Veličan: We want to grow in 2015, we will break records again

From 1996, when the airport was opened, until the end of 2014, nearly eight million passengers passed through the airport. In 2014 alone, we had a record number of passengers – 709,901 passengers, which is seven percent more compared to 2013, when we had 650,000 passengers, which was also a record, said Ivica Veličan, Director of the Airport, at the annual press conference of Sarajevo International Airport.

In line with the increase in the number of passengers, the number of air operations is also constantly growing, and all profit centers have recorded an increase in revenue, including complementary services and sales in the Duty Free Shop and catering.

- All 457 employees are responsible for this success, as well as the commitment of the management and employees of highly professional workers trained at the airport's training center, which also provides training for airports in the region. Once only two companies operated here, and today 11 airlines operate here, along with several occasional companies offering charter flights. This is one of the leading airports in the region considering the population and number of passengers – Veličan emphasized.

Plans for 2015 are based on continuing to provide services to current companies and introducing new companies with whom negotiations are currently underway.

- Passenger capacity for arrivals and departures will be expanded, especially at the passport control counters on arrival, to provide passengers with a more comfortable passage through the airport. We now have five counters for arrivals, and we will have eight, and we have four for departures, which we will expand to six – Veličan added.

The director also boasted that they received an award from Lufthansa for the best passenger handling in the region.

- Our plans are not modest, but we will achieve them and we want an additional increase of 10 percent in 2015 – Veličan noted.

He added that he regrets that at the time of the company's greatest success, there is talk of criminal charges.

- I think it is good that the investigative bodies are doing their job, because after them it will be easier for us too, because we will know where we stand and what we have – Veličan added.