October 20 (SeeNews) - Romania's Dolj county council said it has signed the construction permit for a new passenger terminal at Craiova International Airport - an investment project worth 97 million euro ($95 million) overall, to be financed through EU funds.
The new 30,000 sq m terminal will have a capacity of 1.933 million passengers per year and should become operational at the end of 2024, the Dolj county council said in a post on social media on Wednesday.
The project will be financed by non-reimbursable funds through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme for 2014-2020.
"We want this new project to become one of regional importance, not only for the historical Oltenia region, but for the entire area that includes the northern part of Bulgaria and the northeastern part of Serbia, and thus reach a capacity of approximately 2 million passengers per year," county council president Cosmin Vasile said.
The contract for the design and execution of the project was awarded to a consortium comprising local companies Constructii Erbasu, Grup Primacons and Slovakia's Vahostav in April, for 348 million lei ($69.3 million/ 70.6 million euro).
Opened in 1938, Craiova International Airport is located in southern Romania, 7 km south of Craiova city centre.
Earlier this year, Satu Mare county council said it has signed a 431.9 million lei contract with the transport ministry for the modernisation of the local airport, while the transport ministry and Tulcea county council signed a 180 million lei contract to upgrade Danube Delta Airport.
Also, in May, Romania's Civil Aeronautical Authority approved a project for the construction of an international airport in Galati.
Romania currently has 17 airports, of which 16 handle international flights, according to transport ministry data.
($=1.0028 euro)