Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport Аеродром Никола Тесла Београд Aerodrom Nikola Tesla Beograd
IATA: BEG ICAO: LYBE
Summary
Airport type	International
Owner	Government of Serbia
Operator	VINCI Airports Serbia d.o.o.
Serves	Belgrade
Location	Belgrade, Serbia
Hub for	Air Serbia Wizz Air
Elevation AMSL	336 ft / 102 m
Coordinates	44°49′10″N 20°18′25″E / 44.81944°N 20.30694°E / 44.81944; 20.30694
Website	beg.aero
Map
BEG Location in Belgrade Show map of Belgrade BEG Location in Serbia Show map of Serbia
Runway
Runway Length Surface m ft 12L/30R 3,400 11,155 Asphalt/concrete 12R/30L 3,500 11,483 Asphalt/concrete
Statistics (2023)
Passengers 7,948,202 42% Aircraft movements (2022) 65,644 34% Cargo volume N/A
Source: Vinci Airports Press Release

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport

Native name	Аеродром Никола Тесла Београд
Type	Joint-stock company
Traded as	BELEX: AERO
Industry	Airport operations
Founded	28 April 1962; 63 years ago (1962-04-28)
Headquarters	Aerodrom Beograd 47, Surčin, Belgrade , Serbia
Area served	Belgrade, Serbia
Key people	Saša Vlaisavljević (CEO) Vesna Stanković Jevđević (Chairman of the Supervisory Board)
Revenue	€5.96 million (2021)
Net income	▼ (€2.15 million) (2021)
Total assets	€275.18 million (2021)
Total equity	€244.00 million (2021)
Owner	Government of Serbia (84.56%) Others
Number of employees	1,556 (2018)
Parent	Vinci Airports
Footnotes / references Business ID: 07036540 Tax ID: 100000539

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport is a big international airport that serves Belgrade, the capital city of Serbia. It's the largest and busiest airport in Serbia. You can find it about 18 kilometers (11 miles) west of downtown Belgrade, near a place called Surčin.

The airport is named after Nikola Tesla, a famous Serbian-American inventor. A French company called Vinci Airports runs the airport. It's a main base, or "hub," for Air Serbia, which is the biggest airline in Serbia. It's also an important base for the low-cost airline Wizz Air.

History of Belgrade's Airports

Early Airfields in Belgrade

The very first airfield in Belgrade opened in 1910 in a neighborhood called Banjica. It was used by early pilots. A few years later, a wooden hangar was built there for the Serbian Air Force. After World War I, this airfield was used for sending mail by air.

In 1911, another airfield was opened in Belgrade. It was located near the Kalemegdan Fortress.

Pančevo Airport: A First for Night Flights

An airport near Pančevo, a town northeast of Belgrade, started operating in 1923. This was when the first international flight route from Paris to Istanbul, which stopped in Belgrade, began. In the same year, the world's first ever night flight happened on this route! This airport was also used by the Royal Yugoslav Air Force.

Dojno Polje Airport: A Step Closer to the City

Because the Pančevo airport was a bit far from Belgrade, a new airport was built closer to the city. It opened on March 25, 1927, and was called Belgrade International Airport. It was also known as Dojno Polje Airport.

In 1928, the first local airline, Aeroput, started flying from this new airport. The airport had four grass runways. A famous Serbian scientist, Milutin Milanković, who is known for his climate change theories, designed a strong concrete hangar for the airport. A modern terminal building was added in 1931.

Before World War II, Belgrade was a stop for big air races. Many international airlines used this airport, connecting Belgrade to major cities like London, Paris, and Istanbul. It even had flights to places as far as India!

During World War II, German forces used the airport. It was bombed by the Allies in 1944. When the German army left, they destroyed the remaining airport buildings.

The airport was rebuilt quickly after the war. By 1947, new airlines like JAT Yugoslav Airlines started flying from there. As more and more people started flying, especially with new jet planes, the airport needed to grow. So, a decision was made to build a brand new, even bigger airport.

Surčin Airport: The Modern Era Begins

The new airport was built on the Surčin plateau, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) from Belgrade's city center. Construction started in April 1958 and finished on April 28, 1962. It was officially opened by President Josip Broz Tito.

This new airport had a long runway, areas for planes to park, and a passenger terminal building. It also had a control tower and modern navigation equipment. This equipment helped planes land safely, even in bad weather.

In the 1990s, the airport faced difficult times due to conflicts and international travel restrictions. There were very few flights, and many parts of the airport needed repairs.

Things got better in 2001, and normal flights started again. The airport's second terminal was greatly improved. In 2005, the runway was upgraded to CAT IIIb. This is a special system that helps planes land safely even in thick fog or storms. In 2006, the airport was renamed Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport to honor the famous inventor.

Recent Upgrades and Changes

From 2012 onwards, the airport started a big project to modernize and expand. They made the departure and transit areas bigger and replaced the jetways (the bridges that connect the terminal to the airplane).

In 2018, the Serbian government made a deal with the French company Vinci Airports. Vinci Airports would manage the airport for 25 years. This kind of deal is called a "concession." Vinci officially took over the airport in December 2018. In 2024, the concession was extended until July 2044.

Airport Terminals

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport has two main buildings for passengers, called terminals. Together, they cover a large area. The airport has 90 check-in counters where you drop off your bags and 32 gates where you board your plane. Many of these gates have jetways, which are covered walkways directly to the aircraft.

Terminal 1

Terminal 1 was the first and only terminal when the airport was built. It used to handle flights within Yugoslavia and Serbia. Now, it's mostly used by low-cost airlines and charter flights (special flights for groups). Terminal 1 was updated in 2016 and 2017.

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 was built in 1979 because more and more people were flying. It's bigger than Terminal 1 and can handle up to 5 million passengers a year. Terminal 2 has airline offices, places to transfer flights, and many shops. It has been renovated twice, once from 2004 to 2006, and again in 2012 and 2013.

Terminal 1

Terminal 1 check-in area (prior to overhaul)

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 check-in area

Aerial view with second runway under construction

Airlines and Destinations

Many different airlines fly to and from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. These include regular flights and charter flights.

Passenger Flights

Here are some of the airlines and the cities they fly to from Belgrade:

Cargo Flights

Cargo airlines fly goods and packages to and from the airport. Here are some of them:

Airport Statistics

Passenger Numbers Over the Years

The airport keeps track of how many passengers use it each year. As you can see, the number of passengers has grown a lot over time!

Year	Passengers	Change	Cargo (t)	Change	Aircraft movements	Change
2002	1,621,798		6,827		28,872
2003	1,849,148	14%	6,532	4%	32,484	13%
2004	2,045,282	11%	8,946	37%	36,416	12%
2005	2,032,357	1%	7,728	14%	37,614	3%
2006	2,222,445	9%	8,200	6%	42,360	13%
2007	2,512,890	13%	7,926	3%	43,448	3%
2008	2,650,048	5%	8,129	3%	44,454	2%
2009	2,384,077	10%	6,690	18%	40,664	8%
2010	2,698,730	13%	7,427	11%	44,160	9%
2011	3,124,633	16%	8,025	8%	44,923	2%
2012	3,363,919	8%	7,253	10%	44,990	0%
2013	3,543,194	5%	7,679	6%	46,828	4%
2014	4,638,577	31%	10,222	33%	58,695	25%
2015	4,776,110	3%	13,091	28%	58,506	0%
2016	4,924,992	3%	13,939	7%	58,633	0%
2017	5,343,420	9%	22,350	42%	58,859	0%
2018	5,641,105	6%	25,543	29,3%	67,460	3,8%
2019	6,159,000	9.2%	N/A	N/A	70,365	4,3%
2020	1,904,025	69.1%	N/A	N/A	34,452	51.2%
2021	3,286,295	73%	N/A	N/A	48,842	45%
2022	5,611,920	71%	N/A	N/A	65,644	34%
2023	7,948,202	41.5%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
2024	1,609,305 (1.1.-31.3.2024.)	22.5%	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Monthly Passenger Numbers

Here's a look at how many passengers traveled through the airport each month in recent years:

2019

Month	Passengers	Change (2018–2019)	Passengers Cumulatively
January	347,544	4.1%	347,544
February	315,717	6.1%	663,261
March	372,122	1.6%	1,035,383
April	467,469	4.4%	1,502,852
May	507,633	5.9%	2,010,485
June	602,466	11.7%	2,612,951
July	734,898	9.4%	3,347,849
August	757,062	9.8%	4,104,911
September	647,005	11.9%	4,751,916
October	562,996	13.5%	5,314,912
November	424,656	14.6%	5,739,568
December	419,432	12.3%	6,159,000

2023

Month	Passengers	Change (2023–2019)	Change (2023-2022)	Passengers Cumulatively
January	445,840	28.3%	85.0%	445,840
February	396,091	25.5%	89.6%	841,931
March	471,518	26.7%	61.0%	1,313,449
April	579,094	23.9%	48.5%	1,892,543
May	648,748	27.8%	38.7%	2,541,291
June	745,467	23.8%	37.6%	3,286,758
July	901,843	22.7%	26.5%	4,188,601
August	930,536	22.9%	29.7%	5,119,137
September	833,155	28.8%	37.7%	5,952,292
October	744,022	32.2%	43.6%	6,696,314
November	614,464	44.7%	40.0%	7,310,778
December	641,020	52.8%	34.6%	7,948,202

2024

Month	Passengers	Change (2023–2024)	Passengers Cumulatively
January	570,937	28.1%	570,937
February	480,185	21.2%	1,051,122
March	558,183	18.4%	1,609,305
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Busiest Flight Routes

Here are some of the most popular routes from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport:

Busiest routes at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport

City	Airport	Weekly Departures (Winter 2023/2024)	Airlines
Istanbul	Istanbul Airport, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport	50	Air Serbia, AnadoluJet, Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Airlines
Vienna	Vienna Airport	37	Air Serbia, Austrian Airlines
Podgorica	Podgorica Airport	35	Air Montenegro, Air Serbia
Zürich	Zürich Airport	34	Air Serbia, Swiss International Air Lines
Frankfurt	Frankfurt Airport	24	Air Serbia, Lufthansa
Munich	Munich Airport, Memmingen Airport	23	Lufthansa, Wizz Air
Amsterdam	Amsterdam Airport Schiphol	23	Air Serbia, KLM
Paris	Beauvais–Tillé Airport, Charles de Gaulle Airport	21	Air Serbia, Wizz Air
Tivat	Tivat Airport	21	Air Montenegro, Air Serbia
Rome	Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport	20	Air Serbia, Wizz Air
Ljubljana	Ljubljana Airport	19	Air Serbia
Budapest	Budapest Airport	18	Air Serbia
Zagreb	Zagreb Airport	17	Air Serbia
Athens	Athens International Airport	16	Aegean Airlines, Air Serbia
Barcelona	Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport	16	Air Serbia, Wizz Air
Bucharest	Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport	16	Air Serbia, TAROM
Milan	Milan Malpensa Airport, Orio al Serio International Airport	16	Air Serbia, Wizz Air
London	Heathrow Airport, Luton Airport	15	Air Serbia, British Airways, Wizz Air

Airport Services

Security at the Airport

Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport has security checks to keep everyone safe. Now, there is a main security hall right above the ticketing area. All passengers go through this check before they go to passport control.

Passport control is where officials check your passport before you enter or leave the country. There are also special lounges for business class travelers and VIP guests.

Lounges for Travelers

• The Business Club is a special lounge for business class passengers from all airlines. It opened in 2011 and can fit 30 guests.
• The airport also has a VIP lounge with its own check-in and passport control areas.
• Air Serbia Premium Lounge is a lounge just for Air Serbia passengers.

Getting to and from the Airport

By Car

The airport is connected to the A3 motorway, which is a major highway. You can easily drive to the city center from the airport without paying tolls. Taxis are also available to take you to the city.

By Bus

Several bus lines connect the airport to different parts of Belgrade:

By Train

The Serbian government plans to build a new railway line connecting the city and the airport. This project is expected to start in 2024. It should be finished in about 18 months.

Incidents at the Airport

Sometimes, things don't go as planned at airports. Here's one incident that happened at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport:

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto de Belgrado-Nikola Tesla para niños

• Aeronautical Museum Belgrade
• List of airlines of Serbia
• List of airports in Serbia