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
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.
In the period from January – October 2019 tourists realized
1.448.086 arrivals which represent an increase of 12,0% realizing a
total of2.987.903 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
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
