New flights from Banja Luka

Banja Luka Airport terminal building

B&H Airlines and Serbia’s Jat Airways are negotiating with the airport of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s second largest city, Banja Luka, in order to begin new services from the airport. Jat Airways, which currently operates 3 flights per week from Belgrade, is interested in beginning services to Tivat in Montenegro from mid June. Banja Luka Airport is trying to persuade B&H Airlines to introduce a stopover on its new flights from Sarajevo to either Stockholm, Gothenburg or Copenhagen. B&H Airlines operates 3 flights per week from Banja Luka to Zurich which according to Banja Luka Airport CEO is recording satisfactory passenger numbers. “The flights to Zurich are very popular which is the reason why the number of flights have been increased from 2 to 3 per week”, Velimir Bobić, Banja Luka Airport CEO said.

During 2008 a total of 12.000 passengers passed through the airport’s doors, while this year the number is expected to be significantly increased. The airport’s management believes that passenger figures would be even higher if the rigorous visa regime currently in place would be lifted. Citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina must have visas to travel to any country within the European Union and they are often difficult to get.

Currently, the cost of tickets from Banja Luka to Belgrade one way amount to 148 Convertible Bosnian Marks (75 Euros) while a return ticket costs 273 Convertible Bosnian Marks (139 Euros). A one way ticket on flights to Zurich cost approximately 178 Euros, although there are 10 different pricing options, all of which depend on the amount passengers stay in either Zurich or Banja Luka, depending on which city they travelled to. Plans for the launch of the low cost Sky Srpska, which was to have its hub in Banja Luka, have been delayed until further notice.