Montenegro’s Ministry of Transport has not decided whether to select a consultant for a new master plan for the Podgorica and Tivat airports through an international tender or a government-to-government agreement. The choice will determine how the work is procured, while Montenegro Airports says clear requirements and references should be set before any consultant is selected.
The ministry said it was considering all legally available options, including international tenders, technical assistance from international financial institutions and European funds, and existing interstate cooperation agreements. It has not selected a model or a consultant, and said naming any countries, institutions or companies before a decision would be premature and inaccurate.
Montenegro Airports management wants the new plan to set the airports’ long-term development direction and be binding whether the state continues to operate them or they are offered for concession again. It is asking for clear project terms and reference requirements before selection, to prevent the work going to a company without relevant experience and results.
The ministry said the selection would be transparent and comply with domestic law and Montenegro’s obligations under the European integration process. It also said the public would be informed of further steps in due course. Criteria are expected to include international references for airports with a comparable profile and seasonal traffic pattern, a qualified expert team and acceptance of the plan by international financial institutions.
The required work would also have to hand over all models, data and analyses to the contracting authority. According to an informed source, Montenegro Airports managers’ position on setting requirements and references has reportedly met resistance from Transport Minister Radoš Zečević and his associates. Unofficial information also indicates the ministry has preferred candidates in Serbia, but it has not named any prospective consultant.
Plan to cover capacity, revenues and sustainability
The ministry says the new plan is intended to cover a 20-to-30-year period, with defined development phases and regular reviews. It said revisions would help keep the document current as the market changes while maintaining a stable development vision. This differs from an introductory description that gives a 10-to-15-year period; the ministry’s stated planning horizon is 20 to 30 years.
The project brief is not meant to require approval of solutions chosen in advance. Instead, the consultant would assess traffic forecasts and capacity before recommending technically justified, safe, environmentally acceptable and economically viable options, the ministry said. Specific parameters, including runway lengths, would be determined through the consultant’s analysis and verified by the competent institutions.
For both airports, the work is to assess the capacity and characteristics of runways, taxiways and aprons, and consider upgrades against forecast traffic and fleet profiles. It would also size passenger terminals against service-level standards and assess whether cargo facilities, general aviation and business aviation facilities are justified.
The brief also covers navigation equipment and modern approach procedures to improve operational reliability at night and in low visibility. Commercial and support facilities intended to increase non-aviation revenue are to be assessed, provided they do not compromise airport operations or safety. Wider access issues include road connections, parking, intermodal links, alignment with spatial plans and protection of obstacle-limitation surfaces.
Sustainability work is to include noise, water and waste management and a strategy to reduce emissions in line with Montenegro’s European integration obligations. The assignment is to follow internationally accepted methods, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and the European Union regulatory framework.
Earlier plan and concession process
The current master plan was adopted in 2011 and runs until 2030, but its contents have become largely outdated, according to the facts provided by the ministry. British consultancy Halcrow Group Limited prepared it at the request of the European Investment Bank. The document set out short-term development through 2017 and a longer-term phase through 2030.
That plan envisaged total investment of nearly 90 million euros. The planned investment was not carried out, with the source account attributing this to earlier governments’ strategy of seeking a long-term concession and leaving investment to a future foreign operator. The concession process began in late 2018 and continued until mid-2026.
The preferred concession bid came from South Korean corporation Incheon Airport International, which withdrew from the deal soon afterwards. Prime Minister Milojko Spajić chairs the Interdepartmental Coordination Body for the development and capacity expansion of Montenegro Airports, formed by the government in September. The body is tasked with urgent measures to prepare the Podgorica and Tivat airports for the next tourist season, while the ministry has yet to set out which procurement route it will use for the long-term plan.
