June 22 (SeeNews) - Serbian infrastructure minister Zorana Mihajlovic said the government plans to invest 4 million euro ($4.5 million) in the overhaul of the traffic control tower and the extension of the passenger terminal of Nis airport.
The government also plans to invest 2.5 million euro in the installation of a platform for the preparation of aircraft for flights in adverse weather conditions, Mihajlovic said during a visit to Nis airport, according to a press release issued by the ministry.
"These investments are important, because Nis airport needs to be an alternative to Belgrade Nikola Tesla airport. We wish to increase passenger traffic and to use Nis airport as a cargo hub," Mihajlovic said.
The airport aims to increase the number of handled passengers to 550,000 in 2020 from 140,000 expected in 2017, she added.
The mayor of Nis, Darko Bulatovic, said the airport is currently working on the construction of hangars and a parking lot - projects, in which 7.5 million euro will be invested.
The transport ministry said in October that the government plans to invest 6.5 million euro in upgrading the airport in the city in eastern Serbia by 2019. Total government investment in the airport amounted to 4.5 million euro by October 2016.
Serbia's Nis airport said it serviced 124,917 passengers in 2016, compared with 36,258 in 2015. Cargo traffic soared to 1,967,808 kg in 2016 from 553,537 kg a year earlier.
($ = 0.89601 euro)