EU funds for the Jože Pučnik Airport
Ljubljana, 20 December 2012 – The European Commission notified the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, the Managing Authority for the EU funds and the Cohesion Fund, that it issued the decision for the project “Construction of the passenger terminal at the Jože Pučnik Airport”. The project, the overall value of which is 89.6 million Euros, is part of the Operational Programme for Development of the Environmental and Transport Infrastructure for the period 2007–2013. The European Regional Development Fund contribution amounts to over 15 million Euros, the contribution of the national budget of the Republic of Slovenia amounts to a little less than 1 million Euros and the contribution of the investor, Aerodrom Ljubljana d.d., amounts to 73.6 million Euros. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Spatial Planning, as the intermediate body, is responsible for the implementation of the project. The Ministry and Aerodrom Ljubljana d.d. will sign a contract on the co-financing of the project.
The new passenger terminal will be constructed alongside the existing passenger terminal and will connect with the pathways. Both terminals will represent 36,086 m2 for the needs of air transport. Besides the construction of the new four-level terminal covering the surface of 31,200 m2, the investment also foresees the reconstruction of a part of the existing terminal. This will ensure better accessibility, greater quality of services and efficiency of operation. The new terminal will ensure a complete separation of the Schengen and non-Schengen traffic as well as the separation of the arriving and departing passengers.
The realisation of the project will ensure better quality of treating passengers, namely as C-standard service according to the classification of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It will increase the capacity of the airport passenger services as the project will increase the number of passengers per hour, namely from 700 to 1,800. The project, therefore, also foresees the increase in the number of exits in the terminals, namely from the present 9 to 18 (9 exits in the existing terminal and 9 exits in the framework of the new terminal).
The existing passenger terminal was constructed in 1973 under the assumption that it will be able to accept 500,000 passengers per year in the near future. Due to the increased traffic the terminal was later expanded several times, including one of the biggest modernisations in 2007 when the terminal was modernised in accordance with the Schenghen agreement. However, the solution could not be permanent as it did not solve the so-called bottle necks in receiving passengers and their luggage as well as in the implementation of airport safety checks or controls. The investment was therefore, necessary. Namely, in 2010 the airport received 1.4 million passengers.
This is the 9th major project confirmed in Slovenia in the framework of the Operational Programme for Development of the Environmental and Transport Infrastructure for the period 2007–2013. Before that the European Commission, which is, in the programming period 2007–2013, the one that confirms the so-called major projects the overall value of which exceeds 50 million Euros (the project, the value of which does not exceed 50 million Euros, is confirmed by the Member State), issued the decisions for the following:
- 5 transport projects (4 highway sections and modernisation of the railway track Divača-Koper)
- 3 environment projects (upgrade of the regional centre for waste management in Central Slovenia, upgrade of the system for the monitoring and analysis of water environment in Slovenia and the project for the overall drinking water supply in the valley of Šaleška dolina).
An international public procurement is being implemented for the mentioned project, namely for construction and finishing works and electrical and mechanical installation, which is – compared to the seven or up to ten public procurements, which will take place – the most extensive. The selected contractor will have up to 20 months after the signing the contract or no later than the deadline, i.e. 15 January 2015, to realise the project. Recently, the public procurement for the project works of the overall renovation of the existing passenger terminal was published.
For more information about the project please contact the Ministry of infrastructure and Spatial Planning or Aerodrom Ljubljana d.d.
