company, with applicants having two months to submit their bids. The construction is expected to begin in the middle of next year. CTK was informed of this by Deputy Mayor Jan Řehounek (ANO).

By 2018, the terminal should be operational. The shareholders, which include the city and the Pardubice region, have set an upper limit of 300 million Czech crowns. Last year's tender had to be canceled because representatives of the companies told them that they were unable to build the proposed project for that amount. Therefore, EBA came up with a new, more economical project, which includes cheaper materials, and it is thus feasible within the 300 million budget.

"The order of the applicants will be determined by the bid price," said EBA Chairman Pavel Svoboda.

The EBA company will need to take out a loan of 250 million Czech crowns for the construction. The bank is now demanding greater guarantees, wanting to secure the future construction and the land. The airport operator has lost a significant portion of its Russian clientele and thus its revenue, so the bank wants to have greater assurances.

"Once we know the bid price, the city and regional councils will approve the funding for the construction. I expect this will happen in March or April 2016. Only then will a contract be signed with the winner of the competition," added Řehounek.

The terminal will be built from cheaper materials, and the transformer station will be located outside the building instead of inside. The current terminal does not meet the airport's needs. The new facility is meant to meet current standards in air transport. It will have a shop and a restaurant, and the terminal will also be able to handle passengers from multiple aircraft simultaneously, which is currently not possible.

Last year, the airport recorded a fifth reduction in passengers and served 150,000 people. This year, an even greater drop is expected, with an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 people likely to pass through the terminal. For example, the airport no longer has regular flights to Moscow, as the Russian carrier has started flying to Prague.