Václav Havel Airport Prague is set for extensive modernization, with an estimated cost of 32 billion CZK by 2033. 

The plans include demolishing and constructing new parking garages, as well as creating surface parking lots. The overpass leading to Terminal 2 will be demolished and rebuilt, and both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 will be expanded.

Additionally, the airport plans to connect to the railway network and construct a train station, improving accessibility for passengers.

From Monday, March 3, until the end of June, traffic will be restricted on Aviatická Street and at parking lot PB due to road repairs in front of Terminal 1.

"This year, we also plan to build a supply corridor under Terminal 1 to ensure efficient and sufficient supply for shops and restaurants in the future," said airport spokesperson Denisa Hejtmánková. The corridor is expected to cost approximately 90 million CZK.

Last August, the airport began expanding the bridge on Aviatická Street, which passes over K letišti Street. The construction is set to be completed by May this year. In November, work began on a cable conduit and transformer station worth over one billion CZK, with completion expected in December 2026.

In May, the airport plans to present a visualization of Terminal 2 after its expansion and modernization. "A detailed architectural study is currently being finalized," Hejtmánková stated. According to the airport's development website, Terminal 1 is also planned for expansion.

Once the terminal renovations are completed, flight organization will change. Terminal 1 will handle flights to Schengen Area countries, while Terminal 2 will serve non-Schengen and low-cost airline flights. Currently, Terminal 1 operates flights to non-Schengen destinations.

After 2030, construction of a parallel runway is planned. According to Hejtmánková, there are no new developments in this regard, as the Central Bohemian Regional Building Authority initiated zoning proceedings last year, a step preceding the building permit application. "We expect a preliminary zoning decision this year," she added.

The new parallel runway is expected to increase airport capacity during peak hours and allow nighttime closure. The main runway will be closed from midnight to 5:30 a.m., while the parallel runway will suspend operations from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

According to the airport’s website, the perpendicular secondary runway, which runs over densely populated areas of Prague and Kladno, affecting hundreds of thousands of residents with noise pollution, will be decommissioned after the parallel runway is built.

"The entire development and modernization will be financed from our own resources or external commercial financing, which we will repay from our revenues," Hejtmánková stated.

She added that the airport will not seek funding from the state budget. The modernization is expected to increase GDP by 3.2% and create nearly 4,000 full-time jobs, supporting tourism and business activities.

Each year, the airport pays the state a dividend of at least 20% of its net profit, with the exact amount determined after the audited financial statements are closed. The current dividend policy is agreed upon with the Ministry of Finance until 2028.

"The company’s management is currently working under the assumption that after the five-year dividend program ends, a new program will take into account investments in the modernization of Václav Havel Airport Prague," Hejtmánková said.

Last year, the airport handled 16.35 million passengers, an 18% increase year-on-year. This year, it aims to handle 18.4 million passengers, the highest number to date. Before the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, the airport recorded 17.8 million passengers.

Source: Forbes
Prepared by the team of foreign office CzechTrade South Korea (Seoul)