Montenegro has launched an accelerated programme to expand its two international airports, seeking short-term capacity improvements before the 2027 summer season while preparing a longer-term investment plan that could require €200 million-€300 million.
The government said on Sept. 2 it had formed an inter-ministerial coordination body, headed by Prime Minister Milojko Spajić, to speed planning, financing and administrative procedures for airports in Podgorica and Tivat.
The immediate focus will be on measures that can increase capacity before next summer, while a new 10-year airport Master Plan will define larger investments and provide a basis for seeking European Union grants and financing from international financial institutions.
Airports of Montenegro Chief Executive Roko Tolić has estimated that development needs at the two airports could total around €200 million-€300 million, although no final investment budget or financing package has been approved.
The state-owned airport operator expects passenger traffic to exceed 3 million by the end of September 2026, three months before the previous full-year record, reinforcing pressure on terminals, aircraft stands and other infrastructure.
The expansion programme comes as Montenegro’s tourism sector records another year of visitor growth while airport infrastructure, particularly in Tivat, increasingly acts as a constraint during the summer peak.
At Podgorica Airport, the longer-term programme envisages a new passenger terminal, an expanded apron and reconstruction and possible extension of the runway, with the government also seeking capacity to accommodate larger wide-body aircraft.
Plans for Tivat include a new terminal, expanded apron, additional taxiway infrastructure and comprehensive runway reconstruction.
The government did not provide construction schedules or individual project costs.
That will depend on completion of the Master Plan, technical documentation, permitting and the eventual financing structure.
The decision to accelerate the planning process reflects a broader infrastructure problem facing Montenegro: tourism demand and foreign investment have expanded faster than some of the transport systems needed to support them.
Tivat Airport is particularly exposed.
It serves the Bay of Kotor and some of Montenegro’s highest-value tourism and real-estate developments, including Tivat, Kotor, Herceg Novi and the Luštica peninsula.
Summer passenger flows are heavily concentrated into a few months, creating pressure on terminal capacity, aircraft parking and ground operations.
Podgorica has a broader year-round role, serving the capital, business travel and much of central and northern Montenegro, but passenger growth is also increasing the need for additional capacity there.
For Montenegro, the economic issue goes beyond airport convenience.
Air connectivity is central to the tourism model and increasingly influences investment decisions by hotel operators, developers and international businesses.
The country is seeking to attract more visitors from Western and Northern Europe and extend its tourism season beyond July and August. Both objectives depend on airlines being able to add frequencies and routes without running into infrastructure constraints.
The government said the Master Plan would also support access to EU grants and favourable IFI financing.
That could become critical given the scale of investment under discussion.
A €200 million-€300 million programme would be significant for Montenegro and would compete with other large capital requirements covering motorways, railways, electricity networks, water infrastructure and environmental projects.
Airports of Montenegro has indicated that the company could potentially finance part of the programme through borrowing.
Its strong passenger growth could support such a model, but the final structure will depend on future cash flow, project economics and the government’s wider policy toward airport ownership and management.
Montenegro has debated possible airport concession models for years without completing a transaction.
The latest government approach places greater emphasis on accelerating development irrespective of the final long-term operating model.
That could allow the state operator to proceed with urgent investments while larger strategic decisions remain open.
The near-term priority will be the 2027 summer season.
Incremental capacity measures can be implemented faster than a new terminal, but airport construction typically requires long preparation periods involving design, environmental approvals, land issues, procurement and operational sequencing.
Major works must also be carried out without materially disrupting existing traffic.
The government’s decision to create a high-level coordination body is intended in part to address these constraints.
Similar bottlenecks have affected other large infrastructure projects in Montenegro, where financing has sometimes been available before permits, property issues or project documentation were complete.
The airports also illustrate the growing interaction between tourism capacity and infrastructure investment.
Montenegro’s tourism arrivals and overnight stays have continued to rise in 2026, while the country is attracting additional hotel and residential development.
But each increase in visitor capacity requires corresponding investment in airports, roads, electricity, water and wastewater.
Without that infrastructure, further tourism growth can produce congestion rather than higher productivity.
Tivat provides the clearest example.
The airport serves an increasingly premium tourism market, but its infrastructure was designed for substantially lower volumes.
During peak periods, limitations can affect airline scheduling and passenger experience even when demand for additional flights exists.
Expanding capacity could support more direct connections, particularly from markets where Montenegro is trying to increase higher-spending tourism.
Podgorica could play a complementary role by absorbing more year-round and connecting traffic.
A larger terminal and apron would give airlines greater flexibility and could strengthen the airport’s position as the principal gateway for central and northern Montenegro.
The investment programme could also create a sizeable procurement pipeline for construction groups, engineering companies, equipment suppliers and airport-technology providers.
Terminal construction would require civil, mechanical and electrical works, while apron and runway projects would involve specialist aviation infrastructure.
Digital passenger processing, baggage systems, security equipment and energy-efficiency investments are also likely to form part of the longer-term programme.
The immediate development does not amount to a final investment decision on the full €200 million-€300 million estimate.
The figure remains a management assessment of potential needs, while the new Master Plan must determine the scope and sequencing of individual projects.
But the shift is significant because Montenegro is moving from a long-running debate over airport capacity towards a coordinated investment programme.
Passenger traffic passing 3 million months ahead of the previous annual record is likely to increase the pressure for execution.
For Montenegro’s tourism economy, the question is increasingly not whether demand exists.
It is whether Podgorica and Tivat can build enough capacity to handle it.
