Montenegro’s newly launched direct air services with Barcelona carried a combined 8,399 passengers during the first half of 2026, marking the country’s first scheduled direct connections with Spain and accounting for approximately 1.4 per cent of all passenger traffic between Spain and the former Yugoslav region.
The stronger performance came from Wizz Air’s Podgorica–Barcelona route, which transported 5,269 passengers and achieved an average 84.8 per cent load factor. The service accounted for nearly 63 per cent of all direct passenger traffic between Montenegro and Spain during the period. The second route, operated by Vueling between Tivat and Barcelona, carried 3,130 passengers. Both connections were introduced in 2026, meaning no comparable traffic figures exist from the previous year.
Wizz Air expands Podgorica base
Wizz Air launched the Podgorica–Barcelona route on 1 June 2026, operating three weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays using 239-seat Airbus A321neo aircraft based in Podgorica. Based on the reported passenger numbers and load factor, approximately 6,200 seats were offered during the measured period, equivalent to around 26 one-way flights, or 13 return rotations, during the route’s first month of operation.
The Barcelona connection forms part of Wizz Air’s broader expansion after opening its Podgorica base at the end of March 2026. The airline initially stationed one Airbus A321neo in Montenegro before adding a second aircraft as the summer schedule expanded. The enlarged network includes new services connecting Podgorica with Barcelona, Paris Beauvais, Basel, Hamburg, Cologne, Rome Fiumicino, Ljubljana, Malmö, Maastricht, and several destinations in Poland.
Different market profile for Tivat service
The Vueling connection to Barcelona serves a different segment of the market through Tivat Airport, which provides access to the Bay of Kotor, Porto Montenegro, Luštica Bay, Budva and the wider Montenegrin coast. The route targets leisure travellers, property owners, yacht visitors and tourists combining Montenegro with broader Adriatic travel. Vueling has not published a load factor for the route. Its fleet, scheduling model and seasonal operating profile differ from those of Wizz Air.
Podgorica drives passenger growth
The Barcelona services coincide with the largest expansion of Airports of Montenegro’s route network in recent years. The state-owned airport operator expects Montenegro’s two airports to handle approximately 3.63 million passengers during 2026, representing an increase of 18 per cent compared with the previous year.
Almost all additional traffic is expected to come through Podgorica Airport, where passenger numbers are projected to increase by 31 per cent to 2.29 million, while aircraft movements are forecast to rise 25 per cent to 8,786. Podgorica would account for approximately 61.4 per cent of total passenger traffic handled by Montenegro’s two state airports. Tivat Airport is expected to serve approximately 1.34 million passengers, broadly unchanged from 2025, despite a projected 2 per cent increase in aircraft movements to 5,598.
Montenegro remains a small Spain market
Airports across the former Yugoslav region handled 608,797 passengers on routes to and from Spain during the first half of 2026. Croatia remained the largest market with approximately 260,000 passengers, up 24 per cent, while Serbia handled 247,852 passengers, an increase of 50.7 per cent. North Macedonia recorded 52,108 passengers, Slovenia handled 23,837, and Bosnia and Herzegovina recorded 16,825 passengers.
The busiest individual route was Belgrade–Barcelona with 112,314 passengers, followed by Belgrade–Madrid with 61,004 and Zagreb–Malaga with 44,035 passengers. Low-cost airlines dominated traffic between Spain and the former Yugoslav markets during the first four months of the year. Among the 27 routes analysed across the region, only two recorded fewer passengers than in the corresponding period of 2025.
Airport incentives accompany network expansion
Airports of Montenegro plans total revenue of €65.93 million during 2026, including projected operating revenue of €47.3 million, while gross aviation revenue is expected to reach €56.87 million. Airline discounts under the airport incentive programme are budgeted at €18.06 million, representing a 41 per cent increase compared with 2025 and accounting for almost one-third of projected gross aviation revenue. The company forecasts EBITDA of €18.34 million, up 4 per cent, while net profit is expected to reach €13.37 million, an increase of 3 per cent year-on-year.
Investment programme targets airport infrastructure
During 2026, Airports of Montenegro plans almost €15 million of capital investment within a broader €21.3 million procurement programme. Planned purchases include a €3 million hold-baggage explosive detection system, €1.35 million of passenger stairs, a €979,000 firefighting vehicle, a €600,000 passenger security scanner, and additional ground-handling equipment. The expansion of Montenegro’s air links with Spain also includes Iberia’s newly introduced Madrid–Tivat service, complementing the Barcelona routes operated by Wizz Air and Vueling. The future financing of airport development remains linked to the unresolved decision over whether Montenegro will retain its airports under state ownership or award a long-term concession to a private operator.
