Dolac Airport

Dolac Airport (Serbian: Аеродром Долац, Aerodrom Dolac) (IATA: IVG, ICAO: LYBR) is an airport located near Berane, Montenegro. Berane was known as Ivangrad from July 1949 to March 1992, hence the IATA code IVG.

It is one of the four Montenegrin airports to feature paved runway and one of three Montenegrin airports to have terminal building. Berane Airport was used for regular airline traffic during the SFRY era, but has since fell into disuse. Today is used mostly by general aviation. There is an ongoing debate on whether Berane Airport should be invested in and possibly revitalized as an international airport. Berane city officials, as well as general public in north eastern Montenegro favours the reconstruction, while government authorities question the project's viability.

History

On July 21, 1961, the Belgrade-Ivangrad tourist line to the nearby Bjelasica mountain was opened by JAT Yugoslav Airlines with an Douglas DC-3 airliner and flights in this type of aircraft with brief interruptions have been undertaken up to 1971 year. In the period from 1973 to 1974 the JNA carried out a full reconstruction and construction of asphalt-concrete runway. The airport is officially included in the regular transport on May 6, 1975 when he was re-opened line to Belgrade on the Fokker F227B aircraft of Zagreb-based Croatian airline Pan Adria. It was for all a great experience and in a way a symbol of prestige in these areas. However, Pan Adria at the end of 1976 declared bankruptcy and thus the traffic from this airport fell dramatically. An attempt during the early 1980s to establish lines with Slovenian Inex-Adria Airways ended in a failure; air carrier terms were too binding for the city economy and management did not support the initiative. Several promotional flights were made with the Dash 7, serving as the airport's last attempt for regular traffic. The airport now serves general aviation, Aeroclub Ivangrad maintaining a hub. The Vojna Vazduhoplovna Gimnazija (Military Aeronautic Gymnasium) cadets from Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina historically served here.

Future Development

Existing chances

There are plans to reopen the airport for passenger traffic. However, the situation is unclear and little effort is made in that direction. Even the airport in Tivat operates with profits. Airport in Berane also could work, but it would take long years to reach a point of profitability. The runway length is 1900 meters. With problems, even Wizzair or Ryanair could operate here.

Runway extension plans

There are very little passenger airports in Montenegro. Opening another passenger airport would mean a great chance for the surrounding communities. It is one of the four Montenegrin airports to feature a paved runway. However, the runway requires an extension in order to attract low-cost flights. The proposed length should be 2500 meters, the current length is only 1900 meters.

Exiting passenger terminal building modernisation

The airport one of three Montenegrin airports to have terminal buildings, however the termninal is unused. The terminal building is currently not used as a passenger terminal, and it would require a modernisation before reopening. The terminal could also be extended, if low cost carriers would use the airport. Berane Airport was used for regular airline traffic during the SFRY era- with the lines to Belgrad, Zagreb, Lubljana and Podgorica operating, but has since fell into disuse. Today the airport is used mostly by general aviation. In the media there was a short debatte whether Berane Airport should be invested in and possibly revitalized as an international airport. Berane city officials, as well as general public in north eastern Montenegro favours the reconstruction, saying that such investment would create many new jobs. Some government authorities were questioning the future rentability of the airport.

Opinion of the Berane municipality

The local self-government in Berane considers the restart of the working of airport as very significant issue and puts it in its priorities. In cooperation with the Government of Montenegro, the Municipality of Berane would provide all necessary support to investors interested in the preparation of the Feasibility Study. The airport in Berane is an important strategic project for the north of Montenegro, especially bearing in mind that it is located within the most important resource, Bjelasica Mountain, where there is currently in realization the construction of the road Berane – Kolasin. Consequently, the local government is trying to attract the attention of potential investors interested in activating Berane airport. In an effort to objectively examine the situation and consider the possibility of reactivating the airport, the delegation of the Municipality of Berane, together with professors from the Faculty of Transport, Communications and Logistics from Berane, visited Tuzla (Bosnia and Herzegovina) in order to become acquainted with the model of functioning of its local airport. The realization of the important project of the Berane Airport reactivation would improve the overall economic picture of the Northeast, point new opportunities for investment activities and open new jobs, as well as valorization of the entire region of Bjelasica and Komovi. In the context of the call for NATO membership sent to Montenegro, the issue of re-activating Berane airport is being actualized. It is important to note that the airport in Berane is owned by the state of Montenegro. Therefore, the Municipality of Berane believes that in the Transport Development Strategy at the national level, in order to stimulate favorable economic environment, a more intense activity in the direction of activating Berane airport should be defined, with the aim of valorization of tourism potentials of Montenegro. Local self-government of Berane does not have the financial means nor the possibility of credit indebtedness in the direction of activating the airport, for the comparative experiences of surrounding countries show that this investment amounts to 10-12 million euro in order to bring the airport up to the level of functional usability. Beside the terminal building, during the sixties, on the lines Berane–Podgorica–Berane, Berane–Beograd–Berane and for Zagreb and Ljubljana, transport was carried out by planes DC3 and for short time by Fokkers. Airport was closed for public transport in 1975 when the army of the former Yugoslavia made high quality runaway some two kilometers long and 45 meters wide.

External links

• Berane Airport at World Airport Codes
• View of airport and city Berane from Tifran canyon
• JAT Yugoslav Airlines Douglas DC-3 at Berane Airport,1968
• Aerodrom Berane-svijetla budućnost? Translated version:page 1 & page 2