✈Sarajevo International Airport winter 2015/2016

Winter timetable starts 10/25/15 bringing regular flight and capacity reduction during slow winter season. Air carriers with flight reductions during winter are:

• Turkish Airlines (IST) from 18 to 14
• Adria Airways (LJU) from 5 to 4
• Pegasus Airlines (SAW) from 7 to 4
• Austrian Airlines (VIE) from 14 to 12
• Germanwings (CGN) from 3 to 2

The rest of the airlines will remain with the same number of flights.

New routes this winter season comparing to the same time last year are:

• Swiss International Airlines with two weekly flights to Zurich and one weekly flight to Geneva.
• Norwegian Air with one weekly flight to Oslo.
• Germanwings with one weekly flight to Stuttgart.

Following charts show weekly seat availability by airline and destination.

✈Tuzla International Airport will receive a permit for cargo traffic

Tuzla International Airport photo by Kontrola letenja

Confirmation came today from Denis Zvizdic, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 "There are minor technical suggestions that should be removed, so that the airport in Tuzla, together with airports Sarajevo and Banja Luka, and later Mostar, get green light for cross-border trade," said Zvizdic.

There is great interest in the export of products of animal origin from Tuzla Canton. Turkish Airlines has already expressed interest to establish a cargo flights from Tuzla to Istanbul for meat exports to Turkey, which would greatly improve the economy of this part of the state.

For almost 12 months Tuzla International Airport is working on fulfilling all necessary conditions to obtain permission for cargo flights. For last of couple of months Tuzla International Airport is working with the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina on getting permit for cargo flights. Positive decision by the Government is expected soon.

"Given the expansion of the airport and passenger traffic, and Wizz Air opening its base at the airport, which was established in June this year, Tuzla International Airport has increased hours of operations and now we are working with two shifts. Working day starts at 4:30 until 23:30 hours. We have met all the technical requirements, and do not see any technical reason that we do not allow the establishment of air cargo traffic. Everything else, which is necessary for cargo flights, we met. By that I mean the construction of two platforms, one of them for night operations and cargo storage facility with proper temperature regulations for handling perishable goods"said Rifat Karasalihovic director of Tuzla International Airport.

✈Chest Airlines will offer air taxi and panoramic flights

Nick de Borst, a young pilot from the Netherlands who was looking for a job, with help of his father and his friends in Bosnia and Herzegovina came up with the idea to start an air taxi company offering fast and reliable connection between Bosnian cities as well as neighboring countries for business travelers.

 Chest Airlines info

Chest Airlines is a company that began its work three months ago with headquarters in Zivinice. In an exclusive interview with Akta.ba Nick de Borst, CEO Chest Airlines says that it is a small company that allows people to fly across the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatian, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia and other countries in the region.

"Because of bad roads and high mountains, travel by car, especially for business people is very time consuming. Therefore, we realize that the best and fastest way to travel was in the air. Travelling by car from Tuzla to Sarajevo takes about two hours, while traveling by plane takes less than thirty minutes, "explains de Borst  and how he got the idea to start this business in our country.

Nick de Borst Chest Airlines CEO

 "The goal is to provide cost-effective travel, a solution that helps you organize your valuable time at very good pricing and making travel experience pleasant. Chest Airlines is a charter company that lets users book a flight according to their wishes and needs at the time and place that best suits the client. Flights can easily be booked online or by phone.

In addition to Air Taxi, our company offers tourist panoramic flights over Bosnia and Herzegovina. This type of flight usually takes thirty minutes to an hour, and the most popular sightseeing tours that will be offered over Sarajevo and Tuzla. Chest Airlines has two employees at the office in Zivinice and several external consultants who are responsible for airport operations says de Borst.

 The company currently owns one aircraft registered in Bosnia and Herzegovina Cessna 177RG (E7-VIP) which is just perfect for this kind of service. Cessna has four seats and can carry up to three passengers. Talking about plans for the future, de Borst says that they definitely planned to become a stable company that will eventually expand and develop. "Bosnia and Herzegovina has a lot of opportunities to develop such types of services and we hope that our ideas about the expansion of the company realizes in the near future. We are in process of obtaining all necessary licenses for the smooth operation and we will start with flights very soon” noted de Burst.

Chest Airlines Cessna 177RG E7-VIP

Chest Airlines web page

Chest Airlines Facebook page

Panoramic sightseeing flights

CITY	DURATION	PRICE
Tuzla	30 minutes	250 KM/€130
Tuzla	60 minutes	400 KM/€200
Sarajevo	30 minutes	350 KM/€180
Sarajevo	60 minutes	500 KM/€250

Source: FlyingBosnian and  Akta.ba

✈Croatia Airlines half yearly report for Sarajevo-Zagreb flights

Croatia Airlines handled 29.325 passengers on Zagreb-Sarajevo-Zagreb route during the first half of 2015, an increase of 2,43% or 697 passengers more compared to the same period of the last year. Number of flights increased from 623 in the first half of 2014. to 655 in the first half of 2015. representing an increase of 5,13% or 32 flights more. Average cabin load factor stood at 58,34% or 45 passengers per flight. Tables below are  showing Croatia Airlines performance at Sarajevo International Airport for the first six months of 2015. and whole year of 2014. 

Source: FlyingBosnian

✈Sarajevo International Airport passenger growth continues in September

Sarajevo International Airport in 2005

A total of 79.120 passengers used the airport in September, representing an increase of 11,17%. The total number of available seats during the month of September was 101.386 and the average load factor on flights to/from Sarajevo was 78,04 %.

This year Sarajevo International Airport is expected to handle 800.000 passengers, an all time record high for the airport. Sarajevo International Airport should break a record of 1 million passengers handled in one year; in the year 2018. The current terminal building is designed for handling 800.000 passengers per year. This fall the airport is starting with several expansion projects: new taxiways, and expansion of apron is planed to accommodate 3 more aircraft(Airbus 320 or Boeing 737-800). With this expansion the airport will have the capacity to accommodate 10 aircraft at the same time (aircraft type Airbus 320 family, Boeing 737 family or smaller). The airport is planning to extend the terminal building also, adding one more air bridge and separating the Schengen and Non Schengen passengers required by the EU. 
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Projected number of passengers in coming months:

October	70.000
November	55.000
December	54.000
Total 2015.	800.689

Source: FlyingBosnian and SIA