NewsAirports of Montenegro needs development

Airports of Montenegro needs development

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In 2022, the airports of Montenegro generated revenues of around 33 million euros, and an operating profit of around three million is expected, the company announced. As could be heard at the annual conference held in Podgorica, passenger traffic of around 1.2 million was achieved and the number of year-round routes increased. It was also announced that certification of the Podgorica airport can be expected in the next few months.

  • Montenegro’s airports served around 1.9 million passengers from January to mid-December 2022, which is 72% compared to the same period in 2019. Separately, Podgorica Airport achieved a passenger turnover of as much as 98% compared to the record year 2019, while Tivat Airport, in the same comparative period, due to well-known geopolitical reasons, recorded a passenger turnover of about 50% compared to three years earlier – specified the president of the Board of Directors, Eldin Dobardžić.

A strategic success that ACG is proud of is the increase in the number of year-round routes compared to the previous year.

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  • During the summer IATA season, Podgorica was connected with up to 32 destinations, and Tivat with up to 28. During the winter season, that number is expected to be lower. However, at Podgorica Airport during the winter season we have 18 active routes, namely Athens, Barcelona, ​​Belgrade, Vienna, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Dortmund, Istanbul, Krakow, Ljubljana, London Stansted, Luxembourg, Manchester, Memmingen, Milan, Rome, Zagreb. Tivat Airport is connected to Belgrade and Istanbul – stated Dobardžić and added that three quarters of the total number of passengers served are clients of Air Serbia, Air Montenegro, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Turkish Airlines and Austrian Airlines.

According to preliminary projections and only under the condition that they are realized in their entirety, this winter season, which began on October 30, 2022 and lasts until the end of March 2023, will be more successful than the record year of 2019.

  • With the exception that we are only talking about projections now, passenger traffic during the winter season should be 12% higher compared to the same period in 2019 – said the president of the Board of Directors.

The financial results show that Airports of Montenegro is a stable company.

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  • Total revenues at the end of December will be around 33 million euros. After settling the accounts at the end of the year, it is certain that we will end the calendar year 2022 with an operating profit above 3 million euros. That is about 30% more compared to 2021 – said Dobardžić.

When it comes to priorities in 2023, the executive director, Vladan Drašković, drew attention to the fact that they are defined by domestic and international circumstances in terms of the final decision of the Government on the future development of the Montenegro Airport and general uncertainty on the geopolitical level.

There is no doubt that Airports need development and the question is who will be the bearer of development.

  • Concession is a legitimate management model, which, however, is particularly risky in the case of Montenegro. Among other things, it seems that the wrong parallel is often drawn in the direction that handing over to a concessionaire means an increase in air availability. That decision should be well weighed and a thorough analysis should be made – Drašković believes.

In such circumstances, while waiting for the decision, ACG must lead a cost-responsible policy, to be concentrated on investment maintenance and investment in equipment which, above all, is a function of the growth of operational capacities, said Drašković, who defined the key obligations in 2023.

  • In this context, we single out the rehabilitation of the roofs of the terminal buildings of both airports, then the rehabilitation of platforms 3 and 5 in Tivat, which was completed the previous night, and now it remains to draw the horizontal markings, after which they will be in use. When it comes to the procurement of equipment for ground handling of passengers, the priority is the procurement of stairs, then we monitor the market situation regarding the procurement of ambu-lift vehicles, aircraft de-icing equipment and fire engines. We also monitor the development of standards related to safety equipment – explained Drašković.

Answering questions from journalists, he announced that the international certification of Podgorica Airport is expected in the next few months, while the time required for the certification of Tivat Airport is longer and is directly proportional to investment needs.

The conference also announced the beginning of the development of a pilot project at Podgorica Airport, which, in the future, can be realized in cooperation with the Electric Power Company of Montenegro, and which would entail the diversification of the electricity supply model from renewable sources, local media writes.

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