To ensure more efficient operations at Tuzla International Airport, the Government of Tuzla Canton (TC) has implemented infrastructure projects important for the airport’s development and signed an agreement to promote the canton’s tourism potential in Turkey and the Middle East. New flight routes have also been established, but the opposition in the Assembly is demanding a report on the spending of previous subsidies for flight routes, claiming that legally mandated procedures were not followed.
With an initial ticket price of 73.99 BAM, flights from Tuzla Airport to Vienna will be available starting June 15th. The introduction of new routes and investment in the development of Tuzla International Airport is one of the strategic goals of the Government of TC.
“The announcement of the Vienna route from June 15th, four times a week, instills optimism in itself, and we believe this is the first sign of Wizz Air’s significant return to Tuzla Airport, which will be a joy for passengers, the airport, and the entire economy of Tuzla Canton,” said Dzevad Halilcevic, director of Tuzla International Airport.
Currently, three airlines transport passengers from TC to destinations in Germany, Switzerland, and Turkey. The management also expresses confidence that the situation will improve further in the coming months.
“It is good that the global air traffic market is improving, that more aircraft are returning to airline fleets, which leads to the balancing of supply and demand – something we have been emphasizing since the fall of 2023,” adds Halilcevic.
In this regard, an agreement has also been signed to promote TC‘s tourism potential in Turkey and the Middle East, linked to the establishment of new routes to this region. The Government of TChas allocated half a million BAM for this effort. The Tourist Board has issued a public call and selected the best bidder.
“The specific activities included in the given plan or project involve bringing tour operators from the Republic of Turkey to familiarize them with our tourism potential and to establish connections with our tour operators,” explains Miralem Meskovic, director of the TC Tourist Board.
“A major promotion will be held in Tuzla, where we will bring journalists from Turkey, from Istanbul, who are very influential on social media and have more than a million followers,” emphasizes Omer Cetres, owner of the company Global Group.
Opposition parties in the TC Assembly, led by the SDP, state that they are not against subsidies or elevating Tuzla Airport to the level of other successful airports but are against conducting business outside the legal framework.
“It is very important that we have a report in the Assembly on the spending of previous subsidies. I can responsibly claim that not everything was done in accordance with the law and that the relevant institutions must conduct proceedings so we can determine who acted outside the law,” stresses Dzevad Hadzic, president of the SDP caucus in the TC Assembly.
In this regard, Hadzic emphasizes that after the proceedings, a consensus and comprehensive assessment of the situation will be necessary to restore Tuzla International Airport to a better level of operations, as it was before.
