Ground has been broken on a €500m (US$555m) four-year modernization of Vienna International Airport.
The project will involve the renovation of Terminal 2 and Pier East, and the construction of a large additional building, the 70,000m2 (750,000ft2) T3 Southern Enlargement. Once complete, the airport will benefit from a new central security checkpoint, an additional baggage claim area, more space at the gates, and new shopping and food and beverage offerings.
The project will begin with Terminal 2. Walls, floors and lighting will be upgraded and the roof will be renovated. Built in the 1960s, it is one of the oldest buildings at the airport but its location, between Terminals 1 and 3, makes it crucial to airport operations. Following its renovation, passengers will be able to use Terminal 2 to access shopping, F&B facilities, border control and B, C and D gates via the new central security checkpoint. A separate baggage claim area with three baggage carousels will be created. The new Terminal 2 is scheduled to come on stream by the end of 2020.
Pier East, with its D-gates, will also be comprehensively modernized, giving passengers spacious leisure and waiting areas featuring high-quality shopping and F&B offerings. The former partition walls and the decentralized security screening will be removed. Work on Pier East will start in early 2021, to be completed by the beginning of 2023. Passengers will use other gate areas while the work is underway.
The new T3 Southern Enlargement building will offer leisure areas and non-Schengen connections. Particular emphasis among its 30 new F&B outlets will be on Austrian food and local brands. The new building will also enable easy transfer between the F, G and D gates and will include the central security screening from Terminal 3. Construction work is scheduled to begin in the middle of 2020. The new southern section is expected to be in operation by mid-2023.
Sustainability and energy efficiency are key elements of the terminal development projects. The new southern section will be constructed on activated bored piles so that geothermal energy can be used, and state-of-the-art solutions in building services engineering and optimized thermal insulation will be implemented. Throughout the planning and construction phases, Vienna University of Technology will provide advice on air conditioning and energy.