Spajić heads the team for accelerated airport development: "They must welcome the next season in a new guise"

The Government will form an Interdepartmental Coordination Body for the development and increase of the capacity of Podgorica and Tivat airports by the beginning of the next summer season, it was decided at an operational meeting of Prime Minister Milojko Spajić with representatives of the relevant departments and institutions.

The Government announced that Spajić will be the president of the body, while the members will be responsible for the ministries of public works, spatial planning, urbanism and state property, finance, transport and defense, as well as the Airport of Montenegro.

"Given that the Airports of Montenegro achieved historic results in both passenger traffic and the development of the airline network last year and this year, and that the infrastructure has long been outdated, urgent solutions are needed, as well as the development of a long-term Master Plan," the statement said.

Spajić said that airports must welcome next year's season in a new guise.

"After this record year, we have recognized key challenges. We have created a clear sequence of steps for improvements - in order to meet the demands of the large increase in the number of passengers," said Spajić.

In addition to urgent solutions for the coming year, the priority is also the development of the Master Plan, which is the basis for the long-term development of Podgorica Airport and Tivat Airport.

This is a specific aviation document, the preparation of which requires a respectable international partner with decades of experience in this business. The master plan defines precise steps for the company's development over the next ten years.

"Key infrastructure projects at Podgorica Airport include the construction of a new terminal, reconstruction and expansion of the platform, as well as the reconstruction and extension of the runway so that the airport can handle wide-body aircraft, as Montenegro must be connected to the rest of the world and direct transatlantic flights," the statement said.

Key infrastructure projects at Tivat Airport, within the Master Plan, are the construction of a new terminal, a new landing platform and taxiway, as well as a comprehensive reconstruction of the runway.

"Given the urgency of drafting this document, a possible area for acceleration is the use of mechanisms within the framework of existing intergovernmental agreements. In addition, the Master Plan is also a necessary formal condition for applying for and withdrawing grants from EU funds and soft loans from international financial institutions," the Government said.

In the meantime, the expert team, led by Spajić, will be tasked with accelerating the preparation and implementation of urgent projects and ensuring the timely removal of administrative, planning, property-legal, financial and other obstacles, within the framework of legally established competencies.

The government will, as stated, task the leaders of the Airports of Montenegro to, in cooperation with members of the Coordination Body, immediately begin implementing priority activities necessary to maintain operational functionality and increase the capacity of Podgorica Airport and Tivat Airport until the adoption of the new Master Plan.