✈ FlyBosnia see improvements on London flights

During December-January FlyBosnia is recording much better bookings on its flights between Sarajevo and London Luton. The airline is managing to record increased bookings for winter ski holidays in Bosnia. Todays flights from London Luton Airport to Sarajevo was almost full.

London LTN – Sarajevo FlyBosnia flight December 24, 2019

	Photos by Edin Avdic

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Source: Flying Bosnian

✈Bosnia and Herzegovina air traffic report for JAN-NOV 2019

Bosnia and Herzegovina air traffic report for January-November 2019.

SARAJEVO
TUZLA
BANJA LUKA
MOSTAR

Source: Flying Bosnian and BHDCA

✈ Banja Luka-Memmingen air traffic statistics

Ryanair Boeing 737-800 at Banja Luka Airport (Photo by BNX)

For the first eight months of the year Ryanair has transported a total of 26.460 passengers between Memmingen and Banja Luka. The airline operated 140 flights, offering 26.460 seats with an average cabin load factor of 83,07%.

Ryanair started Memmingen-Banja Luka flights on 30.10.2018. with two weekly flights.

Source: Flying Bosnian

✈Bosnia and Herzegovina tourism statistics for 2019

In the period from January – October 2019 tourists realized 1.448.086  arrivals which represent an increase of 12,0% realizing a total of  2.987.903 overnight stays, representing an increase by 10,6% when compared to the same period of 2018.

The number of domestic tourist night stays increased by 8,1% and number of foreign tourist nights increased by 11,5% compared to the same period of 2018.

Domestic tourist’s share of total number of overnight stays was 27,0% and foreign tourists share was 73,0%.

Largest increase of foreign tourist is recorded by tourists from China with +82% or 42.652 tourists more when compared to the same time of last year. By the end of the year number of Chinese tourist could reach 115.000, putting China on the second place by the number of tourists, right after Croatia. Large increase of Chines tourists is due to the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina and China have abolished visas for tourist visit purposes for its citizens. With such demand for travel from China to Bosnia and Herzegovina it is very likely that direct flights from China to Sarajevo will be established soon. Last year talks were held about possible establishment of flights from China to Sarajevo via Belgrade.

Foreign tourist visits to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Countries with over 10.000 visitors (January-October 2019)

Source: Flying Bosnian and Bosnia and Herzegovina Agency for Statistics

✈FlyBosnia is launching Mostar-Rome flights

Today FlyBosnia is introducing one weekly service between Mostar and Rome. As of today,  one of FlyBosnia two weekly flights between Sarajevo and Rome will have a stop in Mostar.

Mostar is very interesting to the citizens of Italy because of its proximity to Medjugorje as one of the most famous Roman Catholic pilgrimage destinations in the world. Medjugorje became known through the apparitions of the Virgin Mary‚ which began to emerge as a phenomenon in 1981‚ after which religious tourism began to develop in the city. Since then‚ this place of Herzegovina‚ besides Sarajevo‚ is one of the most visited tourist centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina‚ visited annually by around one million people from all over the world.

Source: FlyBosnia

✈Bosnia and Herzegovina to purchase four US-made Bell Huey II helicopters

On Friday, December 13, 2019, the Minister of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Marina Pendes, in Sarajevo, signed a contract for the purchase of four US-made Bell Huey II helicopters for the needs of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The contract on procurement of four helicopters military markings UH-1H-II has a total value of 38,539.378 US dollars, of which Bosnia and Herzegovina took part with a 4,360.000 dollars, or 7.5 million Bosnian Marks. The remaining amount was provided by the Government of the United States of America through funds from the US Foreign Friendly Sales (FMS) and Foreign Military Funds (FMF) friendly programs.

The UH-1H-II helicopter has been modernized, upgraded and maintained for a cheaper variant of the UH-1H Iroquois general purpose helicopter (also known as "Huey"), which is in the inventory of the Air Force and Air Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina. With this acquisition, the Brigade will be able to continue and better perform its mission of air transportation, medical evacuation, firefighting, search and rescue, as well as other tasks in completing the main missions of the Armed Forces.

The signing ceremony was held at the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina House in Sarajevo in the presence of top Ministry of Defense  and Armed Forces Bosnia and Herzegovina officials, the United States Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina and NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo

"The procurement of these helicopters represents the largest investment project since the establishment of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, both in terms of the amount of funding and the impact it will have on the operational capabilities and capabilities of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina," Defense Minister Marina Pendes said on the occasion. "This will give us more opportunities to be a solid support to all the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, to contribute to regional cooperation projects and ultimately to strengthen our position as a reliable partner in international relations."

"The implementation of this project will provide Bosnia and Herzegovina  Air Force units with an adequate number of flight hours. In doing so, they will raise their training to a higher level and create a predisposition to fulfill their tasks even better and more readily in accordance with the Law on Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina, "said Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of  Bosnia and Herzegovina, Lieutenant General Senad Masovic.

As he pointed out, "in the process of rejuvenation of the pilot and aeronautical and technical personnel it will be easier to receive and adapt new members of the Air Force and air defense of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to ensure the replacement of the generations that awaits us in the coming period."

"This initiative is a joint project of the United States of America and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina is a success story worth investing in. They are an example of what the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina can achieve when they are together with a view to the future. They are proof that every fening invested in the Armed Forces is repeatedly paid and returned for the future of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, "said US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Eric Nelson.

The procurement of new aircraft was contracted with the great support of the US Government on the principle of "Total Package Approach", which for the said sum implies complete transfer of capabilities and ensures: delivery of four Bell Huey II helicopters; retraining pilots and technicians at Bell Helicopter Textron Inc Training Centers, delivering spare parts and supplies for two years and 300 flight hours per year; delivery of helicopter maintenance tools and test equipment for maintenance level I and II; delivery of ground equipment for helicopter service and delivery of technical documentation for aeronautical maintenance level I and II.

Source: Ministry of Defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina

✈FlyBosnia to launch Sarajevo-Antalya charter flights

Largest market for charter flights out of Sarajevo during summer months is Antalya in Turkey, with approximately 50.000 Bosnian tourists visiting Antalya Riviera every year. The summer season of 2020 will be remembered as a first one for a domestic Bosnian airline carrying majority of tourist from Sarajevo to Turkey. Fibula travel agency has signed agreement with FlyBosnia to operate 93 one-way (186 round-trip) flights between Sarajevo and Antalya. FlyBosnia will start with two weekly flights from May 25, 2020 to June 12, 2020,  increasing to  daily flights from June 14, 2020. to September 12, 2020. From September 15, 2020 to September 26, 2020. the airline will operate 7 one-way (14 round-trip) flights. 

FlyBosnia will operate flights with an Airbus 319 aircraft offering 12.834 one-way seats (25.668 round-trip seats) between Sarajevo and Antalya. The airline will be leasing two Airbus 319 aircraft for summer season for a fleet of 3 aircraft. FlyBosnia will operate charter flights to Monastir in Tunisia and Hajj flights to Saudi Arabia as well.

Source: Flying Bosnian

✈Wizz Air is restarting Tuzla-Karlsruhe flights as year-round

Wizz Air is restarting Tuzla (TZL) - Karlsruhe/Baden Baden (FKB) flights as year-round on February 3, 2020. Flights will operate on Mondays and Fridays. With the beginning of summer timetable in April, flights will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Source: Flying Bosnian

✈Sarajevo and Tuzla statistics for November

Sarajevo Airport has recorded its busiest November on the record since opening its doors 50 years ago. During the month of November, the airport has recorded 67.358 passengers, representing an increase of 8,20%, or 5.105 passengers more compared to the same month of the last year. Year to date airport recorded 1.085.962 passengers, representing an increase of 9,33% or 92.744 passengers more.

Tuzla Airport recorded double digit growth in November, handling 35.484 passengers, an increase of 15,34% or 4.721 passengers more when compared to the same month of the last year. Number of aircraft operation was almost the same as last year, but very high load factor on all flights contributed to 15% increase in passengers. Year to date Tuzla Airport recorded 551.466 passengers, representing an increase of 1,16% or 6.348 passengers more. The month of December should see another month with double digit growth due to Christmas and New Years holiday travels. The airport is expecting to finish this year with 595.000 passengers.

Source: Flying Bosnian

✈ Bosnia and Herzegovina takes full control of its airspace !

Bosnia and Herzegovina has taken  full control of its air space on Thursday December 5, 2019. for the first time ever after its 1990's war of independence led to a period of oversight by international peace forces. Control over its air space was maintained by NATO-led peace forces from 1995 until 2003 when it was transferred to neighboring Serbia and Croatia while Bosnia built up and modernized its own system.

“This is the first time ever that Bosnia and Herzegovina takes control of its air space and it is an enormous success, bearing in mind that (neighboring) Montenegro, a NATO member, does not control its own skies,” Davorin Primorac, head of Bosnia’s Air Navigation Services Agency (BHANSA), said on Wednesday.

Bosnia and Herzegovina  took control of air space below 10,000 meters (33,000 feet) in 2014 following a 10-year project to establish its own air navigation management system and after the training of some 400 staff. Serbia and Croatia retained control above 10,000 meters just as they were doing when all three countries were republics in the former Yugoslav federation.

Primorac said it had taken decades for Bosnia and Herzegovina to take over its air space because its 1992-95 war, had devastated majority of infrastructure and equipment and left it short of skilled workers.

It took considerable time to train flight controllers, rebuild infrastructure and obtain necessary equipment, including radar systems, he said, adding that BHANSA intended to further upgrade its capacities. Primorac said "Bosnian flight controllers will oversee up to 1.600 flights on a busy day, eight times more than previously.

After taking over its air control service from Croatia and Serbia, BHANSA’s budget would rise to 72.5 million Bosnian marks ($41 million) in 2020 from 60 million marks this year" he added.

Source:Reuters

✈Tonight BHANSA is taking over control of the entire airspace of Bosnia and Herzegovina!

Tonight at midnight, BHANSA will open a new chapter in the history of the civil aviation of Bosnia and Herzegovina!

By taking control of air traffic in the entire airspace of Bosnia and Herzegovina that will happen tonight, after midnight, Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Navigation Services Agency (BHANSA) will open a new chapter in the history of the civil aviation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

This event will fully implemented Phase II of the Development Strategy of Air Traffic Management System of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH ATM Strategy), which means that the entire sky of Bosnia and Herzegovina will no longer be controlled from its neighboring countries, but from Bosnia and Herzegovina itself.

On this occasion, the Director of BHANSA, Davorin Primorac, stated the following: “This is a great day for Bosnia and Herzegovina as a state. In a relatively short period of time, we, as the youngest European Agency for the provision of air navigation services, have created technical, personnel and all other preconditions for ourselves to fully control the air traffic over the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.“

Mr. Primorac stated that BHANSA currently provides services up to the flight level of 325 or 10,000 meters.

Mr. Primorac also said the following: “In that part of the airspace, 20 percent of the total air traffic is taking place, ie only 200 aircrafts are moving“, adding that as of tomorrow, Bosnia and Herzegovina will control up to 1,600 aircraft overflights, through the skies of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

✈ Intervju sa: Medjunarodni Aerodrom Sarajevo

Intervju sa glasnogovornicom aerodroma Sarajevo Sanjom Bagaric o trenutnim radovima na aerodromu Sarajevo.

Sanacija parkirnih pozicija za avione?

Kada je riječ o sanaciji parkirnih pozicija za zrakoplove, upravo je u tijeku sanacija parking pozicije 6.

Na platformi Međunarodnog aerodroma Sarajevo  postoji 7 parking pozicija za zrakoplove. Uslijed dugogodišnje uporabe površinski slojevi su naborani te je potrebno izvršiti njihovu potpunu sanaciju. U prethodnom trogodišnjem periodu izvršena je sanacija asfaltnih površina ispod aviomostova, odnosno zamjena asfaltne podloge sa betonskim pločama na parking pozicijama broj 3, 4 i 5. U cilju smanjenja opasnosti od oštećenja zrakoplova i sredstava za opslugu i dostizanja prihvatljivog nivoa rizika,u ovoj godini pristupilo se sanaciji parking pozicije 6 na površini oko  2333 m2, a  radovi na sanaciji ovog dijela platforme bi trebali biti završeni do kraja ovog mjeseca.

Nabavka novih autobusa?

Kada je riječ o nabavci autobusa, zbog zahtjeva pojedinih zrakoplovnih prijevoznika za korištenjem isključivo otvorenih parking pozicija, kao i drugih prijevoznika koji zbog tipova zrakoplova koriste samo otvorene parking pozicije, neophodno je povećanje broja autobusa.

U ovoj godini trebala bi biti nabavljena dva nova autobusa vrhunskih karakteristika, nivoa postojećih COBUS autobusa, jedan  većeg kapaciteta i jedan manji za VIP izaslanstva čija je opremljenost i unutrašnjosti prilagođena potrebama VIP osoba te je vrijednost takvog vozila približna vrijednosti autobusa većeg kapaciteta.

Nabavka i zamjena avio mostova?

Za nabavku novih aviomostova još nije raspisan tender, ali zbog specifičnosti lokacije, najvjerojatnije će biti nabavljeni aviomostovi, koji će biti kombinacija staklenih i običnih aviomostova. Stakleni mostovi imaju problem sa zagrijavanjem, a što bi zbog otvorenosti piste i sunčanosti pozicije na Međunarodnom aerodromu Sarajevo moglo biti problem.

Radovi na prosirenju terminala?

Kada je riječ o radovima na proširenju Terminala B, oni idu planiranom dinamikom.Radovi se obavljaju i u noćnim satima, posebno kada je riječ o bučnim aktivnostima, čije bi izvođenje tijekom dana predstavljalo smetnju putnicima i zaposlenicima. Svakodnevno je na gradilištu angažirano između 50 – 80 ljudi različitih struka (armirači, betonirci, tesari, izolateri, mašinisti na bagerima, valjcima, rovokopačima,kranista itd..)

Riječ je o izuzetno zahtjevnim radovima, posebice jer se isti odvijaju pokraj postojećeg objekta koji je u punoj uporabi, te koji koristi postojeću infrastrukuru - komunalnu, vodovodnu, elektrodistribuciju, a predviđenim radovima sve instalacije je nužno izmjestiti i u konačnici povezati u novu cjelinu.

Unatoč navedenim ograničenjima, poduzete su sve mjere da radovi ne utječu na normalno odvijajanje zračnog prometa, iako će u određenim fazama bitno usložniti posao za zaposlenike MAS-a.

S obzirom na manju pauzu u odvijanju radova, rok za završetak radova je produljen za jedan mjesec, te je njihovo okončanje sada predviđeno za kraj 2020. godine. 

U vezi sa navedenim, podsjećamo da dogradnja podrazumijeva proširenje i povećanje svih kapaciteta, kako prostornih, tako i tehnoloških, za potrebe registracije putnika i prtljaga, carinske, sigurnosne, sanitarne, te granične kontrole na dolasku i u odlasku, čekaonice za ukrcavanje putnika, prostorija hitne pomoći, sigurnosnog pregleda prtljaga, preuzimanja prtljaga, čekaonice za doček putnika, ugostiteljskih sadržaja, Duty Free Shopa, kancelarijskih i komercijalnih prostora za potrebe zrakoplovnih prevoznika i drugih agencija, prostora za vjerske potrebe, te svih pratećih službi.

Tijekom svih ovih radova Međunarodni aerodrom Sarajevo  će raditi bez smanjenja kapaciteta, a zastoja u redovnom odvijanju prometa neće biti. 

Izvor: Flying Bosnian

✈Qatar abolishes visas for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina will be able to travel to Qatar visa free for 90 days. Visa free travel was agreed at meeting between Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina Dragan Mektic and Prime Minister of Qatar Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al Thani held in Doha. Citizens of the State of Qatar are exempted from the visa requirements when entering, exiting or traveling through Bosnia and Herzegovina for up to 90 days.

Holders of  Bosnia and Herzegovina passport can travel without a visa to 117 countries. Bosnian passport is ranked 49th on the list of the most powerful passports in the world. Bosnia and Herzegovina is among the six countries that advanced the most on the list of the most  powerful passports. In the last 10 years Bosnian passport has moved from 72^nd to 49^th place.

Bosnian Ambassador to Qatar Bisera Turkovic  said in recent interview “with visa free travel between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar, Qatar Airways will most likely increase Doha-Sarajevo flights to daily at the beginning of summer schedule in April of next year”. Last summer during peak travel season Qatar Airways operated flights to Sarajevo with wide-body aircraft, an Airbus 330-200.

Qatar Airways Airbus 330 at Sarajevo Airport

Source: Flying Bosnian

✈Bosnia and Herzegovina air traffic report for JAN-OCT 2019

Bosnia and Herzegovina air traffic report for January-October 2019.

SARAJEVO
TUZLA
BANJA LUKA
MOSTAR

Source: Flying Bosnian and BHDCA