Representatives of the Croatian government and the French consortium Zagreb Airport International Company (ZAIC) on Wednesday signed a concession agreement for the construction of a new passenger terminal at Zagreb Airport and the management of the existing and new terminals over the next 30 years.
Attending the signing ceremony, Prime Minister ZORAN MILANOVIĆ said it was never too late for such important projects, especially because Croatia lagged behind in the construction of strategically important infrastructure.
A bidder with world-renowned expertise, knowledge and experience has won in an open and fair international tender, Milanovic said, adding that Croatia had positive experiences with French partners in the Bina Istra motorway project and voicing hope that construction work on the motorway in Istria County would continue under the same concession model.
The concession agreement signed today allows the construction of a terminal that will turn Zagreb Airport into a regional as well as European hub without a cent being spent from the state budget, and plans also include raising the passenger turnover to five million annually, said Deputy Transport and Infrastructure Minister Zdenko Antesic.
The concession revenue over 30 years will amount to EUR 1.94 billion, while investments in the first construction stage will amount to EUR 236 million, he added.
ZAIC CEO Cristophe Petit said the takeover of the existing terminal and the construction of the new one could begin in six to nine months. Construction is expected to be completed in three years. After the current 
terminal is turned over to them for management, the French will pay the first concession fee instalment of EUR 2 million.
The terms for the payment of the fee are very favourable for the state, but ZAIC has taken the risk because it feels that Zagreb Airport does have regional and European value, and Paris Airports and the Bouygues construction company, which founded ZAIC, have sufficient experience in such projects, said Petit.
ZAIC has also taken the obligation to respect the agreed rights of Zagreb Airport's employees. The bulk of the construction on the new terminal will be done by two Croatian companies - Vijadukt and Zagorje Tehnobeton.
Croatia did not have the funds to build the new terminal alone, so the concession model is the best solution and will also attract investments and bring considerable funds into the state budget, it was said.
(Hina)
