Sarajevo to subsidise European and long haul routes

The Prime Minister of the Sarajevo Canton, Nihad Uk, has said his government plans to subsidise the launch of new routes from Sarajevo Airport. Mr Uk noted that authorities will be targeting airlines willing to open a base at Sarajevo Airport, those planning to launch flights from European cities of strategic importance for the connectivity of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital, and those carriers willing to introduce long haul services. “The government of the Sarajevo Canton will directly assist in the launch of new routes that will link Sarajevo with points in Europe. These types of subsidies are already widely used across cities in the European Union, but also within our region, delivering unbelievable results”, the Prime Minister said.

Sarajevo Airport’s busiest unserved routes in Europe, including Turkey, based on indirect passenger flows are London, which will be restored by Wizz Air in September, then Ankara, Amsterdam, Izmir, Copenhagen, Paris and Brussels. Its busiest unserved long haul destinations include New York, Chicago, Toronto and Washington. There have been prior attempts to establish long haul flights from Sarajevo. In the summer of 2021, US-based carrier Eastern Airlines planned on launching operations between Chicago and Bosnia and Herzegovina’s capital but cancelled ticket sales within days. It intended on operating the route once per week on a seasonal summer basis with its 238-seat Boeing 767-200ER aircraft. Sarajevo Airport’s General Manager, Alan Bajić, noted that year, “We are in talks with airlines from the US and in negotiations regarding the launch of nonstop flights between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada, as well as China”.

Sarajevo Airport’s busiest unserved routes in Europe including Turkey

Sarajevo Airport’s busiest unserved long haul routes

Late last year Sarajevo Airport issued a public call for an airline to station an aircraft in the city in return for incentives. Although the airport has said one carrier applied and a contract has been signed, the name of the airline has not been revealed so far. The airport has insisted that an official announcement is being held up by delays with regulatory approvals. “We are in talks with several airlines, and we are continuously in discussions with carriers based on demand indicators. After Wizz Air closed its base, we immediately launched a tender to find a replacement. We are in talks with both legacy and low cost carriers, among which is Ryanair. We have already signed a contract with an airline to open a base, but we still can’t make a public announcement on the carrier in question. The agreement must be ratified on behalf of our state and in line with our laws. We are also in talks with Vueling regarding flights between Sarajevo and Barcelona, however, negotiations have just begun”, Sarajevo Airport said earlier this month.