Tuzla International Airport

Early years

Tuzla International was once the largest military airport of the former Yugoslavia. The 350th Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron was active there for a time.

In the early 1990s, still within Yugoslavia and prior start of the Bosnian War, Yugoslav airliner Air Commerce performed commercial flights from Sarajevo and Tuzla to Austria and Switzerland.^[2]

It was placed under the control of the United Nations Protection Force in 1992, and from 1996 onwards it became the main hub for the Implementation Force (IFOR), which was charged with supervising the implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 1998, the canton of Tuzla turned Tuzla International to a civil airport. Tuzla International opened on 10 October 1998 as a civilian airport and military airfield. After the complete international military withdrawal, Tuzla International Airport began implementation of all technical requirements and standards imposed by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Development since the 2000s

Finally, on 5 June 2008. Tuzla International Airport obtained Provisional Certificate for Public Use Airport in international air transportation valid for one year.^[3] After general audit implemented by authorized institutions of Civil Aviation in BiH, on 5 Jun 2009. Tuzla International Airport obtained Certificate for Public Use Airport in international air transportation with unlimited period of validity.^[3]

• In June 2015, Hungarian low-cost carrier Wizz Air opened an operating base in Tuzla, by basing one Airbus A320 at the airport.^[4] After base opening total Wizz Air destinations from Tuzla jumped to 9, including 22 weekly departures in the summer flight schedule.
• June 2.2016, Turkish Airlines Cargo started flights from Tuzla airport to Istanbul Atatürk airport. Republic of Turkey government has allocated a quota of 15,000 tons of fresh meat and meat products to import from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Total of 90 flights with Airbus 330 freighter aircraft are planned for the year 2016. This is the only Wide body aircraft flight currently operating to Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[5]
• August 31. 2016, Wizz air has announced that it will base a second Airbus A320 aircraft at its Tuzla base as of March 27. 2017. From March 2017 the airline will operate five new services from Tuzla to Cologne, Friedrichshafen and Nuremberg in Germany, Bratislava in Slovakia and Växjö in Sweden. Wizz Air also announced its newest route connecting Tuzla with London Luton in the United Kingdom from 30 October, Billund Airport in Denmark from October 31 and Berlin-Schönefeld from December 17. Total number of weekly flights will jump to 43 round trip flights, serving 16 destinations in 7 countries.^[6]
• 2017 was the record year for Tuzla Airport since it opened its doors, passing half a million passengers for the first time ever.
• From June 2018 Wizz Air will connect Tuzla with Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden in Germany.
• November 2, 2016, Tuzla International Airport announced start of terminal expansion and reconstruction. Capacity of the new building is 700.000 passengers per year.^[7] The reconstruction is currently underway and is to be finished by May 2018.

Terminal

The passengers' terminal building opened in 1998, provides a capacity of 350 passengers per peak hour. The terminal is equipped with one gate for arrival and departure, two check-in counters for registration of passengers, services for handicapped passengers, ticketing service as well as further passenger amenities and a border guard (SBS) control (24 hours) equipped with x-ray machines and customs control. Since passenger terminal has reached its capacity in 2015. Government of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has decided to allocate 2 million BAM (approximate 1 million €) in the year 2016 budget for initial plans and works for a new terminal building, while the Government of Tuzla Canton will secure 500.000 BAM for installation of new and improved approach lighting system (ALS).^[8] Many rent a car agencies have offices at the airport and the airport also provides long term parking for road vehicles.

Aprons

Tuzla Airport has three aprons, currently two in use:^[9] passenger aircraft apron with size 116 x 106 meters and cargo apron with approximately same size . Aprons are designed to service all classes of aircraft. Two medium size aircraft Boeing 737 or Airbus 320 family aircraft can be handled at the same time at passengers apron next to the terminal building. On cargo apron two Ilyushin Il-76 or Airbus 330 freighter can be handled at the same time in two parking positions, or an Antonov AN-124 Ruslan or Boeing 747 cargo in one parking position. Scheduled cargo operations to Istanbul will start in first quarter of 2016. with Turkish Airlines Airbus 330F. Tuzla International Airport has signed agreement with Turkish Airlines to service 130 cargo flights in 2016. The airport has mixed civil and military use and the airport is home to 3rd Helicopter Squadron of Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Force. Next to taxiway F, parallel with runway, there are 31 parking positions for helicopters Bell UH-1 or similar size.

Airport operating hours are from 03:30 to 24:00 LT for commercial air carriers and 06:00 to 17:00 LT for general/corporate aviation with a possible extension.^[9] Tuzla International Airport is ICAO classified as ILS CAT I.

Passenger

Cargo

Passenger development

Year/Month [1]	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December	Total	Change
2018	40.563	35.976	43.112	52.638	49.371	53.709	67.438	65.352	56.060	-	-	-	464.219	+14,1%
2017	26.554	23.105	29.116	50.763	47.701	49.662	63.173	63.788	52.816	51.556	37.432	40.178	535.834	+72,1%
2016	19.234	19.939	23.598	25.261	27.324	26.673	32.229	31.046	27.793	27.621	23.619	27.061	311.398	+20,2%
2015	12.960	12.005	14.474	17.311	18.082	21.563	33.666	33.007	28.900	27.167	22.462	17.427	259.074	+71,2%
2014	8.276	6.455	7.289	9.495	9.343	12.195	19.887	19.253	16.967	16.299	12.363	13.531	151.353	+146,0%
2013	1	0	0	0	455	6.251	11.868	11.000	9.071	8.673	7.359	6.835	61.513	+1.367,7%
2012	8	0	51	13	2	854	1.762	1.243	195	59	4	0	4.191	-7,4%
2011	0	0	12	54	8	1.143	1.506	965	10	426	403	0	4.527	N/A

Passenger route statistics

Tuzla Airport passenger numbers by destination (2017)^[14]

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	% change 2016/2017
1	Malmo, Sweden	56.461	26,72
2	Göteborg, Sweden	50.930	18,46
3	Dortmund, Germany	49.781	0,93
4	Basel, Switzerland	49.503	28,95
5	Hahn, Germany	38.058	22,76
6	Memmingen, Germany	33.016	4,30
7	Friedrichshafen, Germany	26.506	0.0
8	Stockholm, Sweden	25.510	13,16
9	London, United Kingdom	20.708	0,0
10	Växjö, Sweden	20.269	0,0

Busiest routes at Tuzla International Airport (2017)^[15]

Rank	City	Passengers	Change 2016/2017	Operating Airline
1	Malmo, Sweden	56.461	81,11%	Wizz Air
2	Göteburg, Sweden	50.930		Wizz Air
3	Dortmund, Germany	49.781	90%	Wizz Air
4	Basel, Switzerland	49.503	88,33%	Wizz Air

Freight statistics

Year	Loaded (in t)	Unloaded (in t)	Total cargo(in t)
2017	249.6	-	249.6
2016[16]	6.065,92	3.83	6.062,09
2015	219.557	16.689	236.246
2014	55.559	53.793	109.392