Sarajevo Airport has been one of the star performers in the former Yugoslavia this year, with a number of new airlines and routes launched. The airport has become a Wizz Air base with the low cost carrier to station a second aircraft in the city this December and launch an additional seven new routes. On the other hand, the airport has overseen the arrival of numerous new carriers from the Gulf region this summer, including Kuwait Airways, Salam Air and Gulf Air, to name a few. The airport’s General Manager, Alan Bajić, spoke to EX-YU Aviation News about the airport’s newfound success and plans for the future.

At the start of 2021, and particularly at the start of the summer season, we saw a notable increase in passenger numbers and aircraft movements compared to last year. This is primarily the result of efforts put in by the current management team, that concentrated all its energy into maintaining the airport’s financial stability through the resumption of flights by airlines which operated to the city prior to the pandemic. We are proud to have achieved this. Of course, our goal would have been impossible to attain without the support of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina through the adoption of important initiatives during the pandemic. I must say that the increase in the number of flights, destinations and the arrival of new airlines comes because of a change in the airport’s business policy, which ensures additional incentives for airlines, aimed at overcoming the financial crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The airport’s management formed new teams which completely changed our business approach towards airlines and all other customers. The increase in the number of flights and destinations was also in relation to the government’s decision to temporarily freeze the federal tax on the development of air transport in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, introduced in 2015, which was imposed only onto airlines operating to Sarajevo. We are working on removing this tax for good.

Prior to the start of the pandemic, the airport launched numerous investment projects. Some of them have been completely halted, while others are progressing at a slower pace. As part of the apron overhaul project, one aircraft parking position has not been reconstructed and the project has been shelved due to the pandemic. Also, the construction of a new fuel depot and expansion of the apron have been slowed. Regardless of these circumstances, we have launched a series of activities aimed at improving our infrastructure in order to provide the highest quality of service to our customers. We are working on the revision of the airport’s master plan through which we will redefine the airport’s long-term development strategy.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, work on expanding the airport’s capacity has been slowed. The planned completion of construction work is planned for the end of 2021, after which the building’s operational readiness will have to trialled. The expansion project does not impact on the normal functioning of the airport. Existing capacity and infrastructure are more than satisfactory to meet the requirements of airlines.

In early June we successfully undertook a TSA audit as a precondition for the establishment of flights between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Based on the existing plan, Sarajevo Airport will have a one weekly service with the States. We are in talks with airlines from the US. Furthermore, we are in negotiations regarding the launch of nonstop flights between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada, as well as China and several European markets with whom we lack connectivity, such as Italy, Spain and Poland. Our plans are related to improving services, expanding capacity, introducing new routes, and development in every business segment in general. The airport’s management will do everything in its power to make Sarajevo Airport synonymous on the market for its service quality, safety and punctuality. We also aim to become a respectable partner for airlines and other customers.