Václav Havel Airport Prague’s Terminal 3 will run on solar power

Terminal 3 at Václav Havel Airport Prague will start a large renovation this year. The terminal, which is used for private and government flights, will see a rebuilt entrance, a new self check-in system plus the addition of solar panels on the roof. The estimated budget for the project is CZK 250 million.

The airport management in December announced a tender for a building contractor. Work could start in July and stretch to April 2022. The design of the new form of Terminal 3 is by architectural and design office ra15.

“The modernization of Terminal 3 will include the refurbishment of the existing building, including the interior and exterior, to be comfortable for passengers while meeting all the technological, operational and safety requirements of a modern international airport,” Prague Airport spokeswoman Kateřina Pavlíková said. Prague Airport is the company that runs Václav Havel Airport.

Terminal 3 was built in 1996 and commissioned in 1997. It has not undergone any significant renovation, just some necessary partial repairs in the interior.

There will also be larger spaces for passenger check-in to destinations both within and outside the Schengen area. Conditions for handling oversized luggage, used by various sports clubs on charter flights, will improve. There will be three counters for self check-in. Two will be ready for the installation of a self bag drop system and one station with a wider weighing conveyor for oversized luggage.

“Thanks to the renovation, we will also be able to offer greater check-in capacity and comfort to all those who use Terminal 3 for their journeys,” Pavlíková said.

The look of the terminal will also change. “The dominant element … will be the new roofing along the entire length of the building, which will increase comfort for passengers and aircraft crews and will also allow greater protection of airport equipment from the weather,” Pavlíková said.

“From the non-public part, new entrances to the building will also be created from the airport area, so that passengers can pass through the terminal separately on arrivals and departures,” Pavlíková said, adding that new parking spaces will also be created inside the complex.

The building’s roofs will be covered with 222 solar panels. These will generate electricity for lighting of terminal and operational needs. The plan calls for 134 photovoltaic panels in 33 rows on the lower roof level, and 88 panels in 29 rows on the higher roof level.

There will also be changes at the entrance, such as the renovation of the sidewalk, which will include the addition of modern urban furniture and the planting of greenery.

The facilities for airlines and handling companies and security or border control posts will also be modified.

Other projects planned for Václav Havel Airport Prague include a new runway that will increase airport capacity at peak hours.