Podgorica Airport

Aerodrom Podgorica

Аеродром Подгорица
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGovernment of Montenegro
OperatorAirports of Montenegro
ServesPodgorica
LocationGolubovci, Montenegro
Hub forAir Montenegro
Elevation AMSL141 ft / 43[1] m
Coordinates42°21′34″N 19°15′07″E / 42.35944°N 19.25194°E / 42.35944; 19.25194
Websitemontenegroairports.com
Map
TGD is located in Montenegro
TGD
TGD
Location of the airport in Montenegro
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
18/36 8,202 2,500 Asphalt
Statistics (2018)
Aircraft movements7,915
Number of passengers1,208,525

Podgorica Airport (Montenegrin: Аеродром Подгорица, Aerodrom Podgorica, pronounced [aerǒdrom pǒdɡorit͡sa]) (IATA: TGD, ICAO: LYPG) is an international airport serving the Montenegrin capital of Podgorica and the surrounding region. It is one of two international airports in Montenegro, the other being Tivat Airport. Both are operated by the state-owned company Airports of Montenegro (Аеродроми Црне Горе / Aerodromi Crne Gore).

The airport is situated 11 km (6.8 mi) south of central Podgorica, in the Zeta Plain, one of the few flat areas of Montenegro suitable for a large airport. The airport is locally known as Golubovci Airport (Montenegrin: Аеродром Голубовци, romanized: Aerodrom Golubovci) as it is located within the administrative boundaries of the town of Golubovci. The IATA code of the airport is still TGD because Podgorica was named Titograd (after Josip Broz Tito) from 1946 to 1992, during the time in which the airport opened. It is the main hub for Di Air and was the main hub for Montenegro Airlines.

History

The history of civil aviation in Podgorica began on 26 May 1928, when an Aeroput Potez 29/2 landed on a grass runway at a small airfield located near the city's current train station. The plane was on an experimental Belgrade-Skopje-Podgorica-Mostar-Sarajevo-Belgrade line, organized to determine the viability of linking Belgrade with southern Yugoslavia by air. On 5 May 1930, scheduled passenger service began on a Belgrade-Sarajevo-Podgorica line.[2] Aeroput used Farman F.300 aircraft on this line.

World War II brought an end to passenger traffic at the airfield. In 1943 and 1944, the airfield was used by the Luftwaffe in then German-occupied Montenegro. It was a frequent target in the now infamous bombing of Podgorica, which resulted in significant German losses.

After the war, passenger service resumed on 8 April 1947, with newly formed JAT flights to Belgrade on a Douglas C-47 converted for passenger use. A cargo line to Belgrade was later established in 1957.

The airport was moved to its present location south of the city in 1961. It featured a 2,500 m × 45 m (8,202 ft × 148 ft) asphalt runway and was modernized and refurbished in 1977. The majority of traffic in this period consisted of scheduled flights to Belgrade, mostly with McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft.[3] Špiro Mugoša Airport now occupies the former site.

On 23 April 2003, the ownership of the airport was transferred from JAT Airways to Airports of Montenegro, a public company owned by the Government of Montenegro. Along with the formation and growth of Montenegro Airlines, this contributed to an increase in services from the airport. The decades-long practice of the airport being largely a feeder airport for Belgrade was dropped in favor of a more diverse network of scheduled passenger flights.

A major renovation and expansion took place in 2006, with refurbishment and extension of the apron and improvements to the taxiways system, airfield lighting system, and power supply. An entirely new passenger terminal was opened on 14 May 2006, while the old passenger terminal underwent reconstruction and refurbishment in 2009.

The improved taxiway system allowed for wide-body aircraft to be serviced at the airport. Thus, the airport began servicing Il-86s and the first Boeing 747 freighter arrived at the airport in April 2008.

In December 2020, Montenegro Airlines went into liquidation, leaving the airport without a home carrier. Air Montenegro started operations on 8 February 2021.[4]

Facilities

Terminals

As air traffic in Montenegro saw a rapid increase in the 2000s, the old passenger terminal, a small cobblestone building, was retired after the new terminal was built, except for servicing small-volume charter flights. The new passenger terminal, comprising 5,500 m2 (59,000 sq ft), opened on 14 May 2006. It has eight departure and two arrival gates, and is able to handle up to 1 million passengers annually. The terminal does not feature jetways, as the number of passengers at the airport is not high enough to necessitate them.

The main (new) terminal building is a modern aluminium and glass structure, featuring contemporary architectural solutions such as indirect lighting throughout the building. Since its opening, it has featured a Costa Coffee outlet, two newspaper stalls, a duty-free shop, rent-a-car posts, and a bank outlet. Although the airport is considered low-risk, security screening has been visibly increased since the construction of the new terminal. Security measures and monitoring that are standard for European airports are applied in the terminal.

The old terminal building was completely renovated and reopened on 15 September 2009 and is now intended for VIP use and general aviation.

Runway

Standard runway 36 approach includes a spectacular 200° low-level steep turn over Lake Skadar to align with the runway, only 524 meters (1,719 ft) above the water surface. The airport has ICAO classification 4E ILS Cat I, though ILS landing is only possible on runway 36; the northern approach to runway 18 is visual only, possible under perfect VMC. This is due to the proximity of the Dinaric Alps in the north.

Military use

Damage done to Podgorica Airport after the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

Podgorica Airport is a public international airport, but shares the main runway with Podgorica's military airbase. Military facilities include an 80-hectare (200-acre) airbase area adjacent to the main runway, as well as the Šipčanik complex. The Šipčanik complex consisted of an underground aircraft shelter tunneled into the eponymous hill, and an adjacent narrow 08/26 runway, which could be used to scramble jets stored in the shelter. This runway is connected to the main airport complex via a 3-kilometer-long (9,800 ft) taxiway cut through surrounding vineyards.

On 9 December 1999, the airport was briefly seized by the Army of Yugoslavia in a standoff between the central government and the Montenegrin authorities after Montenegro tried to control the airport independently from Belgrade.[5]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines serve scheduled and seasonal services to and from Podgorica Airport:[6]

AirlinesDestinationsRefs
Aegean Airlines Athens [7]
Air Astana Seasonal: Almaty, Astana
Air Montenegro Belgrade, Istanbul,[8] Ljubljana, Rome–Fiumicino,[9] Zürich[10]
Seasonal: Bratislava,[11] Copenhagen,[12] Frankfurt, Lyon,[13] Munich (begins 2 June 2024), Nantes,[13] Ostrava (begins 18 June 2024),[14] Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Seasonal charter: Cairo,[15] Katowice, Rzeszów,[16] Tel Aviv[17] 		[18]
Air Serbia Belgrade [19]
AlbaStar Seasonal charter: Madrid [20]
Austrian Airlines Vienna [6]
Enter Air Seasonal charter: Katowice, Poznań [21]
LOT Polish Airlines Warsaw–Chopin[22]
Seasonal: Warsaw–Radom (begins 23 June 2024)[23]
Luxair Seasonal: Luxembourg [6]
Pegasus Airlines Ankara (begins 5 February 2024), Istanbul–Sabiha Gökçen, İzmir (begins 1 February 2024) [24][25]
Ryanair Berlin, Gdańsk,[26] Kraków, London–Stansted
Seasonal: Charleroi,[27][28] Manchester, Wrocław, Zagreb[29] 		[30]
Smartwings Seasonal charter: Gdansk (begins 28 May 2024)[31], Katowice (begins 28 May 2024)[31]
SunExpress Seasonal: İzmir (begins 4 June 2024) [32]
Tailwind Airlines Seasonal charter: Istanbul [33]
Transavia Seasonal: Paris–Orly [34]
Turkish Airlines Istanbul [35]
Wizz Air Budapest, Dortmund, Memmingen, Milan–Malpensa
Seasonal: Katowice, London–Gatwick, Vienna, Warsaw–Chopin 		[36]

Statistics

Passengers

Annual passenger traffic at TGD airport. See Wikidata query.
Traffic figures at Podgorica Airport
Year Passengers Change Aircraft movements Change Cargo Change
2005 319,665 3,298
2006 381,847 Increase19% 3,895 Increase18%
2007 460,020 Increase20% 4,918 Increase26%
2008 544,907 Increase17% 5,883 Increase16%
2009 450,376 Decrease16% 5,455 Decrease4%
2010 651,608 Increase45% 6,925 Increase26%
2011 611,651 Decrease6% 6,136 Decrease11%
2012 620,097 Increase1% 5,560 Decrease9%
2013 690,688 Increase11% 5,528 Decrease1%
2014 699,141 Increase3% 5,247 Decrease5%
2015 748,899 Increase7% 5,545 Increase6%
2016 873,278 Increase17% 5,957 Increase7% 876
2017 1,055,142 Increase21% 7,516 Increase26% 837 Decrease4,4%
2018 1,208,525 Increase15% 7,915 Increase5% 882 [37] Increase5,4%
2019 1,297,365 Increase7,4% Increase

Busiest routes

Busiest routes at Podgorica Airport
City Airport Weekly Departures
(Winter 2021/2022)		 Airlines
Serbia Belgrade Belgrade Airport 42 Air Serbia, Air Montenegro
Turkey Istanbul Istanbul Airport 13 Turkish Airlines
Austria Vienna Vienna Airport 9 Austrian Airlines
Slovenia Ljubljana Ljubljana Airport 5 Air Montenegro
Germany Frankfurt Frankfurt Airport 3 Air Montenegro
United Kingdom London London Stansted Airport 2 Ryanair
Germany Dortmund Dortmund Airport 2 Wizzair
Spain Barcelona Barcelona Airport 2 Ryanair
Switzerland Zurich Zurich Airport 2 Air Montenegro
Belgium Brussels Charleroi Airport 2 Ryanair
Busiest Routes from Podgorica Airport (2019)
RankAirportPassengers 2019
1 Serbia, Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport312,301
2 Turkey, Atatürk Airport130,837
3 Austria, Schwechat Airport87,162
4 Slovenia, Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport55,758
5 Poland, Warsaw Chopin Airport51,687
6 Italy, Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport45,748
Source: ec.europa.eu

Ground transportation

Podgorica Airport is accessible by the Podgorica - Bar road (E65/E80), via a short detour. A stretch of this road, from Podgorica to the airport, has been upgraded to expressway standard. A drive from the city center to the airport usually takes less than 15 minutes. Public transportation to and from airport is covered by L-20 bus line to city center, charter bus lines to other Montenegrin cities, and taxi service. The Airport train station on the Belgrade–Bar railway is located 1.2 kilometers (0.75 mi) away from the passenger terminal but is seldom used as a link to the city due to the inconvenient location and inconsistent train schedule.

By using the Sozina tunnel, the airport is some 40 kilometers (25 mi) away from Bar, Montenegro's main port,[38] and so the airport increasingly caters to the needs of cities along the southern Montenegrin coast.

Accidents and incidents

  • On 11 September 1973, Podgorica Airport was the destination of JAT Airways Flight 769, a Sud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle 6-N, which flew into the Babin Zub peak on Maganik mountain north of Podgorica. All 41 on board perished.
  • On 25 January 2005, the nosegear of a Montenegro Airlines Fokker 100 (YU-AOM) collapsed after a runway excursion during a night landing in snowy conditions. The airplane skidded for about 700 meters (2,300 ft) before coming to rest, 1,180 meters (3,870 ft) after touchdown. Two passengers, the pilot and copilot received minor injuries. The airline was sued by passengers, as it was the only airline to operate flights to Podgorica that evening (other airlines canceled flights due to insufficient ice clearance technology at the airport).
  • On 7 January 2008, at about 9:30pm, a Montenegro Airlines Fokker 100 (4O-AOK) was shot at while landing at Podgorica Airport. A routine inspection of the aircraft led to the discovery of a bullet hole in the aircraft's tail. The aircraft was carrying 20 passengers, none of which were injured. The reason for the incident is unknown; however, reports indicate that it may have been an inadvertent result of guns being fired during celebrations for Orthodox Christmas.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "You are being redirected..."
  2. ↑ Drustvo za Vazdusni Saobracaj A D – Aeroput (1927-1948) at europeanairlnes.no
  3. ↑ "Airport of Montenegro". Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  4. ↑ ch-aviation.com - Montenegro Airlines suspends operations from December 26 25 December 2020
  5. ↑ "Armed Yugoslav Troops Take Over Montenegro's Main Airport". New York Times. 9 December 1999.
  6. 1 2 3 "Red letenja i sezonski letovi" (in Montenegrin). Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  7. ↑ "Aegean to expand EX-YU operations, add three new routes". exyuaviation.com. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  8. ↑ "Air Montenegro to launch new route". EX-YU Aviation News. 25 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "Air Montenegro to launch new Podgorica service". EX-YU Aviation News. 6 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "Air Montenegro to add two more routes". EX-YU Aviation News. 4 February 2022.
  11. ↑ "Air Montenegro adds two new routes". EX-YU Aviation News. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Air Montenegro od ove godine leti i za Kopenhagen". airmontenegro.com. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  13. 1 2 "Air Montenegro to launch three new routes". EX-YU Aviation News. 1 February 2022.
  14. ↑ "Air Montenegro to launch four new routes". exyuaviation.com. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "Air Montenegro touches down in Cairo". 27 July 2022.
  16. ↑ "Air Montenegro to expand Poland charter operations". EX-YU Aviation News. 6 March 2023.
  17. ↑ "Air Montenegro launches regular Israel charters". 15 April 2022.
  18. ↑ "Destinations". Air Montenegro.
  19. ↑ "Flight Schedule".
  20. ↑ "Spain's AlbaStar to launch Podgorica charters". 6 April 2023.
  21. ↑ "PRVI OBJAVLJUJEMO-NAJAVE: Enter otvara letove za Podgoricu".
  22. ↑ "LOT schedules Podgorica flights for most of winter". exyuaviation.com. 28 August 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  23. ↑ "LOT to commence new Podgorica, Ohrid service". exyuaviation.com. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  24. ↑ "Pegasus Airlines schedules Podgorica launch". 3 July 2023.
  25. ↑ "Pegasus Airlines in major EX-YU expansion, adds new routes". 25 December 2023.
  26. ↑ "RYANAIR NS23 NETWORK ADDITIONS – 11DEC22".
  27. ↑ EX-YU Aviation News: Ryanair further cuts Podgorica network. 17 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
  28. ↑ "Ryanair NW23 Network Changes – 17SEP23".
  29. ↑ "Ryanair to discontinue Zagreb - Podgorica and two more routes". 3 July 2023.
  30. ↑ "Book cheap flights using Fare Finder | Ryanair".
  31. 1 2 "Smartwings launches Gdansk and Katowice flights".
  32. ↑ "SunExpress to launch new Pristina and Podgorica flights". 26 September 2023.
  33. ↑ "NAJAVE: Tailwind kreće sa chartermima Podgorica-Istanbul".
  34. ↑ "Transavia France to run seasonal Ljubljana, Podgorica flights". 31 August 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  35. ↑ "Turkish Airlines Increases Podgorica Service in NW23".
  36. ↑ "WIZZ – Dream more. Live more. Be more".
  37. ↑ "Airline traffic data by main airport". Eurostat. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  38. ↑ Structurae: Sozina Tunnel

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