The concession process for Podgorica and Tivat airports in Montenegro is increasingly facing signs of an institutional crisis, marked by serious suspicions of political pressure and lack of transparency. Part of the Tender Commission—including an advisor to the Prime Minister and two representatives from the Ministry of Finance—has halted the process, citing possible irregularities, biased actions by some members, and unequal treatment of bidders.
According to sources from the newspaper Pobjeda, the Commission stopped work until the legality of the entire process is reviewed, effectively preventing alleged “deals” supposedly coming from Belgrade and Tirana. The message is clear: some members do not want to legitimize a process they believe is compromised from within.
The situation is further complicated by recent public statements from Serbia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Siniša Mali, who suggested Serbia was willing to invest “twice as much” as current bidders, despite officially not participating in the tender. This statement, made while the Commission was reviewing bids, is widely seen as political pressure trying to influence what should be a professional and depoliticized procedure.
Regarding the bids, on May 9th the Tender Commission publicly opened two timely offers from Incheon International Airport Corporation and Corporacion America Airports S.A. The government stated that within 30 days, the Commission will deliver its evaluation report to the responsible ministry.
Background: The Montenegrin government adopted the concession act and contract in July 2019, setting a one-time payment of €100 million and planned investments of €200 million over 30 years. The prequalification phase saw seven applicants, four of which qualified, including Incheon International Airport (South Korea), GMR Airports (India), Corporacion America Airports (Luxembourg), and the ADP-TAV consortium (France-Turkey). GMR later withdrew, and ADP-TAV acquired 49% of GMR’s shares.
By late 2021, three qualified bidders presented their plans to the Montenegrin government. However, IFC, part of the World Bank Group and project consultants, reportedly withdrew, citing violations of tender principles.
Mali’s statements appear less as a constructive offer and more as an attempt to create political distraction, especially since Serbia itself outsourced management of its main airport in Belgrade to a foreign company and is currently dealing with operational issues there. His claim that Serbia could improve the Montenegrin airports contrasts with the challenges faced at Belgrade’s airport under the current concessionaire.
Mali emphasized Serbia’s interest in the Montenegrin airports, claiming the Serbian government repeatedly expressed its intentions to Montenegrin officials, but was not welcomed. Despite this, Serbia did not officially participate in the tender. Critics point out that Serbia’s handling of its own airport concessions has been problematic, questioning how it could effectively manage Montenegrin airports.
Overall, the concession process is overshadowed by internal disputes, political interventions, and doubts about fairness, raising concerns over the future development of Montenegro’s key international airports.
