Construction of the expansion of Terminal 3 at Vienna Airport will begin next month.
The expansion was originally planned for 2023, but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the opening ceremony will now take place on February 14, with completion scheduled for 2027.
The project will add 70,000 square meters of space to the existing terminal building, “including comfortable waiting and lounge areas, additional bus gates and numerous new retail and restaurant offerings with more than 30 new outlets.”
The expansion will also allow for convenient transfer connections between gates F, G and D, and centralized security checkpoints will also move to the new building.
The announcement came as Vienna Airport recorded the second-highest annual traffic figures in its history, with 29.5 million passengers traveling through the airport in 2023.
London was Western Europe's most popular destination for flights from Vienna last year, with Bangkok, New York and Taipei the top three long-haul destinations.
Julian Jager, member of the board of directors of the airport operating company Flughafen Wien AG, commented on the news:
“The strong desire to travel that emerged after the coronavirus pandemic continued in 2023 and served as the basis for a substantial increase in passenger volume at Vienna Airport. With 29.5 million travelers, we recorded the second best passenger result in the entire history of the airport and thus reached 93.3 percent of the level generated in the record year 2019.
“Despite the large volume of passengers, in an international comparison we highlight the high quality of our assistance services. Vienna Airport is the Lufthansa Group's most punctual hub and the third most punctual hub in Europe and is ranked 11th out of more than 500 airports included in the Skytrax rankings of the world's best airports. I would like to especially thank all employees whose daily commitment is the basis of our high-quality service and reliable handling at Vienna Airport.
“The new South Extension of Terminal 3, whose construction will begin soon and whose entry into operation is scheduled for 2027, will allow us to join the ranking of the best airports in the world.
“Our strategic international investments in Malta and Kosice airports already exceeded pre-crisis passenger numbers in 2019. We anticipate a normalization of air traffic growth rates in 2024. The extraordinarily strong recovery effect of the last two years following the coronavirus pandemic will slow down in 2024 and we expect passenger volume of around 30 million travelers at the airport. Vienna throughout the year 2024.”
airportdeviena.com
