A group of Montenegrin business owners has proposed taking responsibility for modernising Podgorica and Tivat international airports, offering a domestic investment alternative to the long-running foreign concession process.
The group, which includes the owner and chairman of construction company Zetagradnja, is prepared to submit an investment proposal comparable to that of Incheon International Airport Corporation from South Korea, which had been the leading foreign contender in the concession process. The proposal comes as the government considers moving away from the concession model and keeping Aerodromi Crne Gore under state ownership. A new master plan is expected to define airport development priorities for at least the next decade.
The immediate priority is to address passenger-processing bottlenecks ahead of the 2027 tourism season. Podgorica and Tivat airports handled more than 3 million passengers in 2025, while terminal capacity, access roads and airside infrastructure have struggled to keep pace with traffic growth. Aerodromi Crne Gore management estimates it could finance between €200 million and €300 million in investment without transferring control to a concessionaire. The financing structure, procurement process and implementation schedule remain unresolved.
The proposal would create a third model between full state financing and a foreign concession, based on a domestically backed investment partnership. Its implementation would require binding financial commitments, a clear governance structure and sufficient technical expertise to deliver the required airport infrastructure.
