Montenegro’s transport, storage, and communications sectors have exhibited a varied performance in the first quarter of 2026, indicating an economy navigating through a complex early-year cycle. While passenger mobility has not reached the levels seen in the more robust seasonal quarters of 2025, there are signs of improvement in airport traffic and rail freight activity. This situation presents a nuanced picture, with certain areas showing resilience while others reflect ongoing challenges.
One of the most notable developments was observed in the airport sector, where passenger traffic increased to 310,342 in the first quarter of 2026, slightly up from 308,491 during the same period in 2025. Although this growth is modest, it is significant as air connectivity serves as a critical indicator for Montenegro’s tourism-dependent economy. The passenger index stood at 40.2, nearly unchanged from 40.0 in the previous year, suggesting that demand for air travel did not decline at the start of 2026.
Air freight also showed a slight uptick, with goods handled at airports rising from 119 tonnes in early 2025 to 122 tonnes in early 2026. While this increase does not dramatically alter Montenegro’s trade dynamics, it reflects positively on air transport’s role in driving tourism-related economic activities.
However, caution is warranted when interpreting airport data due to its seasonal nature. In 2025, passenger counts surged from 308,491 in the first quarter to 890,767 in the second quarter and peaked at 1.397 million in the third quarter before dropping to 489,146 in the fourth quarter. The upcoming quarters will be crucial as they will determine how summer schedules and foreign demand impact tourism.
The railway sector did not fare as well, with passenger numbers declining from 138,000 in early 2025 to 123,000 in early 2026. The total passenger-kilometres also fell from 10.354 million to 9.040 million, indicating reduced rail usage for passenger transport during this period.
In contrast, rail freight performance improved despite a drop in total goods transported from 308,000 tonnes to 233,000 tonnes. The tonne-kilometres increased from 39.870 million to 40.535 million, suggesting that while less cargo was moved overall, it was transported over longer distances or involved heavier loads.
The road transport segment also exhibited weaknesses; road passenger transport decreased to 803,000 passengers, down from 822,000. Passenger-kilometres fell from 10.082 million to 9.644 million, indicating reduced domestic travel activity as the country transitions into its tourism season.
The road freight sector remained relatively stable but showed signs of softness with transported goods declining slightly from 261,000 tonnes to 255,000 tonnes. This decline may reflect lower activity levels across construction and retail sectors during the early months of the year.
Total harbour turnover also declined significantly from 553,108 tonnes in early 2025 to 496,373 tonnes. Notably, export-related turnover dropped sharply from 344,520 tonnes to 234,623 tonnes, while imports increased from 208,588 tonnes to 261,750 tonnes. This shift underscores Montenegro’s reliance on imports and raises concerns about its export capabilities.
The postal and telecommunications sectors are undergoing structural changes as well. Postal letter volumes fell from 3.131 million to 2.731 million, while package deliveries rose from 5,000 to 7,000, reflecting a broader trend towards digitalization and e-commerce.
The overall message from Montenegro’s first-quarter transport data indicates that while there are positive indicators such as air travel resilience and improved rail freight metrics, significant challenges remain. The mixed results highlight a transport system that is operational but not uniformly progressing towards recovery.
The upcoming months will be critical for assessing whether air traffic can sustain its momentum and if port activity can rebound alongside domestic transport demands as the summer tourism season approaches.
