''The extended runway enables the beginning of the cooperation with Air Serbia, with whom we've been negotiating for a long time,'' stated Peović.
As Sergej Novosel Vuckovic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 23rd of September, 2018, Brač Airport, one of the three Croatian island airports (next to Rijeka on Krk and the one on Lošinj), saw 27.4% more passengers this July than it did back in July last year, a figure equal to more than 6,000 people, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.
When it comes to all year round traffic, with about 32,000 passengers, Airport Director Tonči Peović believes that it would be possible to have more than 50 percent growth when compared to 2017. Such an increase should be set to continue, as the Serbian carrier Air Serbia could land on Brač with direct flights from the Serbian capital of Belgrade. "Over the past few years, we've had a series of meetings and talks with Air Serbia for the purpose of establishing direct connections between Belgrade and Brač.
The obstacle to the idea reaching fruition was Brač Airport's short runway which was extended last year, a move which subsequently eliminated the main obstacle to the beginning of the cooperation,'' said the director of the airport in Supetar, revealing that ten days ago, talks were intensified with Serbia's deputy prime minister, Rasim Ljajić. The plan is to start with Belgrade-Brač flights in 2019, beginning in the middle of May, with ATR 72 aircraft,'' Peović stated, adding that it would be justifiable to maintain flights on this line at least 2-3 times a week.
It was concluded that the line from the capital of Serbia to the popular Central Dalmatian island would be an easily filled one due to tourist traffic from Serbia. Airline passengers are the largest number of tourists arriving in Supetar, and this year they used TUI, SkyWorks, Luxair, Adria, Croatia Airlines and CSA, coming from France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Slovenia, and three destinations in Austria.
"We're negotiating with a dozen flight companies for 2019 in addition to Air Serbia, but at this point it's too early to talk about the agreed upon new lines," noted Peović.
"We're looking forward to the coming years with optimism, especially in light of the second phase of the upgrading of the runways and the passenger [terminal] building. The availability (ease of arrival) of every tourist destination is a must for a quality tourist product. Brač Airport provides quality and fast connections between the islands and Central European destinations,'' stated Brač Airport's director.
Click here for the original article by Sergej Novosel Vuckovic for Poslovni Dnevnik
