✈Bosnia and Herzegovina air traffic report for April 2026

During April, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s four international airports handled a total of 283.844 passengers. Sarajevo International Airport recorded the highest traffic with 177.186 passengers, followed by Tuzla International Airport with 64.296 passengers, Banja Luka International Airport with 36.802 passengers, and Mostar International Airport with 5.560 passengers. Compared to April 2025, Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded an 11% increase in passenger traffic, representing an additional 27.090 passengers.

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo (SJJ)
Tuzla (TZL)
Banja Luka (BNX)
Mostar (OMO)

Source: Zahid Krkić and BHDCA

✈ Ryanair in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Summer 2026)

Ryanair airplane at Sarajevo Airport, photo by Zahid Krkić

This summer, Ryanair will offer a record number of flights and seats from Sarajevo, while significantly reducing operations from Banja Luka. Under the summer timetable, Ryanair will operate a total of 1.750 round-trip flights from Sarajevo, reflecting a 5,2% increase compared to last year, or an additional 88 flights. The total number of available seats from/to Sarajevo will reach 330.750, marking an increase of 16.632 seats.

Ryanair Sarajevo Summer 2026 - Route map

Banja Luka will experience a substantial reduction in Ryanair flights compared to the previous year. For the upcoming summer season, Ryanair has scheduled only 1.004 round-trip flights from Banja Luka, representing a 32% decline, or 470 fewer flights. The total number of available seats from/to Banja Luka will amount to 189.756, a decrease of 88.830 seats.

Ryanair Banja Luka Summer 2026 - Route map 

Overall, Ryanair will operate a total of 2.754 flights from/to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which represents a 12,2% decline, or 382 fewer flights. The total number of available seats from/to Bosnia and Herzegovina will be 520.506, reflecting a reduction of 72.198 seats.

In terms of its European network, Sarajevo Airport’s potential remains significantly underutilized, presenting an opportunity for Ryanair to introduce up to ten new routes from the city, in the near future. In contrast, Banja Luka is likely to experience further reductions in flight operations, as Wizz Air continues its rapid expansion in Tuzla, while Ryanair concentrates its efforts on more profitable routes from Sarajevo.

Source: Zahid Krkić

✈Bosnia and Herzegovina air traffic report for January 2026

During the month of January, Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 189.279 passengers going through its four international airports. Sarajevo Airport recorded 121.762 passengers  followed by Tuzla with 34.989, Banja Luka 30.510, and Mostar with 2.018 passengers. When compared to January of 2025, Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 13% passengers increase. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo (SJJ)
Tuzla (TZL)
Banja Luka (BNX)
Mostar (OMO)

Source: Zahid Krkić and BHDCA

✈Bosnia and Herzegovina historic passenger growth in 2025!

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s four international airports handled a record 3.121.858 passengers in 2025, representing a 26% increase compared to the previous year, or 645.720 additional travelers.

Sarajevo and Banja Luka airports both achieved their highest passenger numbers on record. Sarajevo Airport accounted for the majority of traffic, handling 71,3% of all passengers, followed by Banja Luka Airport with 16,5%. Tuzla Airport captured 10,8% of total passenger traffic, while Mostar Airport accounted for 2,3%.

Aircraft movements also increased significantly during the year. A total of 28.095 aircraft operations were recorded, representing an 18,2% year-on-year increase, or 4.326 additional movements. Cargo traffic reached 3.343,6 tones, marking a 4,5% increase compared to 2024.

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo (SJJ)
Tuzla (TZL)
Banja Luka (BNX)
Mostar (OMO)	\

Bosnia and Herzegovina passenger air traffic history 

Source: Zahid Krkić and BHDCA

✈Ryanair to reduce Banja Luka operations

Ryanair aircraft at Banja Luka Airport - Photo by David Segic

Ryanair has released its flight schedule for the summer of 2026 (April to October), revealing a significant reduction in operations at Banja Luka Airport. The airline plans to cut its route offerings from the city by 40%. The most substantial reduction will be on the Memmingen route, where weekly flights will drop from 10 to 5. Other notable cuts include the Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden route, which will decrease from 4 weekly flights to 2, Vienna from 5 to 2, and Stockholm from 3 to 2.

In the summer timetable of 2025, Ryanair operated a total of 56 weekly round-trip flights from Banja Luka, while for the summer of 2026, this figure will drop to just 34 weekly round trips. Although the exact reasons for this reduction are unclear, it is widely speculated that Ryanair is shifting its focus toward more profitable markets in Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly at Sarajevo Airport. With Wizz Air establishing a base at Tuzla Airport and Ryanair focusing its efforts on Sarajevo, the future prospects for Banja Luka Airport appear uncertain.

Financially, Banja Luka Airport is facing serious challenges. It has taken out a loan of 6 million Bosnian Marks (approximately 3 million Euros) to cover outstanding debts: 5,4 million Bosnian Marks owed to the Investment and Development Bank of Republika Srpska and 600.000 Bosnian Marks in overdue obligations to suppliers.

To recap, the airport previously secured a loan of 7 million Bosnian Marks from the Investment and Development Bank of Republika Srpska in mid-2016, which had a 48-month grace period. With that period now expired, the airport has requested an extension for repayment. The funds were initially used to address operational expenses and resolve ongoing issues, enabling the airport to retain its operating license.

In the past two years, management has repeatedly warned that the airport would struggle to meet its financial obligations on time. Despite this, the airport's director, Valentina Kecman, recently claimed that Banja Luka Airport is on track to achieve a record number of passengers in 2024, surpassing the 460.000 passengers recorded in 2023, effectively downplaying the serious financial challenges facing the airport.

For the first half of 2025, Banja Luka Airport reported a loss of 600.000 Bosnian Marks. In the past, the airport has come dangerously close to losing its international operating license due to mismanagement and mounting financial difficulties.

The Government of Republika Srpska, which owns Banja Luka Airport, has shown little interest in addressing its current and future viability. The airport urgently requires professional management to develop and implement a sustainable master plan, with collaboration from all levels of government. Without significant investment from its owner, Banja Luka Airport is at risk of bankruptcy. Public-private partnerships should be considered as a potential solution to safeguard the airport’s future.

Source: Zahid Krkić

✈ Banjaluka Airport winter 2025/2026

The 2025/26 winter timetable will begin on Sunday, October 26, 2025, and run through March 28, 2026. During this period, passengers will be able to fly to 8 destinations across 5 countries, operated by 3 airlines. A total of 1.052 commercial flights are scheduled, offering 194.628 seats from November to March. Ryanair will operate the majority of flights to and from Banjaluka, serving five destinations in three countries. The airline has scheduled 684 round-trip flights, providing 129.276 seats.

During the November-March period, Ryanair will hold a 66% share of flights at Banjaluka Airport, followed by Wizz Air with 30%, and Air Serbia with just 3%. With Wizz Air establishing a base at Tuzla Airport and Ryanair expanding its operations in Sarajevo, Banjaluka Airport faces increasing competition for new routes and retaining its current ones.

To stay competitive, Banjaluka Airport management should focus on developing new markets not already served from Tuzla or Sarajevo. Many of these routes could work as summer seasonal, including:

• Athens (ATH) – Greece (Sky Express)
• Alicante (ALC) – Spain (Wizz Air)
• Bodrum (BJV) – Türkiye (SunExpress Airlines)
• Eindhoven (EIN) – Netherlands (Ryanair or Wizz Air)
• Tivat (TIV) – Montenegro (Air Montenegro)
• Nuremberg (NUE) – Germany (Ryanair or Wizz Air)
• Naples (NAP) – Italy (Ryanair, Wizz Air, or EasyJet)
• Salzburg (SZG) – Austria (Eurowings)

Source: Zahid Krkić

✈Bosnia and Herzegovina air traffic report for April 2025

During the month of April, Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 256.754 passengers going through its four international airports. Sarajevo Airport recorded 185.911 passengers  followed by Banja Luka with 46.269, Tuzla 21.827, and Mostar with 2.747 passengers. When compared to April of 2024, Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 38% passengers increase. Year to date, the country has recorded 747.091 passengers representing a 40% increase when compared to the same time of the last year, making Bosnia and Herzegovina one of the best performing markets in Europe. 

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Sarajevo (SJJ)
Tuzla (TZL)
Banja Luka (BNX)
Mostar (OMO)

Source: Zahid Krkić and BHDCA