Uzice city to transfer Ponikve airport to Serbian govt to ensure investment

The government in Belgrade has already accepted the proposal of Uzice city council, as the transfer will ensure the investment of 5 million euro ($5.5 million) needed for the launch of regular civil aviation traffic at Ponikve Airport, Petkovic said in a statement on Tuesday.

"The problem is not only the 5 million euro, but also the maintenance and the functioning of the airport. At the next session of the City Assembly, I hope that we will make a decision on transferring the ownership of the airport to the central government and at the beginning of next year we will expect large investments," Petkovic said.

The airport has handled about 200 domestic and 70 international private flights since the beginning of 2019, but needs to meet additional  requirements and obtain the necessary equipment to operate regular traffic, he added.

The reconstruction of the 3,200 metre-long runway and the construction of a terminal building at Ponikve, a former military airport, was completed in 2016.

Ponikve airport is situated in western Serbia, some 30 km from the border with Bosnia, 12 km northwest of Uzice and 75 km from the city of Cacak, near the ski centres Zlatibor, Tara and Mokra Gora.

($ = 0.904446 euro)