Reconstruction work at Dubrovnik Airport on Croatia’s Adriatic coast should triple passenger capacity over the next 25 years. The airport currently operates at close to maximum capacity and the upgrades will allow it to handle expected growth in passenger numbers while avoiding significant overcapacity.
- 29 November 2017
The work includes construction of a new 27 000 m² terminal and refurbishments to the existing terminal, such as modifications to the baggage-handling system. A connection between the terminals and two passenger bridges will also be built.
Airside infrastructure work includes improvements to and widening of the runway, as well as renovation of existing taxiways and the laying of new ones to cover the full length of the runway. The apron will also be reconstructed and extended, increasing the number of aircraft stands from 19 to 25.
Airside and landside improvements
Additional airside activities include improvements to the main aviation building, the ground support equipment area, the fire and rescue service, the drainage system and the airport perimeter. The fuel farm is to be relocated and its capacity increased, noise protection barriers will be installed, a central waste-management system will be created and connections to public sewage and storm-water networks set up.
Work is also being done on landside infrastructure, with the construction of a new administration building, connection to utilities such as water and electricity supply and waste-water facilities, improvements to car parking and relocation of public and access roads. Installation of solar panels will increase energy efficiency, while further measures will ensure that the airport satisfies noise-reduction and waste-management requirements.
Meeting safety and border-control standards
Upgrades to airside infrastructure are in line with requirements laid down by the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization and will improve safety at the airport. The developments also enable Dubrovnik Airport to meet the rules of the Schengen Borders Code for checks on people crossing EU external and internal borders in the Schengen area.
As a result of the work, terminal area space per passenger at peak hours will increase from 21.9 m² to more than 25 m². The number of people working at the airport will rise from 447 to 676 by 2020. Passenger processing and waiting times will be cut from 60 to 40 minutes.
The airport is part of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) and is a main gateway for visitors to the region, particularly given its geographical isolation from the rest of Croatia and the EU. The airport is not directly connected by motorway or railway to the TEN-T network and the project is thus vital to improving the accessibility of Dubrovnik-Neretva County. It is complemented by regional authority measures to increase accessibility as part of a regional mobility plan.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the “Dubrovnik Airport Development Project” is EUR 214 998 448, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 134 601 779 through the “Transport for Croatia” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period.