Bihać Airport in north-western Bosnia and Herzegovina is expected to be opened for commercial use in 2023, with work on the 300 metre section of the planned 2.2 kilometre runway under way. "Construction is going according to schedule. We want to show everyone that Bihać Airport is a credible project", the General Manager of Bihać Airport, Elvedin Sedić, said. The 300-metre section of the runway, which will be used for testing purposes, is valued at 1.1 million euros. The Federal Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina allocated 1.8 million euros for Bihać Airport earlier this year.
In addition to the development of the test runway. the airport will use part of the federal funding to finance the expropriation of land needed for the project. According to Mr Sedić, some 260.000 square metres of land has been expropriated over the past two years. Furthermore, an access road to the future airport complex has been built, while a perimeter fence has also been erected. "The Federation government is interested in this project and could take it over completely. The financing should come partly from commercial banks and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. We expect the airport to be completed in four years", Mr Sedić said. However, the General Manager warned the airport is still seeking funds to finance the project.
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| Planned runway at Bihać Airport |
The entire Bihać Airport project involves the construction of a terminal building, runway and control tower. It is estimated to be worth some 25 million euros. “I think it is realistic to expect support for this project because it is extremely important for our canton", the General Manager noted. Bosnia and Herzegovina currently boasts four international commercial airports - Sarajevo, Tuzla, Banja Luka and Mostar, which handled a combined total of 803.264 passengers during the first half of the year. Bihać is located near the Croatian border and is the country's eighth largest city. The majority of the local population living abroad travels to Bihać and surrounding areas via Zagreb, Tuzla and Sarajevo.
Still can't believe this is going ahead.
ReplyDeleteIt's great news. It would be nice to have an airport in Bihac. I really don't understand all the negativity. Airport can be used in many circumstances, not just for commercial flights.
DeleteIt has a chance for both some gasto routes and tourism traffic particularly for Plitvice and the surrounding region of beautiful nature. Also, this part of BiH really lacks an airport - albeit it is sparsely populated.
Deleteany local elections soon in BiH??
DeleteRešite dok još ima vremena i uložite pare u Banja Luku
DeleteWhat I'm not happy about is that this project is being financed through taxes imposed at Sarajevo Airport which then limits is growth.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteAte these taxes paid at other airports in BiH too?
Delete*are
DeleteNo!
DeleteYes the tax "for the development of airport infrastructure" at SJJ is to provide cash for Bihac, Tuzla and Mostar.
DeleteWhy not BNX too?
DeleteIt's a federation tax.
DeleteBNX will do for Trebinje...
DeleteWell it's a more realistic date of completion than Novi Sad's 2021.
ReplyDeletewhy is this needed
ReplyDeleteTo fill someone's pockets.
DeleteNice to see this project beginning to take shape and progress.
ReplyDeleteDoes Bihac really need an airport?
ReplyDeleteIts canton is known for having huge diaspora
DeleteAn airport could also lead to the development of tourism in greater numbers. The area around there is beautiful.
DeleteI don't think this airport is really needed.
DeleteSo they started the project even though they have not secured the money for it...
ReplyDelete"However, the General Manager warned the airport is still seeking funds to finance the project."
DeleteMoney should not be a problem since tax-income in Federation grows by huge percentage every year, and as such we are really eligible for credits from European banks.
DeleteHow they are going to test 300m runaway? Twin otter? I can understand 850m runaway but 300 - cannot...
ReplyDeleteI think it's more testing in terms of land and terrain sustainability, not if planes can take off or land.
DeleteBetter start planning funds for building a completely new airport in Sarajevo that could secure its longterm development. Much more useful than Bihać.
ReplyDeleteAnd where do you expect them to build a new airport in Sarajevo?
DeleteОчигледно да ће се изградити Бихаћки аеродром. Што ће много помоћи развоју тог региона. Што је логично да постаје пети аеродром Б и Х. Природно и логично је будућа изградња аеродрома Требиње. Четири у Федерацији и два у Републици Српској су основ за уклапање и начин живота у двадесет првом веку. Како год изгледао овај чланак, биће остварен.
ReplyDeleteКо ништа не мења, ништа неможе осварити...
Радован, Краљево. ✈☺✈🌐✈🔆✈✨✈🔅✈🌏✈🌍✈🌎✈
Prirodno i logično je izgraditi aerodrom udaljen manje od sat vremena autom od DBV?
DeleteVlad,
DeleteDa, ako trebaš da skokneš do Moskve (3 sata) ali
Sad putuješ od Banjaluke do Trebinja 6 sati (autom). Zamisli da ima linija ujutru i naveče sa Let410 do Banja Luke, odeš, obaviš posao i vratiš se isti dan i sutra odmoran. Ista stvar za Beograd (8 do 10 sati) , Niš...
Ali ne treba aerodrom za avion od 100 sjedišta, već "pista i kafana"... Ta "pista i kafana" i Let410 (par godina star) se riješi za 3 miliona eura. I leti za pola godine. A na primjeru Bihaća vidimo koliko je za "pravi" aerodrom potrebno para i vremena. I kad završiš, opet moraš da odriješiš kesu da subvencioniraš letove jer niko neće da leti komercijalno sa takvih aerodroma. Kod nas su ljudi nekako megalomani, iz kolibe u dvorac, sa konja u mercedesa, gdje je sredina? Pa taj isti Let410 iz Bihaća može za sat/sat i po da dobaci do svih važnijih centara u Evropi i to sa već postojećeg aerodroma (polijeće i sa trave). Eno održava Osijek Pula. Subvencije? Pa naravno ali mnogo manje nego "pravi" aerodrom i LCC i "sad i odmah"
I'm all for airport and traffic development so good luck Bihac!
ReplyDeleteWhat is the distance between Sarajevo and Bihać?
ReplyDeleteOver 300km.
DeleteInvest this money in existing airports
ReplyDeleteThis airport is not as silly as some people think. It could serve the diaspora and tourists as well as a part of Croatia.
ReplyDeleteBihac is right next to Plitvicka Jezera. It could be used as a charter airport for the lakes. Una is also amazing. A city worth visiting.
DeleteUna river, Strbacki Buk Martin Brod Kostela Ostrozac Rafting Plitvicka Jezera
DeleteOtkud more iza aerodroma Bihac na slici?
ReplyDeletePa dugacka pista
DeleteBihac-Dortmund by Wizz Air coming up
ReplyDeleteYes please!
DeleteAt this rythme in 20 years every village in BiH will have an airport. I don't know why they didn't invest this money to improve the highway infrastructure.
ReplyDeleteExactly, I think we are getting a little too excited with airports! We have enough airports.
DeleteThe terrain of the country in Bosnia makes it difficult and long to get from one place to the other just to use the airport.
DeleteMegalomania is an issue in the Balkans.
DeleteCan someone point out where this airport will be located?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.com/maps/place/Biha%C4%87+Golubi%C4%87+Airport/@44.7970755,15.903487,15z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0xc836c4faf79e7bc5!8m2!3d44.7970755!4d15.903487
DeleteIf they find a private investor to build this then I don't mind but I'm not for wasting public money on such a project.
ReplyDeletewow they have already started building a runway. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWhat about ATS services, controllers, meteo and technical staff... procurement of navigational, communication and meteo systems? Flight procedures? Who would do this? Air space of western BIH is delegated to Croatia based on bilateral agreement.
ReplyDeleteIn December BiH will take over all of its airspace.
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2019/07/bosnia-to-take-full-control-of-airspace.html
DeleteYes and no. Bosnia will take full control up to flight level 660 but inside present boundaries of its area of responsibility. And from that area is excluded western part of BH airspace. So dome kind of new agreement should be made. But, still the questions of manpower and equipment remains...who would run the control?
DeleteIf I'm not wrong, as of now, the mentioned western part of LQSB FIR, west of the VBA-OMA-SPL VOR axis is still delegated to BiH below 9500 and covered by Banjaluka Information.
DeleteIt won't be a problem to implement a Bihac TMA there, 9500 ft could do it and as in LQBK, FL120 is sufficient vertically, but indeed there are many constrains latterly.
Radar coverage is missing and the proximity of the Croatian border north and trrrain south of the field is restricting it beyond the need of a runway.
A longer runway here is nothing but a piece of paved surface, so long the remaining factors are not accounted for.
Try to present this and a true business case with all the costs to the electors vs what could be done for that money in their city, and I bet the little support will be gone.
BiH including LQBI almost as of now, could as mentioned above be easily connected by a small plane such as the Let-410 and up to ATR-42 without these corrupt investements.
This project is a decades long one man show to get a international airport next to his house in Golubic and to show his neigbours what he is capable of, with our money. And a mile from there families are still starving and cannot reach their houses on the muddy roads after rainfall.
For now he has a well functioning sports airfield that cheap could become a regional one and GA hub for the rich travellers to the region including Plitvice.
But noo, A380 capable airport only please with a Kai Tak approach due to all the constrains. Get real.
Pity what BiH is turning into and wasting money on and the public eating it as if it was cevapi.
Improve the airports that are already there. For example, sarajevo is the capital with expanding tourism and could be more connected
ReplyDeleteThere are other things money could be better spent on.
ReplyDeleteI'm lovin' it
ReplyDeleteBiH is still cementing its solid position as being the second aiport in ex-Yu with more international airports just behind Croatia.
ReplyDeleteHR - 9
BiH - 4 + 1
SLO - 3
ME - 2
MK - 2
SRB - 2 + 1
Kosovo - 1
The difference between Croatia and the rest is simply huge...
That is largely thanks to the nature. The capital city has no room to get a major hub airport, and the capacity of its existing airport is limited. So they have to build a network of international airports across the country.
DeleteExactly, look at OSI which is 'close' to ZAG and how much it struggles. Not even struggles but the airport is collapsing.
DeleteMaribor II.....
ReplyDeleteBTW, if you want to connect a region by establishing public airport, you don't need asphalt or concrete. But this is typical mafia style of using public money...Would it kill them to operate Air Caravan or similar airplane, connecting them to ...I don't know, Banja Luka, Zadar, Zagreb, Split, Rijeka...no, it has to be concrete. This airport will be gigantic flop. I feel sorry for the aeroclub guys...govt stole a nice airfield from them and turned it into frankenstein. Because it will be huge and empty. Very sad sight for aviation.
ReplyDeleteI ment Cessna Caravan, of course
DeleteWould it be better to invest in roads and railway to get a better and faster connection to Banja Luka, Tuzla or Sarajevo Airport?
ReplyDeleteHow yes no
ReplyDeleteDa je ijedan aerodrom u BiH nesto, pa hajde..
ReplyDeleteCeka se i medjunarodni aerodrom u Jablanici. Da A380 leti LAX-JAB. Do tada nema nam mira.
E neces majci u Jablanicu ima da bude Konjic :) :) :)
DeleteHow much is the airport development tax at SJJ now? Is it paid as part of the ticket or is it collected on departure by cash/credit card?
ReplyDeleteSimplified business case for new CEE airports:
ReplyDeleteEU banks and EBRD provide credit to grandiose authorities to build a new airport. Once airport is built, no domestic airline (if exists) can make service viable at commercial rates, so EU lowcosters approach authorities and demand (almost) no airport fee to start service. LCCs love new airports in the middle of nowhere and try to sign exclusive contract with the new airport guaranteeing them no competition on all routes. Airports having no other airline interest cave in. They now can't make ends meet and also pay back loans with miniature income, so they ask government to take over debt repayment and support the airport. In the end, score is:
a: Banks get their loans paid back by government. Banks earn a nice interest + enable more business for EU LCCs.
b: Airports make almost no income without a chance for increase as they are at the mercy of LCC. They have to expand or improve infrastructure out of their own or government pockets.
c: LCCs get exclusive access to newly built/renovated airports with zero own investment in infrastructure and they get almost all profits to themselves without risk as they can leave at any time.
d: Diaspora living in the EU and earning EU level salaries enjoy cheap tickets to poor homeland supported mostly by the government of that poor country.
e: domestic airlines (if any) or other regional airlines are locked out of the airport unless subsidized.
Svakako je istina da postoji potencijal kad se radi o LQBI pogotovu kad se zna koliko ljudi imaju u inostranstvu.Jedino bi letovi uspeli ako bi leteli W6 ili FR uz pomoc lokalne samouprave.
ReplyDeleteINN-NS
Јако много нажалост негативних коментара. Многи мисле да су летови само за гастарбајтере или самозвану елиту са балкана. Аеродроми служе и у друге сврхе. Санитетски превоз пацијената, повријеђених, летови малим приватим авионима, противпожарним, противградним авионима и др. О туристичким атракцијама и љепотама тог краја да не говорим. Неки мисле да се све треба свести на бг или зг. Или што онај рече, сат и по до Дубровачког аеродрома. Само нека проба и нек на граници проведе још пар сати. За Српску би било идеално поред аеродрома у Требињу, направити аеродроме још у Бијељини и Источном Сарајеву.
ReplyDelete