The President of the Board of Directors of the Airport of Montenegro, Eldin Dobardžić says that Tivat Airport is already „ripe“ for modernization, which entails an investment of tens of millions of euros.- Every decision in the context of the future development model of the Airport of Montenegro must be made with due attention to the employees, the local community and, of course, in accordance with the state interest and it is exclusively within the competence of the Government of Montenegro – CEO of Airports. Dobardžić announces that rehabilitation and strengthening of the operational capacities of the Airports of Montenegro will be the focus of their work during 2023.
Repair of the roofs of the terminal buildings of both airports
As he adds, the priorities included the rehabilitation of the roofs of the terminal buildings of both airports, the procurement of the appropriate type of mobile stairs for boarding and disembarking passengers, the replacement of the wearing layer on the two parking lots of Tivat Airport, which has already been completed, the laying of the HV cable and the construction of technical gate 4 at the Airport Podgorica.
– We monitor the market offer of specialized aircraft servicing equipment, and in light of the upcoming so-called of standard 3, we are also interested in the terms of procurement of appropriate safety equipment. In the meantime, we are waiting for an opportunity to purchase a fire engine, aircraft de-icing vehicle and ambulift vehicle – he states.
What they also consider important, as he notes, is the development of a pilot project at Podgorica Airport, which, in the future, can be realized in cooperation with the Electric Power Company of Montenegro, and which would entail the diversification of the electricity supply model from renewable sources.
– With our respected colleagues from EPCG, we have already taken the first steps on that front.
AP International Certification this year
Dobardžić announces that international certification of Podgorica Airport is expected during this year, while, as he notes, the time required for certification of Tivat Airport is longer and is directly proportional to investment needs. The President of the Board of Directors of the Airport of Montenegro tells CdM that the company’s total revenues in 2022 amounted to around EUR 33 million, of which the expected operating profit will be over EUR three million.
– That is 30% more compared to 2021. However, that data will be final only after the final entries and approval based on the incentive scheme. The result was certainly shaped by our, as it turned out, justified incentive policy, the result of which is the improvement of air accessibility of Montenegro – he states.
18 active routes
He underlines that during the summer IATA season, Podgorica was connected with up to 32 destinations, and Tivat with up to 28. During the winter season, he adds, that number is expected to be lower.
– Nevertheless, at Podgorica Airport during the winter season we have 18 active routes, namely: Athens, Barcelona, Belgrade, Vienna, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Dortmund, Istanbul, Krakow, Ljubljana, London Stansted, Luxembourg, Manchester, Memmingen, Milan, Rome, Zagreb. Tivat Airport is connected to Belgrade and Istanbul – says Dobardžić.
Speaking about the year 2023, he points out that they expect to achieve even better results.
– According to preliminary projections and only on the condition that they are fully realized, this winter season, which began on October 30, 2022 and lasts until the end of March 2023, should be more successful than the 2019/2020 IATA winter season. . Nevertheless, we take the preliminary projections with caution, but, with the hope that there will be no external unpredictable circumstances this year, we really expect the best results.
Airports served more than 1.9 million passengers
Dobardžić announced that in 2022, the airports of Montenegro served around 1.9 million passengers, which is a third more than in 2021.
– Nevertheless, we consider the pre-pandemic and, for now, record 2019 as a relevant year for comparison, compared to which we realized 72% of the passengers served. We particularly highlight the success of Podgorica Airport, which served one million two hundred and thirty thousand passengers in 2022, which is as much as 98 percent compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019 – he emphasized.
Dobardžić especially points out that Podgorica Airport during May, November and December of last year exceeded the comparative results compared to three years earlier.
– On the other hand, understandably, due to the war in Ukraine and all well-known international circumstances, the traffic at Tivat Airport during 2022 is 50% compared to 2019 – said Dobardžić in an interview for CdM.
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