The expansion of Vodochody Airport could begin as early as next year

Odolena Voda (near Prague) - The planned expansion of Vodochody Airport could begin at the end of next year. The airport is already preparing documentation for zoning procedures. If the Ministry of the Environment starts reviewing last year's approved environmental impact study and finds no irregularities, the expansion, which would facilitate the handling of up to three and a half million passengers annually, could be completed by the summer season of 2017. This was stated by Martin Kačur, the director of Vodochody Airport.
    The approved environmental impact study (EIA) is necessary for the initiation of the zoning procedure. After a meeting with the governor of the Central Bohemian Region, Josef Řihák, and around two dozen mayors from municipalities near the airport, the Ministry of the Environment is now deciding whether to review the study. “From our perspective, the EIA process is closed. It proceeded in a similar manner to other comparable projects. I do not know how it will be reassessed under the current legislation,” said Kačur. Now Vodochody Airport is already preparing documentation for the zoning procedure and hopes to initiate it by mid-year. The expansion could be completed in 2017.
    Opponents associated with the initiative Stop Vodochody Airport are concerned that although the EIA study is approved, it contains 124 legally unenforceable conditions. The study should guarantee that any impact on the residents does not violate Czech laws. All conditions, such as the completion of a connecting road to the D8 highway, limiting the number of takeoffs and landings, or the dimensions of the aircraft that the airport will be able to accept, are to be incorporated into the project. According to the director, compliance should be monitored by authorities dealing with civil aviation, public health protection, environmental protection, and similar matters.
     The airport has proposed contributions to the municipalities tied to the number of passengers processed. "To ensure the surrounding area has a guarantee that we want to fulfill our commitments, we have established strict penalties in our Public Commitment for violating our obligations," Kačur stated. “Their amount was set in such a way that it would discourage airlines from applying for exceptions to the rules at all.”
    In the future, most commercial aircraft, such as Boeing 737 or Airbus 320, could operate here. Normal operations are planned between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM. After 10 PM, some delayed flights may be accepted, but no operations will be allowed after midnight.
    Currently, the airport is already adapted for the landing of aircraft in category C, which means a wingspan of up to 36 meters. The only exceptions are larger, mostly military aircraft, such as the Ilyushin 76 or Hercules C-130, which transport disassembled L-39 Albatros aircraft for manufacturing needs. Because Vodochody Airport will not exceed an annual number of 50,000 takeoffs or landings, it must meet external and internal noise limits, even within the proposed protective noise zone, which distinguishes it from Prague's Václav Havel Airport, which already has an exemption and only needs to meet the so-called internal noise limit.
    In Vodochody, up to 500 jobs should be created directly at the airport operator, and companies connected to the operation of the expanded airport could create another 2,500 job opportunities. The airport's capacity is expected to increase from the current annual number of 12,000 takeoffs and landings to approximately three times that. Some low-cost airlines from Václav Havel Airport might transfer operations to Vodochody, which would significantly expand their existing operations to Prague, including others that do not currently fly to the Czech Republic. About 80 percent of airport operations will be involved. "Regarding the inspection and maintenance of aircraft, there is no difference between low-cost airlines and any other company, as it is sufficiently addressed by European legislation," added Kačur. The airport also serves the parent company Aero Vodochody in the field of development and service of its products. A significant portion of the clientele today consists of small commercial and private aircraft.
    The total investment for the expansion of the airport, including the construction of an access road to the D8 highway, runway extension, and airport buildings, is estimated to be around three billion crowns. Vodochody Airport is part of the Aero group, which is controlled by the company Penta. Penta purchased it from the state at the beginning of 2007 for three billion crowns.