Despite the extraordinary security situation due to phone threats received that morning about alleged planted bombs at the airports in Tivat and Podgorica, the president of the board of directors of the Airport of Montenegro (ACG) Eldin Dobardžić (URA) insisted that on May 13 the complete scenario be implemented at the airport in Tivat ceremonial welcome of the first plane of the Austrian national airline "Austrian Airlines" on the route Vienna-Tivat.
This was confirmed by "Vijesti" from several elections close to the ACG and the Police Directorate, which, however, to date has not officially answered the questions of "Vijesti" as to how it was allowed at a time when it was not yet known for sure whether the bomb threat at Tivat airport was real or not, allow unusual activities to be carried out in the safety-sterile zone of that airport with a ceremonial welcome of planes and passengers from Vienna, which included the entry into that zone of several persons who before and after would never have been able to meet.
ACG claims for "Vijesti" that the arrival of this plane was safe with the instructions of the airport and competent state security services.
"As of today, Vienna and Tivat are connected by a direct airline for the first time. Flights on this route are operated by the Austrian national airline, "Austrian Airlines". Operations were announced three times a week until the end of October. The flight lasts about an hour and 20 minutes. The ceremonial welcome of the first travelers from Vienna was attended by the president of the Board of Directors of ACG Eldin Dobardžić, executive director Vladan Drašković, member of the Board of Directors Slavko Vukčević, director of Tivat Airport Vladimir Praščević, director of the Tivat Tourist Organization Nina Lakičević, representatives of the National Tourism Organization and colleagues from the Austrian company. they announced from ACG on May 13.
Earlier on the same day, ACG announced that shortly after nine in the morning they received "certain threats by telephone", which is why security checks were increased at the airports in Podgorica and Tivat. Due to the threats, one plane in Podgorica was returned for additional control, so its flight was delayed for almost four hours.
According to unofficial information from "Vijesti" from sources close to the state company, when he heard about the received threat, Drašković, who was already at the time with the rest of the management of that state company and other dignitaries at the Tivat airport where the ceremonial welcome ceremony for this plane was to be held, ordered is to cancel everything and for the ceremony participants to leave the safely sterile, so-called "air side" side of Tivat airport. However, Drašković's decision was immediately refuted directly on the spot in front of a dozen witnesses by Dobardžić, who insisted that, although the security circumstances had drastically changed, the ceremony took place.
Therefore, representatives of the management of ACG, NTO, TO Tivat and representatives of "Lufthansa Group" of which "Austrian Airlines" is also a member, as stated by the source of "Vijesti", went to the platform of the Tivat airport and on it directly greeted the passengers and the crew of the Austrian plane, who then with feasts and other traditional services, representatives of TO Tivat and members of folklorists dressed in national costumes treated them. All this happened at a time when it was not known for sure whether the bomb threats were founded or not, that is, while in Podgorica the second "Austrian Aitlines" plane, which was supposed to fly to Vienna at seven o'clock that morning, was detained for additional security checks .
Several interlocutors of "Vijesti" with many years of experience in the airport security services, who wished to remain anonymous, consider Dobardžić's actions unacceptable and unprofessional.
"You have an emergency security situation and received a bomb threat that you do not yet know whether it is real or not, and you are obliged to initiate the security protocol provided for such situations, which does not foresee that under these circumstances, in the safety sterile, "air side" zone airport, you let people in who would not be there even under regular circumstances without special permits and consent. This kind of behavior is not only incomprehensible and improper, but it is harmful to the reputation of ACG, because safety and security are of the utmost importance in commercial aviation", said one of the interlocutors of "Vijesti", adding that he is in a situation that on the morning of May 13 happened at Tivat airport, the most logical and only correct thing to do was to cancel the planned ceremony and remove from the security-sensitive zone all persons who do not belong there, until all the checks to see if there is really a bomb or not are completed.
ACG told "Vijesti" in response to their interest in this event that the safety of the participants of the ceremony, the plane, the passengers and the airport itself was not at risk at that time.
"Welcoming the inaugural flight of "Austrian Airlines" from Vienna to Tivat on May 13, 2023 was organized safely, securely and without any disturbances and with the instructions of the airport and competent state security services. We remind you that on that day, the ACG announced that, although some media reported it, they did not stop traffic, but that security checks were intensified. In addition, on this occasion, we emphasize that there were no reports of bombs, but, as we said that day, that we received certain threats over the phone that we did not specify in order not to jeopardize the investigation", said the state-owned company, noting that " with compliance with all rules and procedures, traffic in Tivat was carried out normally that day, as well as welcoming passengers from Vienna".
The questions of "Vijesti" for the Police Directorate, which has not been answered for a month, is to explain how it is possible that the Police Directorate allowed the ceremony at the Tivat Airport to take place on May 13 in extraordinary security circumstances and an increased risk for the safety of people and property in the air. ports in Tivat and Podgorica, after reports received that morning about bombs allegedly planted at airports.
"Do the usual security procedures that the ACG and the Police Directorate have for such cases allow ceremonies of the type of ceremonial welcoming of planes and passengers to take place during them in the protected (air side) zone of the airport. If not, how could this event in Tivat be held on this manner and who is responsible for it", are questions to which we did not receive an answer from the Police Administration, as well as the interest in whether and what measures the police will eventually take against Dobardžić due to this event.
On May 13, in the afternoon, the police officially announced that the threatening calls "to blow up" those facilities - airports, railway stations and hotels in Montenegro - were made by Petar Mijović from Belgrade that morning.
The Civil Aviation Agency has no jurisdiction in this case
The Civil Aviation Agency (ACV) told "Vijesti" that they have no jurisdiction in this case.
"CAA and the National Board for Civil Aviation Safety do not have the authority to resolve these crisis situations, but they are the domain of competence of the local board for civil aviation safety. As far as we are informed, the airport operator, together with the representatives of the Border Police, completed the assessment of the situation related to the bomb announcement before the arrival of the "Austrian Airlines" aircraft, because a little more than two hours passed between the bomb announcement and the arrival of the aircraft", he told us in front of ACV, security inspector Krsto Pavićević.
He instructed the journalist to "request details of their assessment and decision to hold the aircraft welcome ceremony directly from the airport operator and the Local Committee for Civil Aviation Safety".
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