Mostar International Airport

Mostar International Airport (Croatian: Međunarodna zračna luka Mostar, Bosnian: Međunarodni aerodrom Mostar; IATA: OMO, ICAO: LQMO) is an airport near Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the village of Ortiješ, 4 NM (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) southeast of Mostar's railway station.[2]

Mostar International Airport

Međunarodna zračna luka Mostar

Međunarodni aerodrom Mostar
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerCity of Mostar (88%)
Zagreb Airport (12%)
OperatorMostar Airport Ltd.
ServesMostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
LocationOrtiješ
Elevation AMSL48 m / 156 ft
Coordinates43°16′58″N 17°50′45″E
Websitemostar-airport.ba
Map
OMO is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina
OMO
OMO
Location within Bosnia and Herzegovina
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
16/34 2,400 7,874 Asphalt
Statistics (2020)
Passengers1.374 Decrease 95,8%
Aircraft Movements144 Decrease 80,4%
Freight (in tons)0 Decrease 0%
Source: Bosnian and Herzegovinian Directorate of Civil Aviation BHDCA[1]

History

Mostar Airport was opened for civilian air traffic in 1965 for domestic flights. Prior to 1965, Mostar was a local airport with a large concrete runway used by aircraft manufacturer SOKO for testing and delivering military aircraft, and sometimes by passenger aircraft. Currently, the airport primarily serves for Catholics making the pilgrimage to nearby Medjugorje. In 2012, the airport had a twofold increase in traffic, making it the second-busiest in Bosnia and Herzegovina after Sarajevo airport.

Further investments are planned, which include: renovating and expanding the terminal building, expanding the apron, modernising equipment, possible expanding of runway and further education of airport staff in Italy, also building fuel tanks and hangars for private aircraft and for aircraft of the Secondary Traffic school of Mostar which uses the airport for flight school and educating students for future work. Mostar International Airport is considering a possible strategic partnership with investors or, alternatively, a privatisation or concession.

In November 2017, Eurowings was the first airline to schedule regular flights from Mostar to Düsseldorf and Stuttgart with two weekly flights from May 2018.[3] On 3 May 2018, a Croatia Airlines plane landed at Mostar Airport marking the introduction of direct two weekly Mostar-Zagreb flights.[4] The COVID-19 pandemic has further disrupted the difficult financial situation, causing Croatia Airlines and Eurowings not to continue their planned flights. Also, numerous irregularities in the spending of airport funds and illegally elected administration were noticed.[5] The airport received 1,000,000 Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible marks (€500,000) from the government in March 2021.[6] On 8 September 2021, Croatia Airlines operated first charter flight from Shannon in Ireland to Mostar Airport. Airport management also start negotiating flights with few low cost airlines.[7]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Mostar Airport:

AirlinesDestinations
AeroItalia Seasonal: Forlì[8]
Croatia Airlines Zagreb (resumes 3 May 2023)[9]
Seasonal charter: Beirut,[10] Cork, Dublin,[11] Palermo[12]
Electra Airways Seasonal charter: Catania[13]
LOT Polish Airlines Seasonal charter: Katowice[14]

Controversies

While Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Tuzla's airports have increased their passengers above 100,000; Mostar's airport management has not succeeded in securing any growth. Instead, Mostar Airport continue existing by support of the Federal government. The Airport management has failed in securing flights to diaspora rich destinations such as Sweden, Denmark and Germany.[15]

In 2022, the airport lost its only scheduled service.[16]

Despite a very low number of passengers, 8 million BAM was awarded to the airport.[17]

The current Airport director Ivan Ljubić was appointed against the law since there was no City Council when he assumed office.[18]

Mostar Airport fails to land airplanes diverged from Sarajevo, Tuzla and Banja Luka due to foggy weather conditions. Instead these airplanes are diverted to Serbia and Croatia, even if they are much further away from their original destinations.

Mostar Airport is located in a very attractive position that the management have completely failed to capitalise on. The following reasons are why Mostar airport should be a very active airport:[19]

  1. Serving the closer towns with more than 400,000 population
  2. Diaspora from Herzegovina region
  3. Diaspora from Dalmatia region
  4. Tourism in Mostar
  5. Tourism in Herzegovina
  6. Faith Tourism / pilgrimage to the very visited and world known Medjugorje
  7. Summer backup for Split and Dubrovnik (Croatia's Dalmatia is extremely high in tourism)
  8. Closeness to Montenegro

Statistics

The record number of 86,000 passengers was recorded in the year 1990,[20]

Annual passenger traffic at OMO airport. See Wikidata query.
Passenger statistics[21]
Year/Month January February March April May June July August September October November December Year total Change
2023 5 30 35 Decrease-22,2%
2022 6 39 21 110 189 942 2,151 4,623 1,914 711 5 n/a 10,711 Increase+693,2%
2021 2 16 2 12 17 76 218 253 664 324 153 205 1,942 Increase+41,34%
2020 384 267 133 0 0 0 0 76 190 11 25 288 1,374 Decrease-95,81%
2019 163 294 289 1,291 2,423 4,029 4,677 8,369 6,218 3,512 931 670 32,866 Increase+15,46%
2018 0 171 448 1,557 3,881 4,004 3,173 7,561 4,963 1,654 570 481 28,463 Decrease-33,9%
2017 290 493 1,014 3,741 5,406 5,765 5,201 8,876 7,437 4,121 379 395 43,118 Decrease-19,5%
2016 226 24 1,122 3,797 6,139 7,178 8,411 10,788 10,225 4,692 n/a n/a 53,618 Decrease-28,5%
2015 775 186 2,425 6,680 11,867 9,696 9,715 13,305 11,502 6,718 852 1,303 75,024 Increase+10,3%
2014 395 117 1,575 5,817 9,689 9,288 8,831 10,691 10,499 7,731 1,426 1,921 67,980 Decrease-1,3%
2013 155 7 2,453 7,737 9,082 9,146 6,665 11,103 9,599 7,602 3,339 2,058 68,939 Decrease−13,2%
2012 177 318 2,139 9,169 8,677 11,922 9,921 13,737 10,839 6,360 2,923 1,873 78,055 Increase+212,0%
2011 554 0 696 2,193 4,029 5,087 4,343 4,644 8,432 4,265 1,086 1,478 36,807 Increase+206,0%

See also

References
  1. Bosnian, Flying (18 January 2019). "Bosnia and Herzegovina aviation news: ✈Bosnia and Herzegovina air traffic report for 2018".
  2. "EAD Basic - Error Page". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  3. Bosnian, Flying (7 November 2017). "Bosnia and Herzegovina aviation news: ✈Eurowings Mostar flight schedule".
  4. Bosnian, Flying (4 May 2018). "Bosnia and Herzegovina aviation news: ✈Zagreb-Mostar flights inaugurated".
  5. "Nalaz revizije: Aerodrom Mostar netransparentno trošio novac, brojne nepravilnosti". www.klix.ba.
  6. "Vlada Federacije BiH izdvaja devet miliona KM za aerodrome". www.klix.ba.
  7. "Mostar Airport plans 2022 revival". exyuaviation.com.
  8. "Aeroitalia schedules EX-YU flights".
  9. "Croatia Airlines to restore Mostar flights".
  10. "Red letenja za razdoblje od 29.7. do 25.8.2022". mostar-airport.ba. 27 July 2022.
  11. "Mostar". dublinairport.com. 18 May 2022.
  12. "Direktor Zračne luke Mostar najavio čarter letove iz Poljske, Italije, Jordana". mostar.ba. 25 April 2022.
  13. "S Düsseldorfom nova linija, cilj 100.000 putnika u pet godina". vecernji.ba. 28 March 2022.
  14. "LOT to start Mostar charters, boost EX-YU operations".
  15. "Home page". zamaaero.com/08/05/2022/analize/intervju-ivan-ljubicic-direktor-zl-morstar/.
  16. "Zračna luka Mostar". exyuaviation.
  17. "8million bam to save mostar airport". klix.ba.
  18. "Mostar airport director appointed illegal". klix.ba.
  19. "Unsuccessful story of the airport". klix.ba.
  20. "Zračna luka Mostar". mostar-airport.ba.
  21. "Home page". www.bhdca.gov.ba.

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