Banja Luka Airport has announced it will be linked with Podgorica and Gothenburg by the end of the year, as it makes a major strategic shift by announcing plans to attract low cost airlines. Services to the Montenegrin capital and the Swedish city will be operated once per week from December 22 by the virtual Swedish-based airline Montefly. The operating carrier will be disclosed at a later date once contracted. According to the Ministry for Transport and Communications in the government of the entity of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina, ticket sales are expected to begin soon. Banja Luka Airport has also confirmed it is in talks with a further three airlines concerning future operations from the city, one of which is Air Serbia.

The Entity Minister for Transport, Nedjo Trninić, noted that Banja Luka Airport will target low cost carriers in the future in order to boost connectivity. It is in stark contrast to Mr Trninić’s previous remarks when he noted, “Low cost carriers are not our future. We are more focused on serious airlines to which we can offer fair conditions". At the time, Mr Trninić criticised Tuzla Airport, which acts as a base for Wizz Air, noting, "At Tuzla Airport they survive on donations made by the Cantnon and Federal governments. We are not interested in such things. Tuzla Airport would not be in operation if it were not for subsidies. Low cost airlines are very demanding in terms of subsidies and airports do not benefit from them". However, local media believe Banja Luka Airport has resumed talks with Wizz itself. “We have reached an agreement with airlines we are currently negotiating with that, until we sign a contract, we will not disclose their names or further details. All I can say at this point is that we are in discussions with two carriers, or three if we include Air Serbia, which currently maintains services to the city”, Banja Luka Airport’s General Manager, Miroslav Janjić, said.

Banja Luka Airport began talks with Wizz Air over potential flights in 2013, however, negotiations later collapsed. The Entity Minister for Transport at the time, Nedeljko Čubrilović, said, “Unfortunately we were unable to agree to the terms set by the airline. It’s not as it looks. They aren’t coming here to give us anything, they want to come here to take something. During negotiations they were very difficult over handling prices so we would not benefit from them in any single way”. Banja Luka Airport is in the midst of a 3.1 million euro expansion of its passenger terminal and the construction of a new cargo facility. During the January - August period it handled a total of 14.745 passengers, representing a decrease of 3.9% on last year. Currently, Air Serbia is Banja Luka Airport's only customer, maintaining five weekly flights from Belgrade.