Montenegro has launched an accelerated investment programme for its two international airports, seeking to remove capacity constraints at Podgorica and Tivat as passenger traffic reaches record levels and the government weighs investments estimated at €200 million to €300 million.
The government has formed an inter-ministerial coordination body led by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić to speed planning, property, financing and permitting decisions, with the first operational improvements targeted ahead of the 2027 summer tourism season.
The programme envisages a new passenger terminal, expanded apron and reconstruction or extension of the runway at Podgorica Airport, including infrastructure capable of handling larger long-haul aircraft.
At Tivat Airport, one of the main gateways to Montenegro’s Adriatic tourism market, plans include a new terminal, additional apron capacity and taxiways, as well as comprehensive runway reconstruction.
The government is also seeking the rapid completion of a 10-year airport Master Plan, which officials say will provide the technical and investment framework needed to approach international financial institutions and apply for European Union grants.
The investment push comes as the state-owned operator Airports of Montenegro handles record passenger volumes.
The company expects cumulative traffic at Podgorica and Tivat to exceed 3 million passengers by the end of September, reaching that threshold several months before the end of the year and highlighting increasing pressure on infrastructure originally designed for substantially lower traffic.
Airport management has said the company could potentially finance at least part of the modernisation through borrowing, estimating overall investment requirements at around €200-300 million.
No final financing structure has been approved.
That leaves the government with a strategic choice between keeping airport development principally within the state-owned company and combining its borrowing capacity with EU grants and financing from institutions such as the European Investment Bank or European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Montenegro has previously also considered concession-based models for its airports, making the pace and financing of the new investment programme important for the future ownership and operating structure of the sector.
The immediate problem is capacity.
Tivat operates under particularly severe land and infrastructure constraints during the peak summer season, when traffic is concentrated into a relatively short operating window. Podgorica has more room for expansion but is increasingly handling year-round traffic growth generated by tourism, diaspora travel and the expansion of low-cost and scheduled airline networks.
Airport investment therefore has implications beyond aviation.
Tourism accounts for a large share of Montenegro’s exports of services, while limited airport capacity has become an increasingly visible constraint on attempts to lengthen the tourist season and attract higher-value visitors outside July and August.
The planned upgrades could also improve Montenegro’s ability to attract additional routes and larger aircraft, but the timetable will depend on land, permitting and procurement procedures that have slowed major infrastructure projects in the past.
For the government, the challenge will be to convert record passenger demand into a bankable investment programme before existing infrastructure becomes a more significant constraint on tourism growth.
