Footnotes / references Business ID: 07036540 Tax ID: 100000539[5]
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport (Serbian:Аеродром Никола Тесла Београд /Aerodrom Nikola Tesla Beograd) orBelgrade Airport (Serbian:Аеродром Београд /Aerodrom Beograd) (IATA:BEG,ICAO:LYBE) is aninternational airport servingBelgrade,Serbia. It is the largest and the busiest airport in Serbia, situated 18 km (11 mi) west of downtown Belgrade near the suburb ofSurčin, surrounded by fertile lowlands. It is operated byVinci Airports (subsidiary of the French conglomerateVinci) and is named after Serbian-American inventorNikola Tesla (1856–1943).
Theflag carrier and the largest airline of Serbia,Air Serbia, uses Belgrade Nikola Tesla as itshub. It is also one of the many operating bases for low-cost airlineWizz Air. Theair taxi servicesAir Pink, Eagle Express andPrince Aviation also call the airport their home.
The first airfield inBelgrade was inaugurated in 1910 in the neighbourhood ofBanjica and was initially used by aviation pioneers such as Simon, Maslenikov, Vidmar and Čermak. Two years later a wooden hangar was built for theSerbian Air Force, which was at the time engaged in theFirst Balkan War against Turkey. In 1914, the Banjica airfield was the base for the Serbian Air Force squadron and theBalloon Company. After the end of theFirst World War, the Banjica airfield was used forairmail traffic and included the routesNovi Sad–Belgrade–Niš–Skoplje and Belgrade–Sarajevo–Mostar.[6]
An airport on the outskirts ofPančevo, a town located northeast of Belgrade, began its operations in 1923 whenCFRNA inaugurated the international route Paris–Istanbul, which was flown via Belgrade. In the same year, on that route, the first ever world night flight occurred.[7] The same year airmail service began operating from the airport. The Pančevo airport was also used by theRoyal Yugoslav Air Force academy. After World War II, the airport was used by theYugoslav Air Force before it became the airfield of theUtva Aviation Industry after its relocation from Zemun to Pančevo.[6]
Because of the distance from Pančevo to downtown Belgrade, which at that time required crossing theDanube, a decision was made to build a new airport that would be closer. The airport was planned to be built just across the riverSava, in a neighborhood today known asNovi Beograd. It was opened on 25 March 1927 under the official name ofBelgrade International Airport (also known asDojno Polje Airport). From February 1928, the aircraft owned by the first local airlineAeroput started taking off from the new airport. The airport had four 1,100–2,900 metres (3,610–9,510 ft) long grassrunways. The design for areinforced concretehangar that was built at the airfield was made by the Serbian scientistMilutin Milanković, better known for histheory of climate change. A modernterminal building was built in 1931, while the landing equipment for conditions of poor visibility was installed in 1936.[6]
Starting from April 1941, German occupation forces used the airport. During 1944 it was bombed by the Allies, and in October of the same year the German army destroyed the remaining facilities while withdrawing from the country.[6]
The airport was rebuilt by October 1944, and until the end of the war was used by the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia as part of the Allied war effort.[6]
Civil transport byYugoslav Air Force cargo planes from this airport was reinstated at the end of 1945. At the beginning of 1947JAT Yugoslav Airlines andJUSTA took over domestic and international traffic, and from 1948 Western European airlines resumed flights to Belgrade.[6]
A constant increase in traffic and the beginning of the passenger jet era called for a significant expansion of the airport. In the meantime, a plan to build a residential and business district called Novi Beograd on the location of the airport was introduced. The officials decided therefore that a new international airport should be built near the village of Surčin to the west. The last flight to depart from the old airport was early in 1964.[11]
The new location for the airport was on the Surčin plateau, 15 km (9.3 mi) from Belgrade's city centre.[11] Thanks to the original planners' vision, two conditions for the airport's development were fulfilled: a location was chosen that met the navigational, meteorological, construction, technical, and traffic requirements; and the special needs for the airport's long-term development were established.[citation needed]
Building of the new airport started in April 1958 and lasted until 28 April 1962, when it was officially opened by PresidentJosip Broz Tito.[11] During that period a 3,000-metre-long (1.9 mi) runway was built, with the parallel taxiway and concrete aprons for sixteen airplanes. The passenger terminal building occupied an area of 8,000 m2 (86,000 sq ft). Cargo storage spaces were also built, as well as a technical block with the air-trafficcontrol tower and other accompanying facilities. Modern navigational equipment was installed, earning the airport the highest international classification according to theInternational Civil Aviation Organization.[12]
The airport stagnated during the 1990s after the outbreak of theYugoslav wars and theUnited Nations sanctions imposed on theSerbia and Montenegro. The sanctions also included a ban on air travel. The airport had minimal passenger movement, and many facilities were in need of reparation.
With a change in government and international sentiment, normal air traffic resumed in 2001. A few years later the airport's terminal 2 underwent a major reconstruction. The runway was upgraded to CAT IIIb in 2005, as part of a large renovation project. CAT IIIb is anInstrument Landing System (ILS), giving aircraft the security of landing duringfog and storms. In 2006, the airport was renamed toBelgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor and scientist, generally considered one of the world's most famousinventors.[13] The construction of the new air traffic control centre was completed in 2010. In 2011 Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport shares (AERO) began trading on theBelgrade Stock Exchange (BELEX).
In 2012, construction work on the modernization and expansion of the airport began. It was carried out on the expansion and reconstruction of the A-gate and C-gate departure and transit areas. As a result, an extra 2,750 square metres (29,600 sq ft) was added.Jetways at the A and C gates were also replaced.
Also, there were plans for the construction of a new control tower as the current air control tower was built in 1962.[14] Future expansion of current terminals should see additional 17,000 sqm added, with terminal 2 obtaining an additional 4 jetways.[15]
In January 2018, theGovernment of Serbia granted a 25-year concession of the Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport to the French airport operatorVinci Airports for a sum of 501 million euros.[16] On 21 December 2018, Vinci formally took over the airport.[17] In 2018, the airport had a sizeable increase in revenue and net income, due to Vinci Airports transaction.[18] On 24 April 2024, Serbian finance ministerSiniša Mali announced that the concession of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport had been extended by 18 months[19] in order to minimize the influence ofCOVID-19 Pandemic. The concession is to last until 1 July 2044.
The airport's two terminals have a combined area of 44,000 square metres (470,000 sq ft), with Terminal 2 being larger of the two, the two terminals are connected by a hallway.[20] The airport has 90[21] check-in counters and 32[22] gates (of which 24 are equipped with jetways). Gates A1-A10 and C1-C14 are equipped with jetways, gates A7a, A7b and C10a-C10e usebuses, while gate A11 is used for domestic flights toNiš.
Terminal 1 (T1) was the original and only terminal when the airport was built. The terminal handled domestic flights during the time ofYugoslavia andSerbia and Montenegro, and subsequently has come to be used for international flights, mostly by low-cost and charter airlines. The terminal went through a major renovation in 2016 and 2017 when the interior was overhauled.[23]
Terminal 2 (T2) was constructed in 1979 for the airport's growing passenger numbers. The terminal has a capacity of 5 million passengers.[24] The terminal contains airline offices, transfer desks and various retail shops. The terminal went through two major renovations: from 2004 through 2006, with the arrivals and departures areas of the terminal completely reconstructed, and another one in 2012 and 2013 when there were works on expansion and overhaul of the C platform. While not officially confirmed, it is believed that the overhauled T1 will be used by foreign carriers, while Air Serbia and Etihad Airways Partners would gain exclusive use of Terminal 2.[25]
Before the 2020/2021–2023 remodelling, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport was built with only one airside hallway for both departing and arriving passengers. As such,security checks used to be located at gate entrances rather than on a central location. An additional security check used to exist on the hallway entrance, but it was removed in 2013 as it inconvenienced passengers and was not essential for security.[122] Since 2021, however, there has been a central security hall directly above the ticketing area, before passport control, where all passengers must be screened.
Passport control for departing passengers is located on the first floor in Terminal 2, just before the security screening, while the passport control for arriving passengers is located on the ground level. All passengers must pass the passport control, except those traveling domestically. An additional passport control booth exists in Terminal 1; however, it is no longer available for passengers, only for flight crews. In mid-December 2024eGates for passport controls were introduced, with 10 eGates in the departures area and 10 eGates in the arrivals area, totalling in 20 eGates.[123]
In 2007 the airport prohibited cars parking next to the airport terminal, instead they have to use the car park provided, as a result of the2007 Glasgow Airport attack.[124]
Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport offers a business class lounge operated byDufry, "Business Club", for the majority of airlines operating from the airport. "Business Club", opened in 2011, covers an area of 250 m2 (2,700 sq ft), and can seat 30 guests.[125]
The airport also has a VIP Lounge, with separate check-in and passport control facilities. The VIP Lounge is entered from the public area and directly from the apron, so it functions as a separate and independent element. Passport and customs control and baggage control are located at the very entrance into the lounge.
Air Serbia Premium Lounge is the first dedicated airline-owned and -operated lounge at the airport, located between gates A4 and A5. Air Serbia plans to open a new Premium Lounge next to gate C10 at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport by the end of 2024. The new lounge will occupy an area of 630 m2 (6,800 sq ft) (twice the size of the existing lounge) and will be able to accommodate up to 160 guests simultaneously.[126]
The airport is connected to theA3 motorway via a nearby interchange. The toll station on A3 is located to the west of the interchange, and the sections to the Belgrade downtown and theBelgrade bypass are toll-free. Licensed taxis from the airport to the city are available.
This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(October 2025)
The Serbian Ministry of Construction, Transportation and Infrastructure has announced a construction project for a new railway line between the city and the airport. The construction is scheduled to start in 2024, and should be completed in 18 months.[129]
On 18 February 2024,Air Serbia Flight 324, anEmbraer E-195wet-leased fromMarathon Airlines with 106 passengers and crew on board, sustained serious damage to its fuselage and tail after hitting the airport runway's instrument landing system array during takeoff on its way toDüsseldorf. The aircraft turned back after failing to gain altitude and was safely evacuated upon landing.[130]
