The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending CZK 9 billion (approximately EUR 292 million) for a new passenger terminal with a capacity of 3.5 million passengers at Prague International Airport (PIA). The loan contract was signed officially today at the Czech Ministry of Transport by Mr Martin Kacur, CEO Czech Airports Authority
The new terminal will increase PIA's capacity to some 10 million passengers a year. The loan to the State-owned enterprise Ceská správa letiat' s.p., (Czech Airports Authority) is for 25 years with a six years' grace period.
Commenting on the loan, EIB Vice-President Wolfgang Roth said: The extension of the airport in Prague will help meet rapidly increasing air traffic, as the Czech economy develops and the airport is growing to take on the role of a major Central European gateway. It will help tourism and other economic development in the Czech Republic and will create numerous direct and indirect employment opportunities. Not least it will support the access to the Schengen agreement for the future EU member Czech Republic.'
The loan for the new terminal at PIA brings to more than EUR 4 billion the total lent by the EIB to Czech projects since 1993. As in other new EU entrants, the lion's share of EIB's lending in the Czech Republic went to transport projects, mainly rail, road, motorways and urban traffic schemes. Beside the development of Trans-European Networks corridors, urgent repairs to transport infrastructure following earlier floods in the Czech Republic absorbed substantial amounts of EIB funds. In addition, environmental, energy, industry, telecommunications as well as health and education schemes were financed by the Bank.