Belgrade to get new, 75-meter tall air traffic control tower; it's a job worth 17.5 million euros

Foto: MGSI

A contract has been signed today in Belgrade, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Construction Zorana Mihajlovic, to build an extension (annex) of the building of the Flight Control Center (SMATSA) in Belgrade with a modern, 75-meter tall tower of the Airport Flight Control.

The value of the contract is 17.5 million euros and works will start immediately after the New Year holidays, it was said after the signing of the contract in the government of Serbia.

Mihajlovic pointed out that a new tower hasn't been built for more than 50 years, something that is definitely needed given the development of Belgrade's Nikola Tesla Airport.

"2019 was a year of infrastructure for us, we've done a lot in all sectors, but I can say that since 2014 air transport has been a mode of transport that was already in line with EU's standards. We invested a lot in air transport, in the Nikola Tesla airport in Belgrade, as well as in Nis and Kraljevo," said Mihajlovic, and recalled that before this period, there had been no investments in air transport for a long time.

She says that the entire SMATSA investment program through 2023 is worth 126 million euros.

"The state very much so thinks this is an important form of transport that should be invested in," Mihajlovic emphasized.

She also announced start of construction of a tower at the Nis airport, as the airport is important for that part of the country.

Mihajlovic pointed out that construction of a new runway of the airport near Kraljevo will begin in 2020.

The existing tower at the Nikola Tesla Airport in Belgrade was built more than 50 years ago, and by building a new one conditions will be created for provision of unobstructed and high quality flight control services, which will accompany an increased volume of air traffic.

The new tower with the annex will be connected to the existing centeral building. The tower will be 75 meters tall, while the dome will have an area of ​​100 square meters.

The contract was signed by Predrag Jovanovic, Director of the Flight Control of Serbia and Montenegro (SMATSA), and Zoran Mihailovic, Director of Energoprojekt Visokogradnja. The contractor is a consortium consisting of Energoprojekt Visokogradnja, Energoprojekt Oprema, and EMPEX.

The signed contract is part of SUSAN - the Flight Control System Modernization Program. The SMATSA investment program is worth a total of 126 million euros and is funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the European Investment Bank and SMATSA.

(Telegraf Biznis)