Serbia grants €5 million for Niš flights, eyes Kraljevo opening

The Serbian government has adopted new regulation to grant five million euros in subsidies for the launch of ten new routes from Niš Constantine the Great Airport and has committed itself to opening Kraljevo's Morava Airport by year's end. The five million euros in subsidies will be offered for routes that are deemed to be "of public interest" for a period of up to five years. The measure stipulates that services eligible for the subsidies are either those lacking commercial interest, routes that carry less than 100.000 passengers per year, as well as those that are insufficiently served by other means of transport. The government will name the ten destinations of "public interest" later this year. If within "a short period of time" no airline shows interest for any of the routes, an international tender will be launched to find an operating carrier, according to Serbia's updated aviation law, although the government reserves the right to enter into direct talks with airlines without a public call.

The Assistant Minister for Transport, Zoran Ilić, said last week, "We expect for Air Serbia to take part in the public call, which will be open to all airlines". The Serbian government will also offer subsidies to tour operators who bring groups of Russian, Turkish, Chinese, South Korean, Indian and US tourists arriving or departing either through Belgrade or Niš airports. The government will grant up to thirty euros per visitor from Russia and Turkey and up to fifty euros for tourists arriving from the other four countries. The exact sum will depend on the length of stay. Tour operators must form a group of at least fifteen people to be eligible for the incentives. The measure is expected to boost both air travel and tourism.

The Serbian government has also said it is finalising bureaucratic procedures for the opening of Kraljevo's Morava Airport by July and the launch of scheduled flights by the end of the year. The airport's 22 million euro terminal and control tower were completed in 2012, however, its 2.200 metre-long and thirty metre-wide runway can only handle smaller turboprop aircraft. "Construction work, the purchase of necessary equipment, staff recruitment, opening of customs offices and obtaining an operating license will be completed by the end of June. The airport will be equipped with technology which enables aircraft to land during low visibility. From its opening in late June, until the end of this year, we expect several carriers to introduce flights from the airport", the Ministry for Construction, Transport and Infrastructure, said. Previously, Wizz Air noted it would be interested in flying from Morava Airport. The government has missed numerous deadlines set for the airport's opening, primarily over issues concerning its joint use for military and commercial purposes. Morava Airport is located in central Serbia between several industrial cities.

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