Airports of Montenegro (ACG) reported today that they have served over two million passengers from the beginning of the year until August 20.

“Comparatively, our previous record for reaching two million passengers was on August 28, 2024, while in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, we served our two millionth passenger on September 8,” stated the state-owned airport company.

They highlighted that traffic is on the rise, and for the first time since ACG’s inception, we anticipate close to three million passengers this year “in nearly the same terminals where we served 860 thousand passengers back in 2006.”

“Due to the unresolved concession procedure that started in 2018, our investment options remain limited. We find ourselves in urgent need of quick and temporary adaptations to accommodate the expected traffic growth. We aim to expand our air routes and based aircraft in 2026 while potentially extending our operating hours. Thus, we must align our workforce, infrastructure, and organizational methods with the anticipated increase in passenger and aircraft traffic,” ACG remarked.

They explained that they are currently drafting a new Rulebook on Internal Organization and Systematization to adapt to updated regulatory standards and comply with the requirements of relevant authorities.

“If appropriate conditions are established, airports will be prepared to extend their operating hours. This is particularly true for Podgorica Airport, which served 1,136,635 passengers from January 1 to August 20 this year – matching the record from 2024 and 38 percent more than the 823,061 passengers in the same timeframe of 2019,” ACG added.

As for the “adaptations we can implement now,” the plan includes expanding the departure gate at Podgorica Airport from eight to ten exits.

Before this, they plan to reorganize the space within the existing terminal to facilitate better movement for incoming passengers and create additional space for passport control.

The technical documentation has been finalized, and preparations are underway to announce a public procurement process to select a contractor.

“Additionally, in Podgorica, we aim to enlarge the waiting areas for arriving and departing passengers beyond the current dimensions of the terminal. With this expansion, we plan to introduce four more exit gates (14 in total) and a new area to accommodate additional arriving aircraft. Our goal is to enhance the overall travel experience for our users,” ACG noted, also mentioning that the selection process for a contractor to adapt the passenger pre-boarding area is in progress.

“This means our users will wait for their flights in an enclosed and air-conditioned area after verifying their documents at the existing gates. A third security screening line has also been established in Podgorica, expediting the transition of passengers from the public zone to the sterile zone, i.e., towards the waiting area for departing flights,” stated ACG management.

A new conceptual design for the roundabout in the public zone of Podgorica Airport has been developed. This includes enhancements to parking and traffic flow, aiming to significantly increase commercial parking for passengers, taxis, buses, and staff while ensuring efficient vehicle management in the public area.

“We also plan to convert certain temporary gravel parking solutions that we turned to this year into organized parking lots. Technical documentation will be prepared for this purpose. These efforts are just part of our transitional strategies until we construct a new terminal in Podgorica, which is essential. ACG is also preparing for this future, which we hope will arrive soon, necessitating additional electrical resources. Work is actively happening to install two power cables from Transformer Station 5 to the main transformer station at Podgorica Airport,” they announced.

A study is being prepared for Tivat Airport to assess the condition and load capacity of the existing canopy at the terminal entrance for arriving passengers, with plans to transform it into an enclosed facility.

“To create a more comfortable area for receiving passengers, we plan to close the structure along two facade sides and install a suspended ceiling under the main beam for air conditioning,” said ACG management, underlining that these urgent measures are designed to increase capacity at both airports, largely influenced by how Zadar Airport recently managed its rapid demand growth.

ACG has encouraged all businesses “and other relevant entities to collaborate in enhancing air accessibility, as Montenegro remains the only country in the region whose broader community does not participate in the support for new routes, placing the entire burden on our company.”

“ACG has contributed nearly 30 million euros to air accessibility in the public interest, which we see as our undeniable responsibility. We believe circumstances are shifting and support is coming from various fronts, and we anticipate a more substantial budget moving forward,” ACG concluded.

Air Operations in Tivat are Safe and Secure

Airports of Montenegro confirmed that all air operations at Tivat Airport are safe and secure.

“An extraordinary inspection by the Civil Aviation Agency confirmed that one employee, temporarily assigned as ‘shift manager’, did not carry out operational tasks related to air traffic safety. However, in this case, following CAA directives, the employee will be reassigned,” ACG stated.

The Unenviable Union of Airports of Montenegro has previously contacted the CAA due to what they describe as “a serious threat to air traffic safety owing to the incompetent and unprofessional management policy by the CAA administration.”

“The independent union of ACG, in line with its legal powers and the interest of air traffic safety, appeals to the Civil Aviation Agency to urgently undertake all activities within its authority, per the Law on Air Traffic of Montenegro, to ensure compliance with regulations and uphold safety for aircraft, crews, and passengers,” stated a union release, adding that they have lodged a criminal complaint with the Special State Prosecutor’s Office against ACG’s director, Roko Tolić, and Tivat Airport’s director, Ivan Rakočević, citing “unscrupulous conduct that jeopardizes the safe operation of air traffic.”

CAA has informally confirmed to “Vijesti” that they completed an extraordinary inspection at Tivat Airport, concluding that there was no threat to operational safety as claimed by the Independent Union, but they did instruct the airport operator to execute specific actions.

I Wanted Jovanović to be the Shift Manager

The recent criminal complaint from the Independent Trade Union against the management of ACG and Tivat Airport stems from the case of assigning employee Ljubomir Jovanović as shift manager in the reception and dispatch service without proper training and licensing, which they argue jeopardizes aircraft and passenger safety.

“There are reasonable suspicions of corrupt motives in the decision to place an incompetent individual in this role, as well as potential retaliation due to the applicant’s previous political actions. We strongly condemn the ACG management’s illegal decisions as an act of revenge,” the union stated two days ago.

Ljubomir Jovanović, who serves as president of the URA Civic Movement’s Executive Committee in Tivat, was employed at the state-owned airport company during the tenure of the party’s leader Dritan Abazović as Prime Minister of Montenegro.

With a Bachelor’s in Nautical Science, he joined Tivat Airport in 2023 as a coordinator for light signaling and substations (SSO and TS), although this position requires extensive expertise and experience of a graduate electrical engineer.

Jovanović was subsequently transferred to the ACG Business Supervision and Control Service, after which he was unassigned for a few months. He was later assigned to the Wildlife Protection Service at Tivat Airport and recently moved temporarily to the role of one of the shift managers in the reception and dispatch service due to operational needs.

ACG denied that Jovanović’s reassignment arose from retaliation and asserted it did not endanger air traffic safety in Tivat. They clarified that on August 14, he signed “a two-month contract annex, transitioning him from wildlife management expert to shift manager in the Ground Handling Service, where he performs tasks requiring no additional licenses or training.”

“He is an employee who, a year ago, voluntarily sought reassignment to this very position as part of his initiative to improve airport procedures,” ACG management emphasized, adding that “decisions regarding work organization at Airports of Montenegro are determined internally, with each employee responsible for their role.”

According to “Vijesti,” Tivat Airport director Ivan Rakočević explained the need for Jovanović’s reassignment to the shift manager position based on operational needs. He further stated that the valid job systematization act at Tivat Airport allocated two positions for professional associates in the Wildlife Control Service, now having five employees with those two roles filled. Meanwhile, of the four designated shift manager positions in the Ground Handling Service, three are occupied and one remains vacant.

“During the summer season, having an additional shift manager is critical given that one manager oversees various processes involving around 120 employees, making it impossible for a single shift manager to manage planning and organizing tasks while maintaining control and reporting,” Rakočević justified Jovanović’s temporary appointment to the vacant shift manager position until the end of the summer IATA season in late October.

Given Tivat Airport’s operating hours from “Sunrise to Sunset” and the two distinct terminals during summer, it is essential to have all four shift manager positions filled to ensure smooth running operations. “Vijesti” obtained an official email from Jovanović to ACG management last September, expressing concern regarding his prolonged unassigned status after the disbanding of the ACG Business Supervision and Control Service, reporting no work obligations for months and coming to work awaiting instructions for action.

“Recognizing airport processes, I realized the Ground Handling Service had the greatest need, particularly for a shift manager, especially since there was a personnel shortage in those positions. During the busy season, filling these roles is crucial for organizing the work process under challenging conditions, as you are well aware,” Jovanović stated in the email sent to the ACG management on September 19 last year, expressing his “determined willingness to begin work immediately and contribute maximally to this company.”

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