‘’The season is not over yet, and the eight month is traditionally one where there are a large number of tourists. Last year saw a record number with more than 13.000. If we look at the overall number, I would say that this season is at the level of last year, even if we expected a slight increase’’, said the engineer of air traffic at Mostar Airport Marko Đuzel for radio ‘Studio 88’.
The tourist season in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton definitely is less than last year. The Mostar Airport in the first six months recorded a fall of 4 percent in tourists in comparison to the same period last year. Due to the financial crisis throughout the world, and a large number of cancelled flights (weather conditions), the number of passengers decreased.
In addition, the Mostar Airport has a problem with the instrument landing system, and they have been waiting for more than six years for a permit that has still not been approved.
“We have expanded capacity, accelerated the flow of passengers, and we can process more passengers and airplanes in one hour. We did all of this on our own without huge assistance. We are satisfied regarding the number of passengers, and it is important that there has not been a dramatic drop. It is important that business is going well’’, said Đuzel.
He said that most of the tourists who land in Mostar go to Međugorje or visit the Old Bridge, and most of them are from Italy, Ireland and Lebanon. He said that their goal is to have more Irish tourists return.
According to him, Mostar Airport is a seasonal airport, based on charter flights. There is a wish to connect this airport with hubs in Central Europe, such as Vienna or Rome.
“We hope that by next season we will have a direct line with one of the two centers”.
The season for this airport lasts until nearly the 12th month, even if the fall of passengers is evident after the 9th month.
(Source: ekapija.com)
