The Serbian government and the China Shandong International Economic and Technical Cooperation Group signed a memorandum of understanding on the second phase construction and modernization of Niš Constantine Airport. Just a few months after the airport’s new terminal opened. The second phase of the project includes the demolition of the old terminal, construction of new facilities that will form a single functional unit with the recently opened terminal, as well as runway overhaul, apron expansion, construction of new taxiways and a new control tower . Construction is expected to begin in the near future and be completed in 2027.
Goran Vesić, Serbian Minister of Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, said: “This marks the continuation of our efforts to transform Niš Airport into a modern and efficient facility. For some of these projects, we have already received construction permits For others, we will receive the permits soon, but in any case, construction can start in a very short time.” Chinese Ambassador to Serbia Li Ming highlighted the strong bilateral relations between China and Serbia, saying the modernization of the airport will increase passenger traffic and deepen cooperation between the two countries.
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| Nis Airport Complex after project completion |
The infrastructure development comes as the airport faces declining passenger numbers, having handled 282,869 passengers in the first three quarters of this year, down 20.4% from the same period in 2023. The airport blamed the poor performance on Wizz Air, which was forced to reduce its operations due to manufacturing issues with some of its fleet engines, which grounded aircraft. The Serbian government said it would provide subsidies to low-cost airlines to expand their network from Niš. “Nish Airport should be able to handle over 500,000 passengers next year, which is why more low-cost airlines need to start flights. The state recently said we will now be negotiating with low-cost airlines to introduce new routes.
