The construction of Zagreb Airport’s new multi million euro terminal will begin in September 2013, representing yet another delay in a line of many. Charles Paradis, the head of Bouygues Construction Concession, which forms part of the international consortium in charge of building and running the new terminal, has announced that construction is likely to begin sometime at the end of summer, “most probably in September”. The consortium is still waiting to receive necessary permits in order for construction to begin, although it is believed it is also yet to secure necessary finances. The price tag of the project’s first phase will amount to 236 million euros, while the thirty year concession fee adds up to 1.9 billion euros.
According to the concession contract, signed with the Croatian government, the airport’s new operators are obliged to begin construction by April 11, 2013 at the latest. While the Croatian government can sanction or even terminate their contract with the French centred consortium for breaching the deadline, the move is highly unlikely as it could jeopardise the ratification of the country’s European Union accession agreement, which France is yet to fully approve.
Despite the delays, the architectural design of the new terminal has been finalised, though it is yet to be revealed to the public. Once construction starts, it must be completed within 1.095 days (three years). The airport’s new owners anticipate that the new state of the art facilities will turn Croatia’s busiest hub into a regional powerhouse and a transit point within the Balkans. Plans to build a new terminal at Zagreb Airport have been ongoing for years.