Indicators show that Airports of Montenegro will end 2022 with a better result on the year-over-year basis. Announced flights for the 2022 IATA summer season also suggest more intensive air traffic.
Without prejudice to the importance of the regional cooperation, we have recently shifted our focus to the strengthening of our position in Europe and in the world. In this light, we have increased company’s presence at all major aviation industry events – says Mr Radulović.
The corona virus pandemic has had dire consequences for air traffic. How did that affect Airports of Montenegro?
– Just as we were recovering to a new normal, emerging developments on the international scene and the war in Ukraine brought another economic ‘pull on the handbrake’ around the world. However, Airports of Montenegro serve as an example that even in such a changing climate it is still possible to achieve sound results with wise strategic planning and teamwork.
During the first four months of 2022, our company served about 293,000 passengers, which is a 200% increase on the year-overyear basis, and handled almost 2,200 aircrafts, which is by 100% more compared to the same period in 2021. We are particularly proud that the 2022 figures make for more than 72 percent of the services realized in the record year of 2019, which was marked by undisturbed operations, with no indication of any epidemic and a peaceful period in international relations. This lends added weight to the results we have achieved in the first four months of 2022, and we are confident that we will reach greater range by the end of the year.
You have announced new flights to Europe. How far have you come with that?
– In the next month and a half, Airports of Montenegro will connect our country with 25 foreign destinations. Tourists from all over the world will land on the runways of the Airports of Montenegro. Places from which we will welcome travellers to Podgorica include Almaty, Katowice, Milan, Luxembourg, Poznan, Yerevan, Pardubice and Tel Aviv, and to Tivat from Stuttgart, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Riyadh, Oslo, Helsinki, Geneva, Ljubljana, Prague, Banja Luka, Bratislava, Munich, Frankfurt, Kraljevo, Niš and Vilnius, of which the new destinations are Tel Aviv, Paradubice, Yerevan and Poznan at Podgorica Airport and Riyadh, Kraljevo and Prague at Tivat Airport. Podgorica airport currently connects Montenegro with 33 destinations, and Tivat with as many as 35.
Airports will continue to be a key link in the development of Montenegrin tourism and industry.
Airports will continue to act as a key enabler of development of tourism and economy of Montenegro.
When will conditions be created for night operations at Tivat Airport?
– This management is determined to put this idea into action. The condition for any talk of night landing in Tivat is international certification, and that procedure is ongoing. Airports of Montenegro is working hard to provide documentation and verify the procedure. However, we have to say that that day is still not close because the airport has not yet been certified.
What kind of cooperation have you discussed with Vršac Aviation Academy?
– Cooperation could certainly be extremely mutually beneficial. On the one hand, Airports of Montenegro can provide colleagues in Vršac with ideal conditions for pilot training in Podgorica and Tivat, and on the other hand, since our focus is on continuous education, we can benefit from the capacities offered by Aviation Academy to further develop our own human resources.