<pardubické letiště zahájilo modernizaci</p>

Pardubice - The international civil airport in Pardubice has today begun modernization of its fuel infrastructure and taxiways and connecting runways. The investment of 256 million crowns is expected to be completed next year after the holidays. The conclusion of the construction work will limit the airport's operations for about 20 days. Jan Andrlík, the head of East Bohemian Airport (EBA), told ČTK this.
According to him, the work will begin in areas that will not restrict flight operations. "Work will start on the fuel economy and technical facilities. The construction related to movement areas, connecting runways, and stands should hopefully not take longer than three weeks," Andrlík said.
The airport will build new connecting runways with protective zones between the takeoff and landing areas, making aircraft movement safer. Transport aircraft have engines very low and are prone to intake dirt. The new fuel infrastructure will allow the airport to have larger fuel reserves. The storage will have four above-ground tanks for jet aircraft and smaller planes.
"Now we will finally have a quieter sleep. When the Ruslan arrives and asks for 70 tons of fuel, we can fill it up comfortably. Before this, it was a huge problem for us. We will also meet the strict requirements for the movement of aircraft for 150 or more passengers," Andrlík said.
The civil airport originally wanted to build a new terminal with European subsidies. The economic crisis and a drop in passenger numbers halted the investment. The shareholders of EBA, the region, and the city thus preferred the expansion of technical facilities. However, they believe that funds for the terminal will also be found.
"We are not giving up on the new terminal project and will strive for it," said Mayor Štěpánka Fraňková (Association for Pardubice).
"A modern airport is an opportunity to gain a different position in regional development," added regional councilor Jiří Brýdl (KDU-ČSL).
EBA Director Andrlík pointed out that the shareholders have already lost a lot of time regarding the terminal and it is necessary to start preparations practically immediately. Money for its construction can be obtained from the European Union or other funds. There is also the possibility of a PPP project, which involves the engagement of a private investor. However, in the past, it has not been possible to attract a strategic partner.
"Without a terminal, we still have a significant disadvantage. I do not exclude that an investor may come, but it would be wrong for us to rely solely on them. It would be ideal if the shareholders could secure funding, then the entry of another shareholder could be financially much more interesting," Andrlík said.
Thanks to the new terminal and modern facilities for aircraft, the regional airport could one day transport up to a quarter of a million passengers annually; higher ambitions are considered excessive, according to Andrlík. "The airport is well accessible and has a great chance of succeeding against other regional airports," he added.
Pardubice airport is primarily dependent on clients from Russia. Last year, it transported more than a quarter more passengers than the year before. From the more than 62,000 travelers last year, this year’s numbers could increase by a fifth. At least that was how it looked some time ago. Now the airport is dealing with a problem with Russian airlines.
"We received a hard blow from the Russian side. Due to regulations on the order of air transport, only one carrier has started flying to us. Others have not been allowed to land here. We are trying to compensate for this with another carrier that could make up for the loss," Andrlík stated.