Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, the international airport serving Ljubljana and the largest airport in Slovenia, is opening a modern passenger terminal.
The new terminal will open for passengers on 1 July.
Two years after its construction started, a modern building now towers over the airport apron, and will soon provide a higher standard of service to passengers and other users. The aim of renewing and developing Ljubljana Airport is to create a modern and efficient regional entry point – a heart of possibilities for individuals, society, and a broader global community. The realised vision was presented by Fraport Slovenija at the new Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport terminal to all the guests gathered at today’s opening ceremony.
The new structure offers greater capacity and higher standards for passengers, other users and employees. The existing terminal has gained 10,000 m² of new floor space, including a new departure hall, 14 check-in desks (there will be 22 in total, counting those in the existing terminal), five lanes for security screenings, two baggage claim carousels, a new baggage sorting area, a new business lounge and enhanced catering and retail amenities. Capacity has been increased from 500 to 1250 passengers per hour. The new terminal is functionally linked with the existing areas by a connecting corridor. There is new car parking, a coach terminus and a park right next to the terminal.
Modern, spacious and bright
The architecture of the new building was designed by Plan B as a modern, airy space with an abundance of glass surfaces, which afford lovely views of the runway and the Julian Alps on one side, and the Kamnik-Savinja Alps on the other. The new look is best summed up as a minimalist structure with a unique local touch which ties together exposed concrete, glass, metal and wood cladding. The structure was built by GIC GRADNJE, which won the public contract that included construction, finishing jobs and installations, as well as preliminary and demolition work, the implementation of a new road grid and the reorganisation of some of the manoeuvring area.
Strategic investment for long-term development
The total value of investment in the new infrastructure is 21 million euros. Fraport Slovenija is opening the terminal at a time when the airline industry is spreading its wings again and Slovenia is on the threshold of its Presidency of the EU Council. Although the existing terminal would most likely be spacious enough given the current low levels of traffic, Fraport Slovenija’s leadership and parent company had made a clear decision – this project is a strategic investment crucial to the airport’s long-term development and future. The decrepit condition of the old passenger terminal building made it difficult to uphold contemporary standards for passenger arrivals and departures. The company also sees the new terminal as a long-term investment that will help it recover more quickly from the current situation.
