The multi-year process of physically separating the civil Podgorica Airport from the "Knjaz Danilo" Military Airport in Golubovci has not yet been completed, and now it may be further complicated by the fact that the Ministry of Defense (MOD), which manages the military airport, is examining the possibility of a potential foreign partner building a new hangar in the area where the demarcation is to be made, which would house a service center for general aviation and helicopters.
The Turkish company General Aviation Center – GAC (GENEL HAVACILIK AS) from Istanbul presented this initiative to the Ministry of Defense nearly two years ago, in the area where the civil airport complex should be physically separated from the military airport complex.
Well-informed sources of "Vijesti" claim that the Airports of Montenegro (ACG) allegedly suspect that the facility that GAC would build could eventually be converted into a terminal for general or cargo aviation in the future, or the reception of these aircraft and passengers, which is currently exclusively the responsibility of this state-owned company. ACG officially responded to "Vijesti" that they are against such a possibility.
The representative of GAC in Montenegro is the company "Montenegro Defence Industry" (MDI) from Podgorica, which primarily deals with the trade in weapons and military equipment, and is one of the main exporters of such goods, which are transported from Podgorica airport by domestic or foreign military transport aircraft.
Its CEO Zoran Damjanović, however, he said that GAC has no intention of providing airport services.
"GAC has not expressed a request nor has it any intention to provide airport services, but would rather use the services of the company Airports of Montenegro."
The Ministry of Defense responded that it was incorrect to agree to "the business plan of a potential foreign business partner, which would jeopardize the business interests of another Montenegrin state-owned enterprise, the company Aerodromi Crne Gore."
The ACG confirmed to "Viijesti" that the process of physical demarcation is underway, and that the completion of this work and the installation of an adequate physical fence between the two complexes is one of the current so-called regulatory inconsistencies of the "Podgorica" Airport, the elimination of which is being insisted on by the supreme aviation authority in the country - the Civil Aviation Agency (CAA).
"After the CAA submitted reports to us during the certification of Podgorica Airport, we were obliged to develop a Corrective Action Plan. We did so, foreseeing the installation of a perimeter fence between the civilian and military parts of the airport - in an identical manner to that installed in other parts of the airport. ACG developed the project documentation and received the CAA's approval for it. In the meantime, however, colleagues from the Ministry of Defense proposed that a physical fence not be built along the demarcation line, but that video surveillance with IR cameras and lasers be implemented. After that, the CAA proposed a compromise solution that involves the construction of a physical fence in a length of about 200 meters, and that the remaining part be protected, as the Ministry of Defense proposed, with IR cameras and lasers - at the expense of the Ministry of Defense," ACG told "Vijesti" and noted that the company "agrees with the CAA's proposal and, accordingly, we expect further guidelines on the obligations that our company should implement."
They said that the ACG "remains a reliable and dedicated partner of the MoD and the CAA so that the physical demarcation is fully implemented in the best interests of all parties involved."
The Ministry of Defense told "Vijesti" that the working team, which consisted of representatives of the Ministry of Defense and the Army of Montenegro, the ACG, the CAA and the Ministry of Transport, "proposed a demarcation model... that does not disrupt the functionality of both the military and civilian operators at the airport in Podgorica."
"This is because the Agreement on the Transfer of Ownership Rights and Joint Use of Real Estate at the 'Golubovci' Airport from 2005, on the basis of which the then JP ACG was ceded ownership of part of the military airport in 'Golubovci', defined that the transfer of ownership rights is carried out under the conditions that the Army is provided with the right to permanent and unconditional use of the maneuvering areas and airport installations, according to military standards and priorities," the minister's department points out. Dragan Krapović.
They claim that the demarcation of the civil and military airport "has nothing to do with potential cooperation with any company at the military airport", but rather is an obligation imposed on Podgorica Airport by the CAA as a regulator, and that the deadlines set by the CAA for completing this procedure have not yet expired.
"The Ministry of Defense still has no intention of entering into any business arrangement with any company, including the GAC company from Istanbul, because the prerequisites for any model of possible business cooperation with any company are currently being examined," the Ministry of Defense responded to the question of "Vijesti" whether GAC's business plan also includes the possible provision of general aviation, or cargo aircraft, services, adding that for these reasons they are not even familiar with GAC's business plan.
In April 2023, the then head of the Ministry of Defense Filip Adzic met with the owner of GAC Ali Suljak.
"The interlocutors discussed options for opening a service for the maintenance of civil and military aircraft, which would be open to both aircraft from Montenegro and those from the region. Adžić emphasized that he was satisfied with the initiatives that bring benefits to our Army and the state, especially when they open up employment opportunities for the local population. Suljak emphasized that Montenegro has excellent predispositions for establishing an aircraft maintenance service, and that he believes that strong cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of our country will be established, to mutual satisfaction," the Ministry of Defense announced at the time, noting that Suljak "was also presented with the capacities of the "Knjaz Danilo" military airport."
On March 19 this year, the Ministry of Defense asked ACG "to comment on the initiative to lease urban plot 50 and part of the central stand at the Knjaz Danilo Military Airport for a long-term lease, where (GAC) would carry out commercial activities for the needs of this company and build a hangar where, among other things, the helicopters of the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of the Interior would be serviced."
GAC is an authorized servicer for some of the helicopters from the production program of the company "Bell Helicopters" that are flown by the Air Force of the Montenegrin Armed Forces, i.e. the Helicopter Unit of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In addition, GAC is an authorized servicer for several types of business aircraft from the production program of manufacturers "Bombardier", "Dassault", Hawker" and "Cessna", as well as smaller American manufacturers "Nextant" and "Eclipse".
In addition, the Government of Montenegro intends to soon purchase a new business aircraft for its needs, and the working group it formed for this purpose has proposed the purchase of a "Challenger 350" aircraft from the Canadian manufacturer "Bombardier" as the best solution.
Krapović's letter from March 19 states that GAC "since the beginning of 2024" has had an initiative towards the Ministry of Defense under which the company would lease part of the real estate at the military airport in Golubovci for 30 years, and that it has expressed its readiness to service the helicopters of the Armed Forces of Montenegro and the Ministry of the Interior in the hangar it builds there for its commercial needs.
"This would significantly save financial resources for aircraft servicing, which is currently carried out abroad. The Ministry of Defense assessed that the initiative in question is justified and initiated procedures for its implementation in accordance with the Law on State Property," the letter states, reminding that "during the initiation of the procedure for leasing real estate at the military airport, there was a reaction from the CAA, which insisted on implementing physical demarcation and fencing of the civilian and military airport complexes."
The Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Montenegro have "undertaken the obligation to implement infrastructure projects in the area of the military airport in order to complete the necessary demarcation between the civilian and military airports."
In connection with the MoD, the Ministry of Defence informed GAC in a letter dated December 19 last year “that the space that is part of the 'Knjaz Danilo' Military Airport cannot be subject to lease and use by third parties”.
After that, however, according to the ministry, GAC requested a meeting with the MoD and their representative in Podgorica informed them that GAC had allegedly previously held meetings with representatives of the ACG and ACV "at which they were informed that there were no obstacles to implementing their initiative for the long-term lease of part of the 'Knjaz Danilo' Military Airport, which constitutes urban plot 50 and part of the central parking lot at the military airport".
Therefore, on March 19, the Ministry of Defense asked the ACG to comment on the GAC initiative.
"We would like to emphasize that the Ministry of Defense, as before, will be guided in every business arrangement by the fact that any arrangements made by this ministry do not jeopardize the business arrangements of any economic entity operating in Montenegro, so your statement that the Ministry of Defense agrees to the business plan of a potential foreign business partner, which would jeopardize the business interests of another Montenegrin state-owned enterprise, the company Aerodromi Crne Gore, is incorrect," the Ministry of Defense claimed in responses to a question from "Vijesti".
They point out that during Krapović's mandate, GAC, through the company MDI, "renewed interest in leasing a portion of the land with the aim of building a service for helicopters and airplanes."
"The Ministry of Defense has not made a decision on the submitted initiative because the procedure for determining the justification of the submitted initiative, i.e. examining all necessary prerequisites, is currently being implemented. We would like to point out that this is state property, the possible valuation of which would have to be carried out in compliance with the procedure defined by the Law on State Property," the Ministry of Defense claims.
ACG told "Vijesti" that they do not agree "to introducing a new provider of services related to the reception and dispatch of aircraft, passengers, cargo and/or mail, as well as aircraft handling services", and that they "expressed their views on this matter twice at two different addresses and both times our response was the same".
"ACG, as the main provider of ground handling services related to the reception and dispatch of aircraft, passengers, baggage, cargo and/or mail, as well as aircraft handling services, does not agree to the construction of commercial facilities in that area and the introduction of a new provider of (those) services. We announced this for the first time, after the interest of the Ministry of Defense through the relevant Ministry of Capital Investments, in an official response to that department on October 16, 2023, and today, once again, on March 26, 2025, in response to a letter from the Ministry of Defense," the state-owned airport company headed by the director Roko Tolic.
CAA: Turks have not submitted requests for certification of airport services, nothing should hinder demarcation
The Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) told "Vijesti" that the demarcation between the civilian and military parts of the airport "has been an open issue for many years that the current representatives of the institutions have responsibly considered and reached an agreed model - solution, with the cooperation of all parties and the active participation of the CAA."
"The conclusions from December last year, which were accepted and signed by representatives of all institutions from the working group, precisely agreed on the necessary activities, which we expect the airport operator and the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro to implement as soon as possible. The demarcation of responsibilities between the airport operator AD ACG-Podgorica Airport and the Ministry of Defence of Montenegro-Air Force is a priority issue for the Agency and we are of the opinion that nothing should disrupt this," the CAA said, adding that they expect the demarcation to be completed "within the agreed deadline, in accordance with the obligations of the entities involved in the process."
"Also, the possible consideration or implementation of the initiative in question (by the Turkish company GAC) must not jeopardize the agreed model of demarcation between the military and civilian parts of the airport," the CAA points out.
They say that the Ministry of Defense "recently informed" them about GAC's initiative to lease part of the real estate at the military airport, but that they are not familiar with the Turks' business plan that they would implement at that location.
If GAC in Podgorica were to provide any services in the field of civil aviation (general aviation, cargo aviation, aircraft servicing or MRO), they would have to be certified by the CAA, but the Agency emphasizes that the Turks have not submitted any requests for certification of any of these services to them so far.
MDI: GAC wants a regional service center for helicopters and airplanes
The CEO of the Podgorica-based company "Montenegro Defence Industry" (MDI), Zoran Damjanović, confirmed to "Viestim" that they represent the Turkish company GAC in Montenegro.
“Our many years of experience in this field recommended us to establish cooperation with this reputable company that has a service for airplanes and helicopters at the Kemal Ataturk and Sabiha Gökçen airports in Istanbul. GAC has the capabilities and appropriate authorizations to service various aircraft, including Bell Helicopters. They have expressed interest in leasing land to establish a regional service for helicopters and airplanes, in accordance with positive regulations and procedures. The intention of the potential investor is to build and organize a service center in Podgorica according to the highest standards and employ at least 20 people,” said Damjanović, adding that GAC informed the Ministry of Defense of its intentions “through official channels.”
"We appreciate that such an investment could bring mutual benefit, especially considering the fleet owned by the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Interior of Montenegro. All decisions regarding land valorization are exclusively within the jurisdiction of the state institutions of Montenegro," Damjanović emphasized, adding that "MDI remains open to constructive cooperation with all domestic and international partners, with full respect for the jurisdiction of state institutions and legal procedures."
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