The Municipality of Berane wants Berane Airport retained in its spatial plan and has proposed a two-phase development, including a possible runway extension. The municipality outlined the proposal after talks with the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property on 30 October 2026, according to its account of the meeting.
Minister Slaven Radunović visited the municipality with colleagues and was received by Berane Mayor Đole Lutovac and his team. The discussions covered spatial planning, legalisation and the airport’s future development, with the decision on whether to retain the airport in the municipal plan identified as a factor shaping its future direction and use.
Lutovac said documentation for the Berane municipal spatial plan was being prepared and that the process was expected to be completed by the end of the year. Radunović raised whether the airport should remain in the plan; municipal representatives said they supported retaining it to preserve a development option for future generations.
Proposed airport development
The municipality has engaged a design company specialising in airport planning, which prepared technical solutions for development. Under the proposal, the first phase would make use of the airport’s existing capacity, while a second phase would extend the runway and acquire nearby land for supporting airport facilities.
Municipal representatives described the staged approach as realistic and achievable, and said the local administration could support and implement it. At expanded capacity, the airport could serve Berane and the wider northern region and accommodate both passenger and cargo aircraft, according to the proposal presented at the meeting.
Existing buildings in the airport zone were identified as a constraint because they could interfere with safe operations. Participants said implementing the proposed solution could require removing several hundred buildings in the area, making coordination between local and state administrations necessary to address the airport and surrounding properties.
Category proposal and next steps
Municipal representatives told the minister they had already submitted an initiative to the relevant ministry to lower the airport’s category. They estimated that approval could reduce the number of buildings that would pose a problem to no more than 150.
The participants said coordinated action by local and state administrations would be needed for further consideration and resolution of the airport and building issues. Lutovac said the next step would be a detailed review of the technical proposals, to prepare a basis for decisions on the airport’s future planning and development direction.
