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Friday, October 23, 2020

✈ Sarajevo Airport Suspending €10 Passenger Fee

The government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina held a session on October 22, 2020 and passed a decision on suspending fees for the development of air traffic until 31.12.2021.

The abolition of this fee should result in a reduction of airline ticket prices to the satisfaction of all passengers, as well as airlines operating from Sarajevo International Airport.

The fee was introduced based on the decision of the government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2005 with the aim to develop civil aviation in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and was applied only to companies operating at Sarajevo International Airport.

The fee of 10 euros per departing passenger from Sarajevo Airport was used mainly for the reconstruction and development of two other airports in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mostar and Tuzla International Airports). Last year, Sarajevo Airport collected €5.763.380 or 11.272.191 Bosnian Marks in the above-mentioned tax.

It is very ironic that the main airport in the country is collecting this tax just to support Mostar Airport, which is partially owned by a foreign company – in this case, Zagreb Airport. This is consistent with Tuzla Airport, which supports foreign airline, Wizz Air, with huge discounts for airport operations with the funds collected at Sarajevo Airport.

If Sarajevo Airport would like to see a recovery from the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, its owner (the Government of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina) should invest this tax to bring new airlines that would attract mass tourism to the city and the whole country, or abolish the tax altogether in favor of bringing low cost airlines to Sarajevo.

Source: Flying Bosnian and Sarajevo Airport


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