Mostar International Airport
Mostar International Airport Međunarodna Zračna Luka Mostar | |||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
Owner | City of Mostar (88%) Zagreb Airport (12%) | ||||||||||
Operator | Mostar Airport Ltd. | ||||||||||
Serves | Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||||||||||
Location | Ortiješ | ||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 48 m / 156 ft | ||||||||||
Coordinates | 43°16′58″N 17°50′45″E / 43.28278°N 17.84583°E | ||||||||||
Website | mostar-airport.ba | ||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||
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Statistics (2020) | |||||||||||
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Source: Bosnian and Herzegovinian Directorate of Civil Aviation BHDCA[1] |
Mostar International Airport (Croatian: Međunarodna Zračna Luka Mostar, Template:Lang-bs; IATA: OMO, ICAO: LQMO) is an airport near Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the village of Ortiješ, 4 NM (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) southeast of Mostar's railway station.[2]
History
Mostar Airport was opened for civilian air traffic in 1965 for domestic flights. Prior to 1965, Mostar was a local airport with a large concrete runway used by aircraft manufacturer SOKO for testing and delivering military aircraft, and sometimes by passenger aircraft. [citation needed] Currently, the airport primarily serves for Catholics making the pilgrimage to nearby Medjugorje. In 2012, the airport had a twofold increase in traffic, making it the second-busiest in Bosnia and Herzegovina after Sarajevo airport.
Further investments are planned, which include: renovating and expanding the terminal building, expanding the apron, modernising equipment, possible expanding of runway and further education of airport staff in Italy, also building fuel tanks and hangars for private aircraft and for aircraft of the Secondary Traffic school of Mostar which uses the airport for flight school and educating students for future work. Mostar International Airport is considering a possible strategic partnership with investors or, alternatively, a privatisation or concession.
In November 2017, Eurowings was the first airline to schedule regular flights from Mostar to Düsseldorf and Stuttgart with two weekly flights from May 2018.[3] On 3 May 2018, a Croatia Airlines plane landed at Mostar Airport marking the introduction of direct two weekly Mostar-Zagreb flights.[4] The COVID-19 pandemic has further disrupted the difficult financial situation, causing Croatia Airlines and Eurowings not to continue their planned flights. Also, numerous irregularities in the spending of airport funds and illegally elected administration were noticed.[5] The airport received 1,000,000 Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible marks (€500,000) from the government in March 2021.[6] On 8 September 2021, Croatia Airlines operated first charter flight from Shannon in Ireland to Mostar Airport. Airport management also start negotiating flights with few low cost airlines.[7]
Airlines and destinations
The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Mostar Airport:
Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Croatia Airlines | Seasonal charter: Beirut,[8] Cork, Dublin,[9] Palermo[10] |
Electra Airways | Seasonal charter: Catania[11] |
LOT Polish Airlines | Seasonal charter: Katowice[12] |
Controversies
While Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Tuzla's airports have increased their passengers above 100,000; Mostar's airport management has not succeeded in securing any growth. Instead, Mostar's airport continue existing by support of the FBIH government. The airport management has failed in securing flights to diaspora rich destinations such as Sweden, Denmark and Germany.[13]
In 2022, the airport lost its only scheduled service.[14]
Despite a very low number of passengers, 8 million BAM was awarded to the airport [15]
The current airport director Ivan Ljubic was appointed against the law since there was no city council when he assumed office.[16]
Mostar Airport fails to land airplanes diverged from Sarajevo, Tuzla and Banja Luka due to foggy weather conditions. Instead these airplanes are diverted to Serbia and Croatia, even if they are much further away from their original destinations.
Mostar airport is located in a very attractive position that the management have completely failed to capitalise on. The following reasons are why Mostar airport should be a very active airport [17]
- Serving the closer towns with more than 400,000 population
- Diaspora from Herzegovina region
- Diaspora from Dalmatia region
- Tourism in Mostar
- Tourism in Hercegovina
- Faith Tourism / pilgrimage to the very visited and world known Medjugorge
- Summer backup for Split and Dubrovnik (Croatia's Dalmatia is extremely high in tourism)
- Closeness to Montenegro
The political party "Our Party" Nasa stranka expressed the desire to completely change the management of the airport in 2018.[18]
Responsible Management of the failed airport
Position | Name | Active years | Political alignment | Sanctioned |
---|---|---|---|---|
CEO | Marin Raspudić | 1998–2020 | HDZ | NO |
CEO | Ivan Ljubić | 2020–present | HDZ | NO |
Statistics
The record number of 86,000 passengers was recorded in the year 1990,[21]
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Year/Month | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | Year total | Change |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022 | 6 | 39 | 21 | 110 | 189 | 942 | 2,151 | 4,623 | 1,914 | 711 | 10,706 | +693,2% | ||
2021 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 12 | 17 | 76 | 218 | 253 | 664 | 324 | 153 | 205 | 1,942 | +41,34% |
2020 | 384 | 267 | 133 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 76 | 190 | 11 | 25 | 288 | 1,374 | -95,81% |
2019 | 163 | 294 | 289 | 1,291 | 2,423 | 4,029 | 4,677 | 8,369 | 6,218 | 3,512 | 931 | 670 | 32,866 | +15,46% |
2018 | 0 | 171 | 448 | 1,557 | 3,881 | 4,004 | 3,173 | 7,561 | 4,963 | 1,654 | 570 | 481 | 28,463 | -33,9% |
2017 | 290 | 493 | 1,014 | 3,741 | 5,406 | 5,765 | 5,201 | 8,876 | 7,437 | 4,121 | 379 | 395 | 43,118 | -19,5% |
2016 | 226 | 24 | 1,122 | 3,797 | 6,139 | 7,178 | 8,411 | 10,788 | 10,225 | 4,692 | n/a | n/a | 53,618 | -28,5% |
2015 | 775 | 186 | 2,425 | 6,680 | 11,867 | 9,696 | 9,715 | 13,305 | 11,502 | 6,718 | 852 | 1,303 | 75,024 | +10,3% |
2014 | 395 | 117 | 1,575 | 5,817 | 9,689 | 9,288 | 8,831 | 10,691 | 10,499 | 7,731 | 1,426 | 1,921 | 67,980 | -1,3% |
2013 | 155 | 7 | 2,453 | 7,737 | 9,082 | 9,146 | 6,665 | 11,103 | 9,599 | 7,602 | 3,339 | 2,058 | 68,939 | −13,2% |
2012 | 177 | 318 | 2,139 | 9,169 | 8,677 | 11,922 | 9,921 | 13,737 | 10,839 | 6,360 | 2,923 | 1,873 | 78,055 | +212,0% |
2011 | 554 | 0 | 696 | 2,193 | 4,029 | 5,087 | 4,343 | 4,644 | 8,432 | 4,265 | 1,086 | 1,478 | 36,807 | +206,0% |
2010 | – | – | – | – | – | 986 | 1,800 | 4,255 | 3,712 | 1,879 | 544 | – | 17,833 | N/A |
See also
- List of airports in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Banja Luka International Airport
- Sarajevo International Airport
- Tuzla International Airport
References
- ^ Bosnian, Flying (18 January 2019). "Bosnia and Herzegovina aviation news: ✈Bosnia and Herzegovina air traffic report for 2018".
- ^ "EAD Basic - Error Page". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
- ^ Bosnian, Flying (7 November 2017). "Bosnia and Herzegovina aviation news: ✈Eurowings Mostar flight schedule".
- ^ Bosnian, Flying (4 May 2018). "Bosnia and Herzegovina aviation news: ✈Zagreb-Mostar flights inaugurated".
- ^ "Nalaz revizije: Aerodrom Mostar netransparentno trošio novac, brojne nepravilnosti". www.klix.ba.
- ^ "Vlada Federacije BiH izdvaja devet miliona KM za aerodrome". www.klix.ba.
- ^ "Mostar Airport plans 2022 revival". exyuaviation.com.
- ^ "Red letenja za razdoblje od 29.7. do 25.8.2022". mostar-airport.ba. 27 July 2022.
- ^ "Mostar". dublinairport.com. 18 May 2022.
- ^ "Direktor Zračne luke Mostar najavio čarter letove iz Poljske, Italije, Jordana". mostar.ba. 25 April 2022.
- ^ "S Düsseldorfom nova linija, cilj 100.000 putnika u pet godina". vecernji.ba. 28 March 2022.
- ^ "LOT to start Mostar charters, boost EX-YU operations".
- ^ "Home page". zamaaero.com/08/05/2022/analize/intervju-ivan-ljubicic-direktor-zl-morstar/.
- ^ "Zračna luka Mostar". exyuaviation.
- ^ "8million bam to save mostar airport". klix.ba.
- ^ "Mostar airport director appointed illegal". klix.ba.
- ^ "Unsuccessful story of the airport". klix.ba.
- ^ "Political party wants to change Mostar airport management". oslobodjenje.ba.
- ^ "Biografy Marin Raspudic" (PDF). bhdca.gov.ba.
- ^ "Political affiliation of Marin Raspudic". nezavisne.
- ^ "Zračna luka Mostar". mostar-airport.ba.
- ^ "Home page". www.bhdca.gov.ba.
External links
Media related to Mostar International Airport at Wikimedia Commons