28 July 2019 - According to the most recent Airports Council International Report on airport industry connectivity, Montenegro occupies the 36th position out of 43 countries whose airport traffic has been analysed. In terms of individual capital city airports, between 2009 and 2019, Podgorica was the fastest-growing capital city airport within the former Yugoslavia based on connectivity, averaging growth of 284%.
The Airports Council International (ACI) published its official Airport Industry Connectivity Report 2019 in June 2019, analysing the evolution of direct, indirect and total airport connectivity between 2009 and 2019. The report provides comprehensive measurement and analysis of the way Europe’s air connectivity has evolved over the past ten years.
The Connectivity Report delves into the dynamics and performance of air connectivity for and across Europe– down to each individual airport that is part of the European aviation system. As such, the different types of air connectivity indexes ACI uses - direct, indirect and hub connectivity – are useful metrics for airports themselves, but also for policy makers who may want to include connectivity data as part of their assessments and decision-making process.
Countries of the former Yugoslavia offer among the fewest connections to passengers travelling by air, both direct and indirect, compared to their European counterparts, according to Airport Council International's (ACI) latest connectivity report for 2019. Although Bosnia has the lowest direct connectivity, it is ahead of Macedonia in terms of indirect and hub connectivity, explain the ExYU Aviation Website. The report states that Montenegrin airports occupy the 36th place out of 43 countries surveyed.
On the other hand, individual capital city airports from across the region have seen robust connectivity growth over the past decade. Between 2009 and 2019, Podgorica was the fastest-growing capital city airport within the former Yugoslavia in terms of connectivity, averaging growth of 284%. It is followed by Skopje at 119%, Sarajevo at 109%, Belgrade at 77%, Zagreb at 73.4% and Ljubljana, which grew 20.4%.
In terms of airport traffic, ACI has also found that “with the cost of travel decreasing in many markets, and a burgeoning middle class growing in emerging markets, passenger traffic growth has remained irrepressible”. Indeed, ACI’s global medium-term forecasts reveal growth in demand for air services between 2018 to 2023 will grow by almost 30%. This means many national governments face the predicament of demand outstripping available airport infrastructure.
Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, was founded in 1991 to foster cooperation among its member airports and other partners in world aviation, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring a global air transport system that is safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable. As of January 2019, ACI serves 646 members, operating 1,960 airports in 176 countries. ACI uses the report as an opportunity to stress the importance of public policy and regulation in facilitating and enhancing connectivity, which is closely linked to the economic wealth of countries. ACI has called for progress on issues such as airport capacity, the liberalisation of market access, the lowering of navigation charges and aviation taxes and lighter economic regulation for airports.
Read more information on travelling to and through Montenegro at TMN's dedicated page.
