Future stop for Canadian and Chinese airliners - Užice-based Airport "Ponikve" as ideal reloading point

Source: eKapija Thursday, 03.12.2009. 15:38
Comments
Podeli

Airport "Ponikve", which should earn the status of civil airport by the end of the year, has the potentials to become one of the best reloading points in the region. Having in mind that its reconstruction would make it possible for the biggest freight airplanes to land on it, that airport, only 12 kilometers away from Užice, would be a port for cargo companies that fly from remote countries to the countries of European Union.

- "Ponikve" is particularly interesting to Canadian and Chinese air transportation companies because they have long flights to Europe, for which they use stodgy airplanes with different regime of exhaust gases than allowed by European Law. The airport in Užice is an ideal place for these companies to use it for delivering goods to European Union in small airplanes - Slavko Lukić from the Department for Local Economic Development of Užice told "eKapija" and pointed out that 19m EUR were required for complete organization of the airport for that purpose.

(Slavko Lukić)

He said that the municipalities in the regions of Užice and Zlatibor were willing to establish strategic partnership with private companies, as well as that the City expected support from the government institutions.

According to the words of the City Planning Assistant to the Mayor, Svetlana Jevđović Matić, Airport "Ponikve" is one of nine local airports whose analyses were included in the study done by European Union.

- Thanks to RAIRD project, we have finally obtained the right information and got familiar with the experiences of other European countries when it comes to regional airports. Investments in "Ponikve" are estimated as highly profitable - Ms. Jevđović Matić told "eKapija".

She pointed out that organization of the airport for that purpose would finally connect the region of Užice and western Serbia with Europe and, thus, improve the tourist, economic and agricultural potentials of the region.

(Svetlana Jevđović Matić)

The City Council of Užice adopted the decision in September about transfer of rights to use of Airport "Ponikve" from the Ministry of Defense to the city of Užice. As it was suggested, that airport would be used for civilian purposes, but the Army would retain the right to use it. People in the city administration hope that the Ministry will transfer these rights by the end of year 2009.

Plans for Reconstruction of Airport "Ponikve"

Military airport "Ponikve" is situated about 12 km to the northwest of Užice. Total surface of the land it occupies and that can be used by the airport is 570 ha. It was built in the 1980's for the needs of the Army, and it was used occasionally. The runway is 3,085 meters long and 45 meters wide. Airport "Ponikve" has one of the longest runways in the Balkans and, unlike other airports in Serbia, it has no problem with fog, so that it can be used 250 days a year.

According to the estimates, total investment in Airport "Ponikve" would amount to 18.9m EUR. The preparation works would cost about 250,000 EUR, 8.5m EUR would be spent on the runway, 6.3m EUR would be invested in the zone's terminal, infrastructural equipping would cost 2.8m EUR, while 1m EUR would be set aside for management of the investment.

What needs to be done at Airport "Ponikve" is construction of complete parallel runway with an exit, about 1,800 meters long and 23 meters wide, while the existing runway requires lighting system. Also, the capacities of existing airplane platform should be increased by additional 4 positions for the airplanes of type "C", the airport building should be expanded by 1,500 square meters, existing cargo storage should be enlarged by additional 400 square meters, while additional 100 parking places should be built on existing parking lot.

Air Traffic Potentials

According to the study for Airport "Ponikve", 100,000 passengers per year would result in creation of 190 jobs at the airport, 210 airport-related jobs, about 20m EUR worth of annual incomes of the region, increase in number of foreign tourists and foreign investors. The airport's annual income would amount to 11m EUR.

According to the "Airbus" study "Future of Flying 2006-2025", air traffic grew by 14% in 2004, which is the highest growth rate over the last 25 years. Over 3 billion passengers were transported in 2008, while average annual growth for the period 2006-2025 amounts to 4.8%. It is expected that the annual number of passengers in 15 years will amount to 7.4 billion, while the number of airplanes in the world will grow from current 17,153 to 33,500 in 2025.

Comments
Your comment
Full information is available only to commercial users-subscribers and it is necessary to log in.

Forgot your password? Click here HERE

For free test use, click HERE

Follow the news, tenders, grants, legal regulations and reports on our portal.
Registracija na eKapiji vam omogućava pristup potpunim informacijama i dnevnom biltenu
Naš dnevni ekonomski bilten će stizati na vašu mejl adresu krajem svakog radnog dana. Bilteni su personalizovani prema interesovanjima svakog korisnika zasebno, uz konsultacije sa našim ekspertima.