Contract awarded for the reconstruction of the Palanga Airport runway

Credit: Lithuanian Airports

A Latvian company, A.C.B. – which already has similar experience in reconstructing the runway at Vilnius Airport (VNO) in 2017 – has been awarded the contract for the reconstruction of Palanga Airport’s (PLQ) runway in the call for tenders that was issued in the autumn of 2020.

During the project, one taxiway and some parts of the apron are also planned to be reconstructed, and airport operations are likely to be suspended in autumn 2021 for the shortest required period, which is 45 days.

The public tender procedure received considerable attention from market participants, with as many as six Lithuanian and foreign companies that have experience in implementing large projects competing with each other with their tenders. The successful tenderer intends to carry out all of the planned works for €13.6 million, which is less than was planned before the call for tenders was issued.

Lithuanian Airports – operator of Palanga Airport – expects to sign a contract with A.C.B. after all necessary procedures, including inspection of the company in the Commission for Projects Important for National Security. The contract is planned to be signed by April 2021.

According Dainius Čiuplys, Head of the Operations and Infrastructure Department at Lithuanian Airports, renovation of the essential infrastructure of Palanga Airport is a necessary measure that has been planned in order to ensure safety and improve environmental solutions.

“The runway of Palanga Airport was last reconstructed in 2007. This means that its lifecycle is already nearing the end and investment in renovation is required. We are convinced that, with the recovery of the aviation market, the strategically important airport of the Lithuanian coastal region will be popular, and the demand to travel through it will definitely remain. This is evidenced by the double-digit growth in the number of passengers in this airport that was recorded before the pandemic. Our main task in the context of this project is to ensure that the recovery of aviation would take place in a secure infrastructure and would generate added value for the whole region,” said Čiuplys.

During the reconstruction, operations at the airport are planned to be suspended for a minimum period of 45 days. The period of the works is expected to cover September and October 2021.