December 21 (SeeNews) - France's Vinci Airports is officially assuming the management of Belgrade's Nikola Tesla international airport on Friday, the deputy mayor of Serbia's capital, Goran Vesic, said.
"This will mean large investments in the airport as well as other investments, such as the construction of the BG Voz train line that will connect the airport to the city center," Vesic said in the city parliament during debates on Belgrade's budget for next year, aired by public broadcaster Radio Beograd 1.
Serbia's government signed a 25-year concession agreement for the operation of Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport with Vinci Airports in March.
Infrastructure minister Zorana Mihajlovic said in June the government plans to invest about 20 million euro ($22.8 million) in the construction of a railway line connecting Belgrade to the city's Nikola Tesla International Airport.
Under the terms of the deal, Vinci Airports will pay 417 million euro to the Serbian government and 84 million euro to the retail shareholders of Aerodrom Nikola Tesla for the concession plus an annual concession fee of between 4.4 million euro and 15.1 million euro.
The airport serviced record-high 5.268 million passengers in the eleven months through November, up 6% year-on-year, according to data of the airport 's operator so far, Aerodrom Nikola Tesla [BEL:AERO].
(1 euro = 0.8757 euro)