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Sanin Ramezić, Acting Director Sarajevo International Airport - We expect a challenging summer season with 35 direct flights

Source: eKapija

Thursday, 13.03.2025.

00:09

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(Photo: Amer Kajmović/Aerodrom Sarajevo)

(Sanin Ramezić)

The new management of Sarajevo International Airport, aware of the importance of the position of this airport for the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole, focuses on maintenance and improvement of cooperation with existing airlines, but also to attract new airlines in order to enrich the offer of flights from Sarajevo and enable a better connection of the country with the world.

Sanin Ramezić, acting Director of Sarajevo International Airport, in an interview with the eKapija portal, does not rule out the fact that they inherited good results from the previous Administration, so the year 2024 was a record year for the Sarajevo airport in terms of the number of passengers and air operations. Similar trends are forecast for this year as well, which already at the very beginning brings encouraging figures.

Without a good infrastructure, there are no good results, so special attention will be devoted to its further improvement. According to Ramezić, one of the most significant projects for the airport in Sarajevo is the reconstruction of the runway, while the extension and modernization of the Terminal B building is being completed.

In addition, Ramezić says that the airport is preparing to participate in the largest regional gathering in the aviation industry, Routes 2025, at the beginning of April in Spain, after which he will announce to the public the new destinations in circulation, where Madrid is, among other things, one of the strategic destinations for regular lines.

You have been in charge of Sarajevo International Airport for several months. What challenges did you encounter accepting the position of director of such an important company for domestic tourism and economy, what did you need to work on?

- Upon taking office, the newly appointed Management found stable operations as well as a well-organized work system in all sectors at the Sarajevo International Airport. In the first 90 days that I have been in the position of Acting director of Sarajevo International Airport, I got to know in detail all the operational processes, detected good practices, but also room for improvement of the existing ones, and dedicated myself to determining long-term strategic goals. I held a series of meetings with our partners with the aim of continuing good business cooperation.

Aware of the importance of the position of Sarajevo International Airport for the economy of the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina, our focus is first of all to maintain, and then to improve and further intensify cooperation with existing airlines, and attract new ones, in order to enrich the offer of flights from Sarajevo and improve connectivity with the world, with the continuous support of all levels of government, which we have already had up to now. Government support is crucial in order to continue the development of air transport and attract new partners, which can additionally strengthen the connection of B&H with the international market. Its absence can have a negative impact on attracting investments and the further development of airlines from Sarajevo.

The change of the airport management was in the focus of the public and media at the end of last year. Without going into the reasons for those moves, have you adopted certain good practices from the previous Administration, bearing in mind that the airport was successfully operating?

- Sarajevo airport has a very good foundation for further growth and development. If we exclude the period of the pandemic that had a negative impact on business, we can be proud that the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina has an airport that is continuously achieving success.

(Photo: Admir Dervišević/Aerodrom Sarajevo)

One of our goals is precisely that Sarajevo International Airport becomes recognized as a stable and desirable employer, therefore, in this period, we have paid special attention to investing in our professional staff, which we plan to continue in the future. In order to ensure continuity in terms of business success and be ready to welcome the summer season, which is getting closer, we are preparing for the training of new employees.

Namely, we plan to welcome the new season with a fully trained and professional team ready to respond to all the demands of airlines and passengers. At the same time, we are continuously working on the professional development of existing staff through specialized training and training programs.

Investments in human resources are key to achieving our goal - to achieve even better results in the coming period and to provide our users with only the best service in all business segments.

Last year, a record 1.82 million passengers were recorded. What contributed to this?

- Several factors influenced the record number of passengers in the previous year. First of all, it is the institutional recognition of the importance of the function of the International Airport as the main driver for the development of all economic branches, especially tourism. Successful cooperation between Sarajevo International Airport, the FBiH Government, the Sarajevo Canton Government, the FBiH Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Economy of the Canton of Sarajevo and the Tourist Board of the Canton of Sarajevo, in terms of providing incentives for airlines, it continuously achieves results in terms of passenger growth, and therefore tourism in BiH and contributes to strengthening the economy of the entire country.

At the very beginning of this year, a significant increase in the number of passengers and air operations is evident, which is a good sign. What is your expectation for 2025? Which segments do you plan to work on in order to sustain growth until the end of the year?

- This year started with encouraging results, and our expectations are directed towards the continuation of the trend of traffic growth at the Sarajevo International Airport. In January, we recorded a 50% increase in the number of passengers compared to the same period of the previous year and even a 30% increase in air operations. The trend of traffic growth continued in February, when we recorded a 40% increase in the number of passengers compared to the same period last year.

What are the infrastructural advantages of the airport in Sarajevo compared to others in BiH, what kind of equipment and capacity can we talk about?

- The key advantages of Sarajevo International Airport compared to other airports in Bosnia and Herzegovina are primarily reflected in the infrastructure which is fully adjusted to all the prescribed standards, as well as in terms of capacity, which is 2 million passengers per year, and equipped with state-of-the-art security systems in accordance with international standards, including explosives detection systems, advanced baggage scanning devices and modern security procedures.

Also, Sarajevo Airport has better access to infrastructure, so in the coming period we plan to work on improving the airport`s connection with city traffic.

What would be the key infrastructure projects at the airport for the future period, necessary for a greater influx of tourists and new tourist records?

- When it comes to technological improvements, this year it is planned to launch the e-Gate device at the checkpoint, before KDZ control. These devices will enable faster and more automated passenger screening, reduce congestion and improve the flow through airport procedures.

(Photo: Amer Kajmović/Aerodrom Sarajevo)

One of the key innovations in the coming period is the opening of a new Duty Free Shop, whose capacity will be doubled compared to the existing one. Currently, work is being carried out on the last phase of the reconstruction of the Terminal B building, among other things, activities on the modernization, expansion and complete renovation of the duty-free shop will be completed, the total area of which will be 569 m², which will create prerequisites for expanding the available categories from the travel retail segment, with a separate niche corner modeled on duty-free shops in European and international airports. The Duty Free Shop will take on a new look and travelers will have the opportunity to buy the world`s most famous brands and domestic goods of the most recognizable BiH brands, to which significant attention will be paid, and with which we want to support and affirm.

In addition, the PSS (runway) reconstruction is planned, which is one of the most important projects for the airport, which is done once every 25-30 years. It is in our interest to include the extension and construction of the high-speed exit ramp through this reconstruction, with the condition that for the finalization of this demanding project, assumptions related to inter-entity circumstances are created, which require resolution at higher state levels. The planned projection for the start and implementation of the runway reconstruction project is in the next 2 years.

These strategic investments will allow us to continue to provide top-notch service, following the latest global trends in aviation and airport retail.

Will there be an additional expansion of the airport capacity, is there a need for it?

-When we talk about the development of the airport infrastructure, it certainly follows the increase in traffic and the number of passengers. Recently, we have been witnessing significant increases that are on the trail of multi-year positive trends, and this is one of the main factors that are taken into account for future development projections.

The still current development document of Sarajevo Airport for the period 2018-2028, i.e., the Master Plan, predicted capacities sufficient for the current situation and possible increases up to the planned 2 million in the future three-year period. The implementation of the projects outlined in the current Master Plan is significantly more difficult and conditioned by the slow process of resolving requests for implementation. We are currently in the phase of preparation for the revision of the Master Plan, which should foresee a more comprehensive analysis of future needs for capacity expansion (traffic flows, infrastructural and spatial capacities, etc.).

Do you have certain collaborations and lines to announce that Sarajevo has not had until now?

- Our negotiation team is preparing to take part in Routes 2025, which will take place from April 8 to 10 in Spain. It is the largest regional gathering in the aviation industry, intended for representatives of the aviation industry who want to do business from and within the European region. It is planned to hold several meetings with airlines in order to establish new destinations and airlines for the period 2025 - 2026, among others, with the airline Iberia, which has confirmed the running of charter flights on the Madrid - Sarajevo route as part of the summer flight schedule. Madrid is, among others, one of the strategic destinations for scheduled lines.

We hope that after the meetings held at Routes 2025, we will be able to at least hint to the public which new destinations are in circulation. A very challenging summer season is ahead of us, during which we will have direct airlines to 35 destinations.

Vedrana Marković

Aerodrom Sarajevo

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