Current state of Užice Airport
Užice Airport has received a financial boost to convert itself from a military airbase into a commercial airport. Užice, located in Western Serbia, will become the country’s newest airport project after the construction of Morava Airport in Kraljevo is completed this year. The European Union recently donated 550.000 Euros to Užice Airport, known as Ponikve, which will be used for the development of the airport’s mastaerplan at the beginning of 2012. A step by step project development plan will also be made. “It is our goal to open the airport phase by phase. The first two phases will allow the airport to operate during the daytime in both summer and winter”, Saša Savić, the CEO of Užice Airport explains. He adds that the entire project will amount to 19 million Euros. At a donors conference, dedicated to the (re)construction of Užice Airport in Belgrade recently, the United States pledged 1.5 million Euros while China secured another 500.000 Euros.
Undetonated bombs from the 1999 conflict scattered around the airport site must also be removed. The Government of Serbia has provided 1.5 million Euros for the bomb deactivation. The airport currently has one runway which can handle aircraft with up to 200 passengers. The city’s mayor says that Užice can only attract cargo and charter airlines. The city has a population of just over 100.000 but also has a developed industry, a lot of which makes up Serbia’s exportable goods.
Užice is close to several major EX-YU cities. It is 117 kilometres from Sarajevo, 118 from Belgrade and 170 kilometres from Priština. During the 1996 summer season, JAT Yugoslav Airlines operated a 2 weekly Belgrade - Užice - Tivat service.
This could only work if they attract winter charters. Just like those that were operated by Thompson to Nis several winters ago.
ReplyDelete@Ex Yu
ReplyDeleteIn 1999 it was not a conflict as you stated in the article but a heavy bombardment!
Mind correcting this.
@ FlyingJack
ReplyDeleteGet yourself your own blog, and write about that, all day and all night. But while on THIS blog, respect that it's about aviation, not war. OK? Okay.
@ Anonymous at 10:55
ReplyDeleteHow about getting yourself a name or a nickname or whatever, so we all can have an idea who do we refer to
Secondly, my comments are always about aviation and I pay attention to detail. In my previous comment I have avoided any analysis of what has happened 12 years ago and I have no time, nor patience or intentions to write about it, but difference between a conflict and bombardment is huge not in terminology only and should be corrected.
The bombardment was a result of Serbia's conflict with western powers over Kosovo.
ReplyDeleteQuit trying to mask your partisanship with pedantry
Doot,
ReplyDeleteNo, technically it was an illegal action which was not permitted by the Security Council of the United Nations.
The most appropriate term would be 'NATO's aggression'.
And it was not Serbia's dispute with the West about Kosovo but Serbia trying to preserve its national integrity which was jeopardized by Kosovo Albanians.
Your hatred for Serbia is making you look silly.
Yawn Yawn Yawn, you bunch of morons. Stick to the point and the waste of money this new airport will be. But again a number of people in positions of power will have made money out of it.
ReplyDeleteIs there any updates with Flydubai flights to Belgrade?
ReplyDeleteRegarding Uzice airport it is a waste of money.
@Ex-YU Aviation
ReplyDeleteGermanwings has brought forward the flights from CGN to PRN to Friday, September 9th. You may want to update the new routes section.
@Everyone else
When do you think a new international airport will be announced at Novi Sad? Btw, how is Vrsac International doing these days? I am looking forward to the announcement that the brand new Subotica Airport will capture half of the Hungarian market. Any takers?
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ReplyDelete