After the construction of this 14.4 thousand square meters terminal, the total area of passenger terminals at Vilnius Airport will increase by one third and the passenger throughput will double from 1,200 passengers per hour to 2,400.
Along with the construction of the new terminal, the reorganization of transport access in front of Vilnius Airport will be carried out: engineering networks will be renovated, pavement will be replaced, canopies will be installed and a new, much more permeable transport scheme will be created. To implement all these works, Vilnius Airport has already announced a public procurement and is currently looking for the most suitable partner.
“The focus is on energy efficiency and sustainability. We have higher energy and environmental requirements for the departure terminal module than currently regulated by law. The airport is an unconventional place that requires special security and attention, so adequate terms are set for the construction contractor. During the construction, it will be necessary to ensure the safety of the occupants and of the passengers at the airport as well as their comfort. Construction quality and timelines are one of the key goals of the project, so it is planned to organize the work in several shifts and ensure the involvement of experienced engineering personnel in the organization and supervision of the construction work. Given the scale and specificity of the project, before the announcement of the procurement, we were conducting market consultations, seeking to ensure more competition and a smoother selection process”, comments Arnas Dūmanas, Project Manager of the Vilnius Airport Reconstruction Program.
The new passenger departure terminal will be located between the current and the currently under construction VIP terminal with a conference centre.
The new terminal will be a two-storey building, with a self-service passenger check-in area on the ground floor, shared public spaces, cafes, as well as other commercial areas and airline offices.
Technical areas - baggage screening and sorting, engineering systems - are being designed in the centre of the building. A cosy security screening area and a departure gate for Schengen passengers are planned on the second floor. The new passenger terminal will be connected to the existing spacious gallery, which will ensure convenient communication between the terminals.
It is stated that the exact amount of investment needed to implement the project will become clear after the procurement.
According to Dainius Čiuplys, director of Vilnius Airport, the construction of the new terminal is one of the stages of reconstruction of the airport. And it is necessary to serve the growing passenger flow, to improve the passenger experience and to increase the airport capacity.
“Already Vilnius Airport has reached its capacity limits and we serve more and more passengers every year, so the expansion is necessary and very important for us and our passengers. The new terminal will broaden the operational and technological capabilities of the airport with its direct operations, and will increase the range of non-aviation services. In the longer term, with such construction and engineering solutions, we will be able to easily initiate qualitative changes and implement new improvements”, says D. Čiuplys.
Vilnius Airport plans to select a construction contractor for the new terminal by mid-2020 and start work immediately. Already during the presentation of this purchase, during the consultation events, the attention of international companies to the implementation of the project was felt.
After completion of the contract work, the new terminal could be ready to receive passengers already in the second half of 2022.