Serbia To Turn Ponikve Military Airport into Civil Airport - Media

The airport could be opened four years from now, Belgrade-based broadcaster b92 (www.b92.net) quoted Uzice Mayor Jovan Markovic as saying.

The biggest problem will be the destruction of eight armed aircraft, which is expected to cost 5.0 million euro, the country's Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac said in the b92 article.

Markovic anc Sutanovac have already signed a protocol regarding the airport's transformation.

Some 2,300 meters out of the airport's total area of 3,100 meters have been reconstructed so far, Sutanovac said, adding that 50 million dinars ($798,573/529,417 euro) will be needed to complete the upgrade.

Serbia began blinking on the radar of many airlines, including low-cost carriers from Austria, Russia, Hungary, Spain and the UK, after the European Parliament approved earlier this month a resolution that recommends lifting short-term visas for Serbian citizens travelling to European Union member states. The new visa rules are expected to take effect on December 19.

($=0.663 euro)