The Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Navigation Services Agency (BHANSA) officially opened the first certified Air Traffic Controller Training Center in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Monday in Mostar.
As announced, this is a historic step forward for BHANSA and domestic aviation, because for the first time Bosnia and Herzegovina is gaining its own capacities for training air traffic controllers.
With the opening of the Center, future generations of controllers will be educated in the certified BHANSA center, with domestic instructors and modern simulators, according to the highest European standards.
This project strengthens domestic professional capacities and creates the foundations for the long-term development of a safe and efficient air navigation system.
At the same time, the beginning of the education of a new generation of 17 candidates for air traffic controllers was marked, who will begin their professional careers precisely at this center.
The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina Edin Forto, the Director General of the Directorate for Civil Aviation of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zorislav Ivanović, representatives of institutions, partners and BHANSA employees.
Director of BHANSA Davorin Primorac pointed out that this is one of the most important moments in the development of the Agency.
“Today we are not just opening a new center. Today we are opening a new chapter in the development of air navigation in our country. This is one of the most significant moments in the development of BHANSA since its foundation and confirmation that Bosnia and Herzegovina has the knowledge, expertise and capacity to develop its own top aviation experts. As of today, we have our own center where new generations of air traffic controllers, experts who will protect the safety of our skies for decades, will be created,” he said.
Minister of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina Edin Forto emphasized the strategic importance of this project for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He says that the opening of the first certified Air Traffic Controller Training Center represents a strategic investment in the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He said that a country that develops its own experts for one of the most complex and responsible professions in civil aviation builds stronger institutions, a safer transport system and greater resistance to future challenges.
“This Center confirms that Bosnia and Herzegovina invests in knowledge, people and capacities that contribute to the safety of air traffic in the long term. By adopting the amendments to the Law on BHANSA and the new legal framework for the Civil Aviation Directorate of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the possibility will be opened that BHANSA, in addition to its own needs, trains air traffic controllers for the needs of the market, which gives Bosnia and Herzegovina the opportunity to become a regionally recognized center for the development of aviation experts,” added Minister Forto.
The Director General of the Civil Aviation Directorate of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zorislav Ivanović, emphasized that the process of certifying BHANSA as an organization for training air traffic controllers was extremely demanding and comprehensive. He added that meeting strict regulatory requirements in such a complex area is a confirmation of the expertise and seriousness with which BHANSA approached this project.
“I am particularly pleased with the excellent cooperation between BHANSA and the Civil Aviation Directorate of Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on professionalism, trust and a shared commitment to safety. This Center shows what we can achieve when institutions act as partners and with a clear goal, to develop the civil aviation of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Ivanović.
The Civil Aviation Directorate of Bosnia and Herzegovina ceremoniously presented BHANSA with a certificate confirming the fulfillment of all prescribed conditions for the implementation of air traffic controller training.
By opening the Training Center, BHANSA confirms its commitment to the strategic development of domestic professional capacities and continuous investment in people, knowledge and technology, so that Bosnia and Herzegovina has the professional staff and resources necessary for safe, efficient and sustainable air traffic management, the BHANSA press release added.
