Mostar International Airport is satisfied with the period of seasonal flights, and according to director Marko Đuzel, it is expected that at the end of the year the number of 70,000 passengers should be exceeded again.
“The season passed successfully, as we somehow expected. Our expectations are that by the end of the year we will again exceed 70,000 passengers, which according to the data we have so far should happen,” said Đuzel in an interview for Fena.
With these words, he confirmed the maintenance of a satisfactory number of passengers, which in previous years was almost constantly increasing.
He added that in this context, the year 2026 should be very similar to the last year, in which the Airport had 72,000 passengers, but also emphasized that certain factors stopped possible further growth.
“If it wasn’t for the war in the Middle East and the big increase in fuel prices, it would probably have risen to 80,000, but this year we justifiably had to act more cautiously, so we kept last year’s traffic,” he added.
He emphasized that all well-established lines to Zagreb, Belgrade, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Bari, Palermo, Rome and Bergamo have been retained, with the fact that the Mostar – Stuttgart line remains a year-round line, which was previously the line to Zagreb and Belgrade.
Looking toward the near future, he noted that “making projections for next year is quite difficult, as routes are being canceled all over the world, and fuel costs have risen by 110%.”
Nevertheless, certain indicators give him reason for optimism.
“We have already sold tickets for next year for flights to Zagreb and Belgrade, as well as to Düsseldorf and Stuttgart. We also expect sales to begin soon for Rome, Bari, and Palermo; therefore, I anticipate similar figures for 2026, barring any dramatic changes before the end of the year,” said Đuzel.
Furthermore, Mostar International Airport has reason to be pleased with its infrastructure progress, which should ultimately have an additional positive impact on traffic.
Đuzel highlighted that by next season, the airport will feature a renovated, expanded, and reconstructed terminal building, which will quadruple its passenger capacity.
Additionally, a new agreement has been announced with the Osijek-based company AIR Tractor d.o.o., ensuring that two Air Tractor aircraft will once again be stationed at the airport to support firefighting efforts during the fire season.
According to data from Mostar Airport, between mid-June and September 9, the two firefighting aircraft logged nearly 250 flight hours, carried out 835 operational sorties, and dropped 2.3 million liters of water on fires. In this way, they proved to be an important tool in the fight against fires, which last season in the territory of Herzegovina, as well as the prices of BiH, were extremely demanding.
The difference compared to the previous contract lies in the fact that the total capacity of the aircraft will be increased.
“The new contract should be signed in the next twenty days. Next year we will again have two stationed Air Tractors, with a larger total capacity. Last year one had a capacity of 2 tons, and the other 3.3, and next year both will be able to carry 3.3 tons of water,” Đuzel concluded, Fena writes.
