NEW FLIGHT ROUTES PLANNED FROM BANJA LUKA AIRPORT

Banja Luka Airport saw a record number of passengers last month, and the airport's management is optimistic that the increase in flights this year will lead to historic success. To achieve this, they are dedicated to improving services and launching flights to four new destinations starting this fall.

In March, 33,122 passengers passed through the Mahovljani airport, nearly 12,000 more than the same month last year. The upward trend in passenger numbers has been noticeable since the beginning of the year, with around 9,000 more passengers in February compared to 2024, and around 7,700 more in January.

Valentina Kecman, the acting director of “Aerodrom Republike Srpske,” told "Glas" that March marked the highest number of passengers since Banja Luka Airport opened for commercial traffic and began cooperation with low-cost carriers in 2019.

“This achievement is due to the introduction of significantly more flights on existing routes. WizzAir now flies to Dortmund three times a week, up from two, and the number of flights to Basel has increased from two to six weekly. That’s 20 additional flights on existing routes, resulting in much larger capacity, with an average of about 180 seats per flight. Ryanair has also increased its capacity on current routes by 20 percent for this summer. We have a very interesting flight schedule for Memmingen this month, with up to ten flights a week,” Kecman said.

She added that charter flights to Athens, Antalya, and Hurghada have already been confirmed for the summer months, and negotiations with international carriers are underway to introduce four new destinations for the autumn-winter season.

“At this moment, I can't reveal the specific destinations yet, as the agreements are not finalized, but Banja Luka has great potential to expand its flight map and introduce destinations that are interesting and important not only to our citizens but also to the diaspora. We expect an intense summer season with up to ten flights a day, and all signs point to us breaking the annual record from 2023, which saw around 460,000 passengers,” she stated.

Kecman also highlighted that after 40 years, the runway will be reconstructed, with the government of the Republic of Srpska investing millions into the project.

“Emergency repairs will take place in May, and the complete runway reconstruction is scheduled to begin in October, with the project expected to be completed in March next year,” Kecman said, adding that there will be no disruption to traffic during the summer due to the construction work.

Furthermore, Kecman emphasized that Banja Luka Airport is working hard to address the issues that passengers have complained about in recent times.

"Starting next week, we will introduce a new parking payment system that will allow passengers to enter and exit the airport more quickly and efficiently. Citizens will be able to pay for parking using the standard machine or via a mobile app directly from their phones, eliminating the traffic jams we experienced, especially during the summer when multiple flights operated simultaneously. We will announce all the details next week, along with a new, more competitive pricing structure compared to nearby airports. There will be one price for passengers who stay for a few hours and a different rate for those leaving their vehicles for several days,” Kecman announced. She also mentioned that starting in May, passengers who wish to relax in the airport’s restaurant will be offered a new menu with an expanded selection of food and drinks.