Better days for Tuzla Airport

Tuzla could become a cargo airport

Tuzla Airport has struggled to attract airlines and passengers since it opened its doors for commercial use in 1998, however, a brighter future is ahead for the airport as flights to Dubai begin next week and the government announces much needed investment. From July 1, flights from Dubai to Tuzla will begin, with Air Arabia being the operating carrier for the local tour operator organising the flights. The service will operate twice per week until the end of October but could be extended if the flights prove popular. Thus, Tuzla becomes only the second EX-YU city to offer flights to Dubai. The new service will provide much needed passengers for the airport which only handled 8 in May 2011. This statistic will also improve with Sky Airlines from Turkey recently commencing charter flights from Antalya.

The Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina recently announced a 220.000 Euro investment which will be used for the purchase of machinery which will improve the handling of aircraft once they arrive at the airport. There are plans to turn Tuzla into a cargo airport with investors from the United Arab Emirates interested in the project, according to the head of the Tuzla Canton, Sead Čaušević. Turkish Airlines has also expressed its interest to turn Tuzla into a cargo hub.

Flight details for the upcoming Dubai – Tuzla service can be found here.