Ryanair was the only carrier to have applied in Sarajevo Airport’s public call for an airline to establish a base in the city in return for incentives. Talks between the two sides over a potential base are ongoing. According to the “Klix” portal, a deal is within reach. Sarajevo Airport is expected to extend its work hours this summer in order to be operational 24/7, a demand reportedly made by the European budget carrier. Earlier this month, the airport confirmed that one airline had answered its public call. The airport undertook a similar tender in 2020, which was won by Wizz Air. It was the only one to have applied at the time. Wizz Air closed its Sarajevo base after just a year and a half in November of last year. The renewed call was not limited to low cost carriers and neither did it require for the airline to base two aircraft in the city, as was previously the case.

Under the terms issued by Sarajevo Airport in its public call, the interested carrier must open its base in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital this year in order to qualify for the incentives. The subsidies are limited only to the number of passengers carried, however, the airline will qualify for the incentives regardless of how many travellers it handles. The more departing passengers it welcomes on board its aircraft from Sarajevo, the greater the financial support, however, the exact amount of funds have not been made public.

Ryanair entered Bosnia and Herzegovina’s market in 2018 with services to Banja Luka. Last November it expanded its operations in the country by launching flights to Tuzla, with services from Vienna, Stockholm and Memmingen. Ryanair’s Director of Route Development, Ray Kelliher, said last year, “We look forward to growing in Bosnia and Herzegovina over the coming years and being able to announce more new and exciting routes for next summer”. Sarajevo Airport handled a record 1.377.348 passengers in 2022, representing an increase of 79.5% on the previous year and up 20.4% on the pre-pandemic 2019. The growth was primarily fuelled by Wizz Air. During the last quarter of 2022, Wizz held a 40% market share in Bosnia and Herzegovina and was the country’s busiest airline.

Source: Civil Aviation Authority-Qatar