With the ongoing news about Croatia’s new metro and soon-to-be one-way traffic regulation at the ferry port, we’ve nearly forgotten about the second-largest investment project in Dalmatia next to the Pelješac bridge – the new (and highly anticipated) terminal at Split Airport.
While we’ve reported over the last six months that the new terminal is scheduled to open in June, with Croatia’s Minister of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković confirming in March that the more than 450 million kuna terminal and its additional facilities were progressing faster than planned, today we finally have a more concrete answer on the official opening date of the ‘new’ Split Airport – and it is in approximately two weeks.
Namely, Ex Yu Aviation reports that Split Airport’s new passenger terminal is set to open on schedule, and in approximately two weeks, though the exact date is still unknown. Technical checks are currently underway at the site, after which the Croatian Ministry for Construction and Spatial Planning will issue an operating permit.
Recall, the new terminal will spread across 50,000 square meters, which is a significant improvement compared to the current 14,000. The will be 30 check-in counters, 6 exits, 5 luggage carousels, a new sorting facility, parking for 900 cars, a station for 49 buses, and a 120-meter-long air-conditioned pedestrian bridge that connects it all. There will also be a lounge for business class passengers, an observation deck, and more restaurants. You can see the progress of the airport back in March here.
“This additional space will enable us to handle 2,500 passengers per hour instead of the current 2,000. That totals 40,000 travelers per day,” said Lukša Novak, Split Airport’s general manager.
“On an annual basis, the extra capacity will enable us to handle an additional one million passengers. Depending on tourism industry trends, this terminal should cater to our needs over the next fifteen years. We expect new routes to be launched once the new terminal opens. Each year we expand with some five or six new destinations. We are currently linked with around 100 cities or some fifty countries. We expect for this trend to continue in the coming years,” added Novak.
Split Airport expects to see 5-10% growth in passengers this year.
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