Airports of Montenegro (ACG) is working intensively to prepare Podgorica Airport, but also the entire company, for the opening of a permanent base of the low-cost airline Wizz Air in Podgorica.
For now, however, it is not yet known exactly how much all this will cost the state-owned company, which is counting on the support of the relevant ministries to achieve this goal in the public interest. The possibility of ACG purchasing the VIP terminal for business aviation of the bankrupt private airline Vektra Aviation, which is located on state-owned land within the Podgorica airport, is not ruled out.
Wizz Air will base two of its Airbus A320 neo aircraft, each with a capacity of 239 passengers, at Podgorica airport from the start of the IATA summer season at the end of March next year, and open 14 new routes in addition to the nine that already operate from the Montenegrin capital. The expansion brings one million additional available airline seats per year and positions Podgorica as a vibrant link between Montenegro and Europe...
Ready and able
ACG management points out that the company faces "the most important task - to adapt to the new circumstances in terms of personnel, organization and infrastructure."
"We are ready and able to do everything we can to be ready to welcome not only the 14 new Wizz Air airlines, but also the announcements of other airlines by March 2026, when the summer season in aviation begins. We need urgent adaptations in both the sterile and public zones of Podgorica Airport, hiring new staff, purchasing equipment and extending the airport's openness to traffic. This is a multi-million investment. We have the knowledge and money for all of this, but we need the support of the Ministry of Transport, the Government of Montenegro, and the general public to speed up all procedures - which our line ministry and the executive authorities have absolutely announced," said the CEO of ACG Roko Tolic in an interview for "Vijesti".
He specified that support from line ministries and the Government is primarily being counted on in an administrative sense, "because already at this moment, and in the process of preparing for the next summer season, we have several procedures that have failed due to the specifics of the equipment and works at one airport and the limited resources of the domestic market."
“Specifically, the sole bidder for the construction of a passenger pre-boarding area along the existing terminal gates ultimately withdrew, the procurement procedure for traffic planning software was twice called and cancelled because the bids were incorrect... The same happened with the procurement of software for the use of company systems for automatic processing of passengers and flights.”
He stated that the development of a project task for the expansion of departures - as an additional gate - is underway, and technical documentation for the adaptation of arrivals within the terminal in Podorica is ready.
"We are also preparing for the adaptation of departures within the terminal, for the procurement of access control counters, for the adaptation of existing check-in counters, but also for the procurement of two new passenger registration counters. At the same time, we are also working on several areas in the public area in front of the terminal. Thus, a study has been prepared for changing the traffic flow, charging and expanding the parking lot in front of the airport for all types of vehicles. The procedure for creating a plateau and a canopy for rent-a-car booths is being prepared," said Tolić, emphasizing that all of this must be resolved in the next five months, "which is why it is important that all processes are accelerated, but also transparent," because they believe that "it is important that the entire public knows what every cent is spent on."
He added that a third lane for counter-sabotage passenger control has been installed at Podgorica airport and that it will be at full capacity from March next year.
Necessary new equipment
ACG is awaiting a supplier's offer for the purchase of a new X-ray device for baggage control, standard 3 with modified conveyor belts, and that new passport control counters will be opened in agreement with the Police Directorate.
As for the new equipment needed to serve the increased traffic volume in Podgorica brought by the Wizz Air base, the initial list of equipment that ACG must urgently procure includes passenger stairs, air starter, tractors, electrical generators, elevators, equipment for cooling and heating the aircraft cabin, buses for transporting passengers on the platform, equipment for pulling and pushing aircraft, a fire truck, an X-ray device for counter-sabotage control of separated baggage of standard 3 with modification of conveyor belts, self-service kiosks for passenger registration without checked baggage, scales and belts for two additional counters for passenger and baggage registration, as well as a scanner for passenger security screening.
"This is certainly not a final list because, as part of preparations for the next summer season, we will identify some other needs, depending on the traffic announcements of all airlines," Tolić pointed out.
Security checks hinder work
He emphasized that it is necessary to provide expedited security checks for contractors, "because it sometimes happens that we cannot complete a simple repair in a sterile zone because the technicians wait several months for a positive security check from the Police Directorate and the National Security Agency."
"This was the case, for example, with a worker who was hired to repair a banal malfunction in the departures. The same applies to employees in the Waterworks - in order for one person to read the status once a month, they must have a double safety check. If we do not find a way to effectively resolve this issue, in addition to all the readiness and money - we will not be able to implement all the initiated and planned adaptations."
He pointed out that Podgorica Airport currently has seven parking spaces for commercial aircraft, which is not enough to serve all the announced flights during the upcoming summer season. Therefore, work is already underway to remove the existing and draw new horizontal markings on the apron.
“With the new equipment for pulling and pushing aircraft, we will gain space for two more parking spaces. In addition to covering the plateau in front of the terminal and building passenger pre-boarding areas along the existing terminal gates, ACG already has a specific location in mind that can be used for aircraft maintenance. We make no secret of our desire to purchase Vektra's VIP terminal, which is located on the land that has been given to us for management.”
Dozens of new workers needed
Tolić emphasized that the opening of the Wizz Air base in Podgorica for ACG means that they must reorganize their work and extend the airport's openness to traffic.
"It is certain that we are moving towards almost 24-hour working hours, and not only because of Wizz Air, but also because of the needs of our national airline, Air Montenegro. If, for example, the last landing is after 1 am, this means that our employees have to be at the airport by 2 am. On the other hand, if, for example, the first take-off is at 6 am, our employees have to be at work before 4 am," explained Tolić, adding that all of this together means that "we have to change the systematization and increase the number of employees in operational services."
"We are talking about dozens of new jobs. We should hire new staff by the end of the year, so that new colleagues can complete all training and pass security checks by March next year."
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