Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services (SMATSA) handled 4,090 flights in the airspace of both countries on Saturday, marking the highest daily volume since air traffic services began in the region.
The Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs reported that this record number occurred over the past two weekends.
“The milestone of four thousand operations, a first in SMATSA’s history, was reached on July 6, with 4,030 flights between Serbia and Montenegro. The growth trend has been evident since the beginning of the year, with a nine percent increase in overflights in the first half compared to last year,” the statement said.
In the first half of this year, Montenegro recorded a total of 210,770 IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) operations, marking a 9.5 percent increase from last year and a significant 33 percent rise from 2019.
“Aerodrom Podgorica saw a 30 percent rise in IFR operations in the first half compared to last year, while Tivat Airport noted a 20.8 percent increase in flights. The only downturn was at Tivat Airport, with a 5.6 percent decrease compared to 2019,” the statement noted.
Reduced flights from former USSR countries, effective since 2022, contributed to the less favorable statistics.
“Nevertheless, there has been an upward trend in flight numbers at this airport, despite a notable 22 percent drop in the first half of last year,” the statement added.
SMATSA, jointly owned by both countries, recently agreed to update its founding act during an official meeting of transport ministers Filip Radulović and Goran Vesić from Montenegro and Serbia, respectively, due to the last amendments dating back to 2012.
