Montenegro’s Ministry of Transport said on 27 October 2026 that no company had been selected, proposed or favoured to prepare the master plan for Airports of Montenegro. The selection process has not started because the project brief needed to begin it has not been adopted. The estimated cost and the method for selecting the preparer also remain undecided.
The ministry responded to unofficial claims that it had favourites in Serbia and was struggling to persuade Airports of Montenegro’s management about the quality of potential preparers. The claims also alleged that the minister and his associates opposed setting clear conditions and references in advance. The ministry described the assertions as inaccurate and unfounded and requested their correction.
In its response, the ministry said: “No preparer has been selected, proposed or favoured.” It said no company from Serbia or any other country had been put forward, and that no ministry document or decision mentioned a potential preparer.
Offers cannot be evaluated or compared before the project brief is approved, according to the ministry. It therefore described the suggestion that a contractor had already been chosen as baseless. The process for selecting the company remains unlaunched.
The estimated value of the work has not been determined and will be made public when the selection process begins, in accordance with public procurement rules. The ministry said publishing an estimate earlier would not be fair to potential bidders or in the interest of competition.
Selection criteria remain to be set
No decision has been taken on the model for selecting the preparer. The ministry had previously called it premature and inaccurate to name countries, institutions or companies at this stage. It said the contracting authority must write the project brief and that the value of the work will be formed through a competitive process.
The ministry also rejected claims of disagreement with Airports of Montenegro’s management over setting conditions and references before the selection. Both organisations support defining them in advance, it said, to prevent the assignment going to a company without appropriate experience and proven results.
Among the criteria outlined by the ministry are proven international references in preparing airport master plans for airports with a comparable profile and seasonal traffic patterns. It also identified professional capacity and a qualified team of key experts as requirements for the preparer.
The team would need expertise in airside planning, terminal planning, traffic forecasts, environmental protection and financial modelling. The ministry said the resulting plan must be bankable, meaning acceptable to international financial institutions.
Another requirement is the transfer of knowledge and handover to the client of all models, data and analytical foundations. These criteria have not yet been adopted as a project brief, which remains necessary before the selection process can begin.
State role and future airport management
The ministry considers the master plan a document of the state and says it will have an active, continuous role in every stage of preparation. Its work will include setting strategic starting points, aligning key requirements and objectives, monitoring preparation, and reviewing the final document’s solutions and recommendations.
Working with Airports of Montenegro, the ministry will seek to keep the process aligned with the country’s strategic development interests, transport policy priorities and applicable regulations. The two organisations will coordinate and exchange information during the work, according to the ministry.
The plan must remain neutral on the future model for managing the airports. The ministry identified continued state management through its company as one possibility, alongside the choice of another model for putting the airports’ value to use. No decision between those options has been made.
The ministry is led by Radoš Zečević of New Serbian Democracy. It said it would conduct the process transparently, under domestic law and obligations undertaken in the European integration process, and would inform the public fully and in a timely manner about subsequent steps.
