The construction of the new terminal building at Karlovy Vary Airport is halfway

Karlovy Vary - The new passenger terminal at Karlovy Vary airport has completed its basic load-bearing structure and work is beginning on the roofing. Test operations should start in the hall for 98 million crowns in December; so far, the construction of the atypical building shaped like an airplane fuselage without wings is proceeding according to schedule, confirmed representatives of the contractor at today's inspection day.
    "Unlike the previous construction, which took place directly during operations, the new terminal is being built without disrupting airport operations," stated airport director Václav Černý.
    The new terminal will offer significantly higher comfort for passengers. Public spaces will be enlarged, and the number of check-in counters will increase from four to six and later to eight. "The peak hourly capacity will reach 200 to 250 checked-in passengers per hour, which corresponds to three to four aircraft simultaneously," added the governor's deputy Jan Zborník.
    The increase in capacity of the check-in terminal is a fundamental condition for further growth of the airport and the increase in the number of flights. "Before the first phase of the reconstruction began, we could talk about a capacity of around 60,000 people; after completing the space to meet the conditions of the Schengen area, we have a capacity of 150,000 to 200,000 passengers, and after the completion of this terminal, the capacity could be about 400,000 to 500,000 passengers," Černý told ČTK.
    The main revenues of the airport come from regular flights of Czech Airlines and Russian Aeroflot between Karlovy Vary and Moscow. This winter season should bring an additional increase in the number of flights, from four last year to six.
    In addition to flights to Russia, the airport is mainly used by travel agencies for charter flights during the summer season. According to Governor Josef Pavel, negotiations will begin with Lufthansa next year about connecting to Frankfurt airport. "This would significantly facilitate travel for people from the region and surrounding areas, as they would no longer have to travel through Prague," added Pavel.