The reconstruction of Bihac airport would enable a more substantial and faster influx of tourists to the Una-Sana Canton (USC). This year was a record-breaker for tourist numbers, with the Una National Park alone attracting over 170.000 visitors.
Most tourists first arrive at Sarajevo airport and then travel over 300 kilometers to the Krajina region. But when will tourists be able to arrive directly at Bihac airport? According to estimates from authorities, this could happen by 2027.
For years, there has been talk about an airport in Bihac, and now more concrete steps have been taken. The public company “Aerodrom Bihac” has so far purchased around 800.000 square meters of land for approximately 18 million BAM.
According to the director and earlier announcements, there is still a possibility that the first commercial flights at Bihac could begin within two years. However, higher-level authorities also play a critical role in realizing the airport project.
“We have projected that the infrastructure on this location will be ready by 2027. I still believe this is possible. However, we need coordinated action at the state level of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The Ministry of Transport and Communications of BiH is key to making this happen by 2027,” said Anel Hadzic, director of the public company “Aerodrom Bihac.“
He emphasized that significant administrative work has been completed in recent years, which is essential for starting the first phase.
“At the beginning of February this year, we submitted plans for a smaller commercial airport with a runway of 1.800 meters at the proposed location, along with a modular passenger terminal and a platform for three aircraft. The designated reference aircraft is the new-generation ‘AIRBUS,’ with 125 seats and a range of up to 1.500 kilometers from the airport’s reference point,” Hadzic explained.
The Mayor of Bihac Elvedin Sedic expressed a positive outlook, noting that the Federation of BiH (FBiH) recently allocated about 1.5 million BAM for converting agricultural land into construction land. This step has opened the way for obtaining urban planning permits.
“It is necessary to amend certain state laws, primarily the Law on Air Traffic Control in BiH because the current law stipulates that only the four existing airports in BiH can be controlled, and they are specifically listed. We need to amend this law to allow other airports, should they be constructed, to be included and covered as required,” stated Edin Forto, the BiH Minister of Transport and Communications.
“The current law stipulates that only four airports in Bosnia and Herzegovina are covered by air traffic control. These are explicitly listed. We need to amend this law to allow other airports, once constructed, to be integrated into the system,” Forto explained.
Although the process of building the airport is complex, demanding, and time-consuming, officials say that if progress continues at the current pace, Bihac residents could be connected by air to neighboring countries as early as 2027, Biznis Info writes.
