By Ilias Bellos

Fraport Greece has this week begun a 100-million-euro investment to turn Thessaloniki’s Makedonia Airport into the main alternative gateway to Greece and a connection hub for Southeast Europe and Asia.

The bulk of the investment will go toward the construction of a new terminal building, exceeding 34,000 square meters, but plans also include the renovation of the existing terminal, which covers 24,000 sq.m., as well as the construction of a new fire station and the upgrading of the waste-water treatment unit.

Other significant upgrade works will also be implemented at the airport, such as the renewal of the runway and apron surfaces, and the installation of a state-of-the-art luggage management and screening system. The investment is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021.

Upon completion, the check-in points will increase by 47 percent, and security points will double, according to the German-led consortium that operates Makedonia and 13 other regional airports around the country.

In total Fraport is investing 415 million euros in the 14 airports, with five of them set to get new terminals, five more to have their existing terminals upgraded and the other four terminals to be renovated.

This article was initially published by ekathimerini.com