Bratislava Airport will spend €93m on a new terminal that will enable it to handle up to 4.5m passengers a year. This compares to 837,000 passengers handled at the airport in the first half of this year, a 61% increase over the same period in 2005.

"Regardless of whether the airport is privatised or remains state-owned, we will have the finances for the terminal because its completion is crucial", said the chairman of the board of directors and executive director Milan Kajan.

According to Kajan, recent economic results make the company credible and thus even if the airport is not privatised it shouldnt be a problem to obtain funds for completing the terminal.

"In the air transportation business its necessary to plan several years ahead, and we already know that in 2010 we will have 4.5 million passengers", he added.

According to rough estimates from architects, the new terminal will cost €93.2m and construction is planned to start in May 2007. It should be completed end-2008/early-2009.

Airport Bratislava, the company that operates