Serbia’s newest civilian airport, Morava, located near the town of Kraljevo in Central Serbia is on track to be opened by the end of the year. Morava Airport is located on the grounds of the Ladjevci military airport base, heavily damaged during the 1999 NATO bombing. Now, the Serbian Government, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport, local authorities and USAID are investing millions into the construction of a new control tower, passenger terminal and the extension of the existing runway. The daily “Politika” reports that work is currently under way on the construction of power grids, sewerage and water systems for the new airport. This is expected to be completed by April. According to the CEO of Belgrade Airport, Velja Radosavljević, the construction of a terminal building, access roads, aprons and platforms should begin this spring. Some 22 million Euros will be spent on the project and Radosaljvević believes that the first promotional flights to Kraljevo will operate by the end of the year.Several other municipalities and companies have also thrown in their support for the airport project. The automobile maker Fiat, which runs a car making factory in nearby Kragujevac, has requested for the airport’s development. Furthermore, it is believed that residents of the Raška District would use Kraljevo for flights to Turkey while tourists could use the airport as a transit point to the mountain of Kopaonik and the Vrnjačka Banja spa resort. Additionally, fruit growers from nearby towns and villages believe an air link to foreign markets would make their produce more competitive with others
The Ladjevci air base was built in 1965 and used until its destruction in 1999. Like most townships in Southern Serbia, Kraljevo has been struggling economically and some members of the local parliament have expressed their concern on spending so much money on such a project. In late 2010, Kraljevo was devastated by a powerful earthquake, brining it more hardship.
The building looks nice, I just hope that they will use the cyrilic aplhabet on the airport and not the latinic. Afterall cyrilic is the official writting of Serbia.
ReplyDeleteI would like this to become successful but I am sceptical since Nis could not work if this will. Best of luck to them.
ps as for those morons in the local parliament, I wonder if we are talking about the same idiots who opposed the construction of that power plant on Ibar?
I would love when I fly into Serbia to switch planes in Belgrade from the USA and fly into Kraljevo, closer to my hometown of Arilje :) I think success i so obvious here, we will have to see.
ReplyDeleteAre there any more details on how big the terminal will be, how many passengers are they expecting to handle? Also, does BEG airport own this development?
ReplyDeleteCan anyone explain to me how the country can't keep numerous airports open, yet wants to build yet another white elephant? This is almost as good as the plans in BiH for Trebinje - completely unnecessary!
ReplyDeleteFinally, is this Velja Radosavljević any relation to the the former JAT boss, and is there any dodgy dealings going on to ensure this project happens??
@ frequentflyer
ReplyDeletemate , it's all over mafia ovethere , dont u forget that ?
Finally, is this Velja Radosavljević any relation to the the former JAT boss
ReplyDeleteNope he isn't. The guy has zero knowledge in aviation. Not to mention that he could not say which airline is the best in the world.
He used to be one of the board members in Jat until they offered him the position of the vice-preseident unde Kristo.
Don't understand this one, Serbian authorities cannot eve make Nis functioning well, let alone another airport in the middle of nowhere
ReplyDeleteOh, dear
ReplyDeleteIdiots always complain that building something is too costly, so they end up building nothing, and barely maintaining the existing things, which, of course, leads to recession, sooner or later.
ReplyDeleteYes, Velja Radosavljević was a member of the bpard of JAT, but for a few years now he has been with the airport. I don't like the way JAT is governed (bloody thieves!), but this guy was the best they had and to say that he "has zero knowledge in aviation" is just plain stupid, because being an aerospace engineering PhD and an university professor he surely knows what he's doing.
Strange.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is nice to have one more airport back in function after that crime in 1999, but did anyone make any feasibilty plan? What will be with INI? What about Intl airport in Vrsac? They are ran by powerful SMACTA now, with undergoing plans for runway extension and building the terminal. I think it is not proper moment for doing so.
The other issue is those plain stupidities on accusing other people for having no knowledge. Last Anonymous is completely right! You may like him or not, but still he is University professor in this business field.
And the most important thing for me: Airport Nikola Tesla is now public company, fully listed on the exchange. How is possible they to invest in Morava, provide financial aid to INI..., if they do not have capital share in those airports?
This thing very easily may cause very nice tornado. Let`s wait and see!
One more thing about BEG success. Today they announce their finacial result.
ReplyDeleteRead this:
http://www.beg.aero/mediji/saopstenja_aerodroma.223.html?newsId=524
Congratulations
Firstly, I may sound partial when it comes to Ladjevci (or Morava) as I was born in Kraljevo.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, airports are infrastructure projects and shouldn't be scrutinised with miopic view of 12 months horizon, as most things are in Serbia.
For once, there is a long term plan and this is a strong signal to any investor.
This also fits into decentralisation drive as most people from central Serbia complain that investments always end up in Belgrade.
I can see demand coming from: diaspora, summer/winter charters and even some business. Airport's 'catchment' is over 1 million, much larger than that of Arad airport (for example), which handled 100,000 passengers in 2009. Add proposed new roads and catchment area will only expand.
Chelica2
Uhm 3rd anonymous, it is NOT in the middle of no where. It is KRALJEVOOOO. Closer to south Serbia then Belgrade. From my town to Kraljevo, 30 minutes. I would drive for flight. But from my town to Beograd, 3 hours!! Plus many companies are opening in Kraljevo, and this will help businesses.
ReplyDeleteAs Anonymous said, I hate the fact that more and more people are using Latin and not Cyrillic. It annoys me so much that our language is dying so fast.
ReplyDeleteAs for the airport itself, it would be most beneficial for cargo as Kraljevo is an industrial district in Serbia with many farmers nearby. It is also close to Kragujevac, which is also a large industrial center which means the airport has excellent resources at its disposal. As for tourism, I am not sure how much it can make, but it will be very little. Although, it would be really nice to see it attract tourists for the winter. The same goes for Nis.
They are going latinica everywhere since english is being adopted everywhere. Serbia still needs to show cyrillic though, like they have latinica and cirilica at nikola tesla airport!
ReplyDeleteAero said: "Airport Nikola Tesla is now public company, fully listed on the exchange. How is possible they to invest in Morava, provide financial aid to INI..., if they do not have capital share in those airports?"
ReplyDeleteA public company absolutely can do whatever it wants as long as shareholders agree. It can decide how to distribute its earnings (dividends vs. reinvesting). Morava may become a subsidiary of BEG in the future, who knows. Multinational companies do stuff like this every day at the scale that would spin your mind. My MNC clients do this on a regular basis.
I used to serve in the army, just nearby Ladjevci airport in 1993. As much as I loved to see military aicraft take off and land (saw 4 MiG-29s once), I would love to see ATRs, ERJs, CRJs take off.
Finally, Kraljevo has always had very rich aviation tradition. Many pilots live in Kraljevo, it has an aircraft factory, it has small airport close to Magnohrom factory. These developments are a dream come true for anyone who grew up in Kraljevo and was lucky to listen to the roar of military jets. Including me... :)
AS far as future development is concerned, I believe that Kraljevo would attract plenty of cargo due to Kragujevac in the vicinity as well as its rural neighborhood and farmland. It could also attract winter tourists and compete with Nis.
ReplyDeleteAs for Nis, I think they could do well in both pax traffic and cargo traffic. The problem with Nis is that it is unfortunately left in poor condition. Almost all investments made are made in Novi Sad and Belgrade. Nis is beginning to recover from foreign investment and opening of jobs, but the city's infrastructure itself is just horrible. The Serbian Government needs to finance rebuilding and preserving the city ASAP if they want to keep people living there. Otherwise, they'll flock to the farms or to Belgrade and Novi Sad. And that is just what is happening!
But if I were to make any noteworthy investment, I would not build any more airports, but high-speed rail networks instead. Since it is predicted that trains will go at the same speed as a plane, it may be wise to develop some kind of railroad infrastructure between all the major Serbian cities including Kraljevo, Nis, and BGD. I think it would be much better to have a high-speed train going from BGD to Nis in 1-2 hours (likewise for Kraljevo and other cities). I do not mind building small airports for cargo needs, but for pax, it is as someone said, doomed to fail expectations like it did in BiH's case.
Yes, Velja Radosavljević was a member of the bpard of JAT, but for a few years now he has been with the airport. I don't like the way JAT is governed (bloody thieves!), but this guy was the best they had and to say that he "has zero knowledge in aviation" is just plain stupid, because being an aerospace engineering PhD and an university professor he surely knows what he's doing.
ReplyDelete--------------------------------
Please, you do not know what you are talking about. I had several opportunities to discuss aviation with that guy. His knowledge is equal to zero. Sure he is probably an aviation expert when it comes to the engeneering and that, however when it comes to running in airline he has absolutely no clue.
"Please, you do not know what you are talking about. I had several opportunities to discuss aviation with that guy. His knowledge is equal to zero. Sure he is probably an aviation expert when it comes to the engeneering and that, however when it comes to running in airline he has absolutely no clue."
ReplyDeleteI am totally sure that you mean about Radovanović, ex Jat president. He is the best match for your quote!
@some of the anonymous
ReplyDeleteAnd stating the name best airline in the world make you competent for the Airport CEO? Let's all apply!!!
Of course not, but knowing that is a must. One needs to know his competition. Because of people with attitude like yours Jat and Serbia are where they are today.
ReplyDeleteHe was on of the BOARD MEMBERS of Jat which means that he was basically responsible for its future, how on earth can he be adequate for that position if he doesn't know who is he competing against.
His knowledge was best portrayed when Cimber Sterling launched flights from Copenhagen to Belgrade and on the site of the Airport it wronte ''to copenhagen by plane''. I just wonder what was Jat using until Cimber showed up, a tractor?
It should be like Tashkent, we have the airport name (Tashkent Yuzhny Airport) in English latin text and in Cyrilic text Ташкент Йужни Аеродром
ReplyDelete@ the cyrillic narcissists.
ReplyDeleteThe Cyrillic alphabet is used much more in Serbia today than it was 20-30 years ago.
Last anonymous,
ReplyDeleteActually no, you comment just shows how little you know. Cyrillic today is in decline, more and more people opt to use the latin one.
The alphabet was much more used in the time of Tito than today.
I see no reason why you would insult anyone who likes that alphabet, it is the true serbian writting. so...
How is it the "true" Serbian writing? If it anything like the former Soviet union, Latin text isvto please the foreginer not the local.
ReplyDeleteAirKoryo,
ReplyDeleteWhat I meant by true Serbian is that the cyrilic alphabet has been the official writting of Serbia for centuries now.
The latin alphabet in Serbia was introduced with the creation of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. Now that we do not have any federative part of the country that uses the latin Serbia should just go back to fully using the cyrilic.
Unfortunately the Serbian government is too busy by filling their own pockets rather than taking care of its people.
Mind you the last cyrilic writing was removed in Zagreb in 1937!
I have always been a great supporter of the cyrilic writting as that is a big part of the Serbian identity.
As for the latin writting, I have nothing against it as long as its not written in Serbian.
@Last Anonymous
ReplyDeleteWe should not forget the Latin text is also derived from the Hellenic Texts which gave birth to our Cyrilic texts!
In the end we have the same root :)
Having Cyrillic text only creates hardships for tourists. For example a tourist looking for Novi Sad will recognize the name in the Latin alphabet quicker that in Cyrillic and that means a lot when driving on a highway at fast speeds. They wouldn't have the time to decipher it even if they had learned Cyrillic.
ReplyDeleteAs for the airport, isn't one of the main reasons for this airport to encourage foreign investment and visits? Wouldn't Cyrillic only have the potential of dissuading them and making them feel unwelcome.
I have nothing against Cyrillic being used for Serbian, but lets not put off tourists and investors for a bit of pride. We don't need it at the airport and on road signs. We can have it everyplace else.
We are among few(maybe the only ones) who use cyrillic and latin writing. Shouldn't we be proud of ourselves and encourage the use of both of them rather than ignore. Think of the advantages we have, don't be stupid.
ReplyDelete@Last Anonymous
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to look far from Serbia, Bosnia and Hercegovina has Latin and Cyrilic as offcial scrits due to their large Serb minority. Kosovo has both scripts too now, if you consider it a nation. Also in the USSR Moldova, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Turkemnistan and Uzbekistan also use Latin and Cyrilic.
So no, you are not the only ones!
^
ReplyDeleteRegardless. My point was that we should be proud to have two writings and use that in our advantage.
To be quite honest this talk of Cyrillic has nearly nothing to do with aviation but I will say this:
ReplyDeleteCyrillic is a beautiful alphabet and its primary purpose is not to entertain foreigners. Serbia should do what Bulgaria has done and have everything written in cyrillic and English. It keeps the Serbian language and the English makes it easier for foreigners than latin. End of Story!!!
@Jeebusman
ReplyDeleteSounds exactly like Greece, must be the E.U. I assume?
@Jeebusman
ReplyDeleteThat is fine, but in this instance it is a name and not a word, as on highway signs and city names. There is nothing wrong with having both scripts, but tourists would struggle with Cyrillic only and let's face it foreigners are the ones investing much of the money right now.
Airports, planes, road signs should definitely have latin text.