Southern expansion – “Terminal 3” at Schwechat Airport is being expanded

Schwechat Airport wants to rise to the top league in the aviation industry. For this purpose, Austria's largest airport is once again spending a record amount. About 420 million euros have been budgeted for the so-called “southern expansion” of Terminal 3; The expansion covering an area of ​​70,000 m² is to be financed entirely from surpluses on the revenue side. So the budget plan would be similar to the costs of the 76,000 m² Terminal 3, then called “Skylink”.

Around €475 million, including €75 million for the baggage sorting system, was initially allocated for a new arrivals and departures building at the site. In the end it was supposed to be around 725 million euros, although the current board duo Gunther Offner and Julian Jäger managed to reduce costs significantly after taking office in 2011. A year later, the construction sector at the airport was reorganized and industrialized.

“For planning and project management, we rely on our high level of expertise in digitization and the use of BIM (Building Information Modelling). This means that we can not only follow the construction work on a daily basis, but also ensure compliance with the costs and schedule when it is completed in 2027,” emphasized board member Günter Offner at the groundbreaking ceremony today, Wednesday (February 14). In the presence of the State Governors of Lower Austria and Vienna, Johanna Mikl Leitner and Michael Ludwig.

The expansion will primarily create shopping and dining areas as well as lounge areas and lounges. Additionally, the central security checkpoint will be relocated there, creating more space in “Terminal 3”. “With the 'southern expansion' we are setting the course for advancement into the top league of airports and bringing Vienna Airport onto the 5-star course,” says airport boss Julian Jäger, looking positively into the future. After years as a “4-star airport”, the goal is to achieve the highest award status in the rankings of management consulting firm “Skytrax”.

The preparatory work for this was already underway in July last year. For example, the exterior facade of Terminal 3 in the connecting area was demolished. Serious construction work has now begun: Civil engineering work is currently underway, with more than 900 bored piles being driven into the ground and building foundations being constructed. The six-story building will be erected later, after which interior work and building technical systems will be installed.

The latter is technologically similar to current affairs and will be implemented with optimal thermal insulation and more insulating facades. There is also an intelligent building control system and ventilation system with free cooling function. Part of the electricity demand is also met by on-site photovoltaic systems. This year, about 50 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of solar energy will be produced annually.