On Monday, October 23, 2023, a contract for construction works worth EUR 16 million was signed at Zadar Airport, with EUR 10 million provided by the European Union.

The project includes the expansion of the aircraft apron, as well as the electrification and greening of aircraft ground handling systems at Zadar Airport. It is co-financed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). The contract was signed by Zadar Airport Director Josip Klišmanić, Sanjin Purić, President of the Management Board of Građevinarstvo i proizvodnja Krk d.d., and Tomislav Bolotin, Director of Magnum supra d.o.o., representing the consortium of contractors.

The signing ceremony, held in the VIP lounge, was attended by the Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković, the Prefect of Zadar County, Božidar Longin, and Zadar Airport Director Josip Klišmanić.

“The National Recovery and Resilience Plan has opened the door to financing new and unique projects at the European level. Around EUR 10 million in non-refundable funds represents a major step forward for Zadar Airport, as airports globally are increasingly no longer eligible for EU funding,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, Oleg Butković.

Zadar Airport Director Josip Klišmanić stated that upon completion of the project, a new system for the electrification and environmental upgrading of aircraft ground handling operations will be introduced.

“This will ensure power supply from renewable energy sources for the growing number of passengers and aircraft arriving in Zadar. It should be emphasized that this is the only project at the level of the European Union where non-refundable funding is allocated specifically to air transport,” Klišmanić noted, adding that Zadar Airport has doubled its passenger traffic over the past five years.

“Projected trends in the coming years oblige us to provide better and greener services for passengers. That is why we will relaunch the tender by the end of the year for works on the first phase of the renovation of our infrastructure, namely the terminal building,” Klišmanić added.

Zadar County Prefect Božidar Longin stated that more than 1.2 million passengers passed through Zadar Airport this season.

“Following the renovation of the runway, long-haul intercontinental flights will also be arriving in Zadar, which will ensure economic growth for our region and restore Zadar’s historical position as a crossroads of travel routes,” Longin said.

This project is currently the only one in the European Union in which a non-refundable investment in an airport is being financed, and it aims to reduce harmful gas emissions by 50 percent.