✈Sarajevo Airport – ACI Health Accreditation

Sarajevo International Airport successfully completed re-accreditation activities for Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Health Accreditation Programme. After reviewing the evidence presented through the evaluation process, Sarajevo International Airport has shown and proved to provide a safe environment for all travelers, in accordance with the recommended health measures established in ACI Aviation Business Restart and Recovery guidelines, ICAO Council recommendations and in compliance with the best practices in the industry.

ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation Programme enables the airport operators to determine whether the established health measures at the airports are in compliance with the recommendations of CART (Council Aviation Recovery Task Force) i.e. ICAO’s task force for recovery of aviation.

Substantially, the benefits of health accreditation include the possibilities of the airport operator to:

• demonstrate to passengers, staff, the regulator and the government that the priority of the airport operator is establishing a safe health environment,
• evaluate already established processes and health measures in the facilities of the airport,
• reassure passengers that using the airport areas is safe,
• promote professional performance regarding high cleaning standards,
• promote the best practices in the aviation industry and
• enable the harmonization of health measures set by International Civil Aviation Organization - ICAO and their implementation at the airport.

The activities which had the extension of the existing certificate as a goal included several stages and the same entailed completing the questionnaire and the supporting documentation, an online interview and an assessment by the representatives of the Airports Council International. After all of the requirements were met, Sarajevo International Airport was awarded the re-accreditation of the ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation Programme based upon the evidence presented.

A renewal of the certificate proves a continued compliance with the requirements of the ACI’s Airport Health Accreditation Programme for the following twelve months.

Source: Sarajevo Airport

✈Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Force took delivery of four Bell Huey II helicopters

Four brand new BELL-HUEY II helicopters arrived at Sarajevo Airport  today, on a direct cargo flight from Huntsville in  the USA. The total package includes four helicopters, tools, ground support equipment, spare parts, 2️ year warranty, as well as training of the pilots of Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Force and maintainers operating and performing maintenance on this type of aircraft.

This will increase the readiness of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina to support civilian authorities to respond to emergencies and natural disasters, to include medical evacuation, firefighting, search and rescue, as well as other missions defined by legal framework.

Total package cost is $38.5 million - US financed $34.2 million while Bosnia and Herzegovina Ministry of Defense financed $4.3 million.

The official handover of the helicopter for the Bosnia and Herzegovina Armed Forces is planned after the test flights, in the presence of the media and high-ranking officials. We would like to inform the citizens that in the coming days, and as of today, they can expect increased helicopter activity in the area of ​​the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Source: Flying Bosnian/Photos by AFBiH and @approach.sarajevo

✈Sarajevo Airport statistics for November 2021

Last month Sarajevo Airport recorded 61.989 passengers, representing an increase of 314% when compared to the same month of 2020. The airport was only 8% (or 5.369 passengers) down compared to pre-pandemic October in 2019. The January-October period airport handled 696.934 passengers, representing an increase of 195% when compared to the same time of the last year. Passenger’s traffic is 35% down compared to record 2019 when Sarajevo Airport handled 1.143.680 passengers.

✈Bosnia and Herzegovina air traffic report for October 2021

During the month of October Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 137.777 passengers going through its four international airports. Sarajevo Airport recorded 84.462, followed by Tuzla with 35.027, Banja Luka 17.964, and Mostar with 324 passengers. When compared to pre-pandemic October of 2019, Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 17% passengers decrease. Year to date, the country has recorded 993.202 passengers, representing 59% of 2019 passengers traffic.

2021	2019 vs. 2021

Source: Flying Bosnian and BHDCA

✈Bosnia and Herzegovina air traffic report for September 2021

During the month of September Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 151.357 passengers going through its four international airports. Sarajevo Airport recorded 99.950, followed by Tuzla with 32.960, Banja Luka 17.772, and Mostar with 664 passengers. When compared to pre-pandemic September of 2019, Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 16% passengers decrease, which is well above European average. Year to date, the country has recorded 855.425 passengers, representing 56% of 2019 passengers traffic.

2021	2019 vs. 2021

 

Source: Flying Bosnian and BHDCA

✈ Sarajevo Airport terminal construction photo update

The work on Sarajevo Airport terminal building expansion is in its final stage. New building will provide approximately 10.000 square meters of space on four floors with capacity to handle 2 million passengers per year. Estimated value of the investment is 38,5 million Bosnian Marks or 20 million Euros.

The new terminal building will feature:

• 30 Check in desks
• 10 passport control desks
• 9 boarding gates
• 3 air bridges
• optimized and improved baggage handling system
• enlarged restaurants and shopping area
• covered front of the terminal building for convenient passengers drop off and pick up
• improved, automated, and enlarged car parking area 

The next major project for Sarajevo Airport modernization includes the expansion of the main apron, construction of rapid taxiways, and the overhaul of the runway and taxiways. With rapid passenger growth, after terminal expansion priority is  to expand the platform for aircraft parking, which will provide three additional parking spaces for  medium size airplanes (Airbus 320 or Boeing 737 family). This project is valued at 11 million Euros.

Italian company Tecno Engineering was chosen to carry out work on  drafting  the reconstruction project. Tecno Engineering has extensive experience in airport construction and carried out work at Mostar Airport in 2014. It has partnered up with the Mostar-based companies Ecoplan and Integram for the Sarajevo Airport project. Sarajevo Airport  runway was last upgraded in 1998. During that time the airport was closed for two weeks while work was being performed with all traffic being moved to Tuzla Airport.

Source: Flying Bosnian

✈Sarajevo Airport schedule for December 2021

Next month Sarajevo International Airport is expecting to reach passenger numbers of pre-pandemic traffic of December 2019. Total of 13 airlines will serve the airport with 29 routes across Europe,  Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates.

Wizz Air will station second Airbus 320 at the airport, introducing seven new routes from Bosnian capital to: Billund, Cologne, Frankfurt-Hahn, Hamburg, Malmo, Oslo-Sandefjord and Venice-Treviso. With the fleet of two Airbus 320 aircraft based at the airport, Wizz Air will position itself as Sarajevo Airport busiest airline, offering  46.620 seats on 254 flights to seventeen destinations during December.

Also, next month Flydubai will be boosting its flight offerings from Dubai to 58 flights with 10.092 seats on sale. Swiss International Airlines will increase its service from Zurich from 16 flights in November to 26 in December, boosting its seats offering to 3.250 seats.

The city with the most frequencies out of Sarajevo is Istanbul with 20 weekly flights, followed by Vienna with 13 weekly flights. Countries with largest number of seat offers from Sarajevo are Turkey, Germany, United Arab Emirates, Austria and Sweden.

With Flynas, Gulf Air and Swiss International Airlines extending its flight operating during winter months Sarajevo Airport  is on the right track to reach 2019 numbers next year, when airport handled record number of 1.143.680 passengers. According to  Eurocontrol projections, majority of European airports are expected to reach pre-pandemic (2019) numbers in the year 2025, while Sarajevo Airport will reach 2019. numbers in upcoming year 2022.

During the month of December, the airlines operating at Sarajevo Airport have scheduled 858 flights, with 127.546 seats on sale. The airport is expecting to handle 75.000 passengers in December.

Source: Flying Bosnian