Tivat Airport handled 1.308 million passengers in the first nine months of 2026, an increase of 10.6% year on year, bringing the coastal airport closer to its annual passenger record of approximately 1.367 million, established in 2019. Aircraft movements also increased, rising 5% to 12,965 over the same period.
Passenger Growth Continues Through the Summer Season
Passenger volumes remained strong during the peak tourism season. The airport handled 308,075 passengers, up 12.2%, followed by 217,338 passengers, an increase of 8.3% compared with the corresponding month of the previous year. With cumulative traffic exceeding 1.3 million passengers, Tivat Airport is approaching its historical annual benchmark. Whether it surpasses that level will depend on passenger volumes during the remaining months of the year.
The increase reflects expanding airline capacity and demand from a broader range of source markets, with passenger numbers moving beyond earlier post-pandemic recovery levels.
Airport Serves Key Coastal Tourism Markets
Tivat Airport is a principal aviation gateway to the Bay of Kotor, providing access to tourism and property markets in Kotor, Herceg Novi and Porto Montenegro, alongside other coastal destinations. Rising passenger numbers support demand across the regional tourism economy, including hotels, restaurants, transport services and coastal real estate. At the same time, higher traffic places additional pressure on airport infrastructure.
Infrastructure Constraints and Investment Needs
Existing operational constraints include terminal capacity, aircraft parking stands, baggage handling and ground access, particularly during peak travel periods. Continued passenger growth strengthens the commercial case for further investment to accommodate higher volumes and support airline operations.
Without additional infrastructure capacity, congestion could affect service quality and restrict the airport’s ability to accommodate further airline expansion. Tivat Airport’s approach to its annual passenger record therefore coincides with increasing demands on the infrastructure serving Montenegro’s coastal tourism and property markets.
