BELGRADE (Serbia), January 5 (SeeNews) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) said on Friday it is providing a 35 million euro ($42.2 million) loan to Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services (SMATSA) to help improve the provision of air navigation services in the two countries.
The loan proceeds will be used to finance hardware and software upgrades of SMATSA’s air traffic control system and data processing system, as well as an upgrade of its aeronautical fixed telecommunications network (AFTN) system and aeronautical message handling system (AMHS), the EBRD said in a statement.
The upgrades are a key element in the wide-ranging modernisation programme of SMATSA, which also includes a new annex to an existing air traffic control building to increase capacity, new control towers at the airports of Belgrade and Nis, and a contingency centre in Nis, the bank said.
The project is part of the Single European Sky programme, run by the European Commission, to coordinate the upgrading of Europe’s infrastructure for air traffic management. It includes upgrades in EU countries as well as improvements in neighbouring countries, which will make cooperation between systems more reliable.
SMATSA’s modernisation programme will fall in line with the harmonisation process of the European Common Aviation Area, which aims to make air services across Europe more affordable and efficient, and ultimately to benefit passengers and other users of the airspace.
The EBRD has invested over 4.6 billion euro in the economy of Serbia so far, with a majority of its investments supporting private entrepreneurship.
($ = 0.829 euro)