Vladivostok International Airport (VVO) in the Russian Far East has transferred flights from the old Terminal B to the recently opened Terminal A. The 47,500 sq. m. terminal, which represents a RUB6.3 billion ($196 million) investment, can handle 1,360 passengers per hr., or 3.5 million per year. It is designed to simultaneously handle 70% domestic passengers and 30% international passengers.
Budapest Airport (BUD) is appealing a land tax increase that it believes violates Hungarian constitutional principles regarding the proportionate sharing of public burdens. The airport operator has submitted a petition to the Constitutional Court of Hungary in which it argues that, in addition to local business tax, it is being asked to pay HUF2.25 billion ($9.9 million) in land tax for 2012. This amount “is 330% [above] last year’s obligation,” BUD said in its court submission.
Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport has completed its first phase of repairs to the airport’s eastern runway, returning operations to normal, officials said. The airport, Thailand’s main gateway, is working through a maintenance program for its eastern runway that began June 11. However, well-reported problems with cracks on parts of the runway and a power outage that delayed some flights and disrupted others raised concerns.
Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport (LAS) has opened its new Terminal 3. At 1.9 million sq. ft., the terminal is the largest public works project in Nevada’s history, costing $2.4 billion and taking five years to construct. The 14-gate T3 will replace the smaller, soon-to-be-demolished T2 and has seven international gates. The gambling mecca hopes the new facility will help attract more international visitors to the resort city. For some years the city has increasingly been looking overseas for customers.
UK airports operator BAA has lost its most recent appeal to keep London Stansted Airport (STN), although it has vowed to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court. The appeal on July 26 is the latest development in a long-running battle between the UK Competition Commission (CC) and BAA. “We are pleased that our decision on STN has once again been upheld,” BAA Remedies Implementation Group chairman Laura Carstensen said. “It is surely now time for BAA to accept the verdict and proceed with the sale.”
