Sarajevo International Airport Međunarodni aerodrom Sarajevo Međunarodna zračna luka Sarajevo Међународни аеродром Сарајево | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||||||||
 | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Bosnia and Herzegovina Directorate of Civil Aviation (BHDCA) | ||||||||||
| Serves | Sarajevo,Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||||||||||
| Location | Butmir | ||||||||||
| Focus city for | Ryanair | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,708 ft / 521 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 43°49′29″N018°19′53″E / 43.82472°N 18.33139°E /43.82472; 18.33139 | ||||||||||
| Website | https://www.sarajevo-airport.ba/ | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  SJJ Location withinBosnia and Herzegovina | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Statistics (2025) | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Source (excluding statistics): Bosnian and HerzegovinianAIP atEUROCONTROL[1] Sarajevo Airport Statistics[2] | |||||||||||
Native name | ЈP Međunarodni Aerodrom Sarajevo |
|---|---|
| Company type | Public-owned enterprise |
| Industry | Consumer services |
| Founded | 2 June 1969; 56 years ago (1969-06-02)(Current form) |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
Key people | Amadeo Mandić(Acting director) |
| Services | Airport operations |
| Revenue |  €24.25 million(2017)[3] |
| €6.64 million[3] | |
| Total assets | €126.37 million(2017)[3] |
| Total equity | €86.00 million(2017)[3] |
| Owner | Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (100.00%) |
Number of employees | 484(2016)[citation needed] |
Sarajevo International Airport (Bosnian:Međunarodni aerodrom Sarajevo,Serbian:Међународни аеродром Сарајево,Croatian:Međunarodna zračna luka Sarajevo) (IATA:SJJ,ICAO:LQSA) is the maininternational airport inBosnia and Herzegovina, serving its capitalSarajevo. It is located 3.3 NM (6.1 km; 3.8 mi) southwest of theSarajevo railway station[1] and some 6.5 NM (12.0 km; 7.5 mi) west of downtown Sarajevo in theIlidža municipality, suburb ofButmir. In 2025, 2,226,692 passengers travelled through the airport, compared to 323,499 in 2001.
First regular flights to Sarajevo using an airfield in the suburb of Butmir begin in 1930 when the domestic airlineAeroput opened a regular route linkingBelgrade toPodgorica via Sarajevo.[4] A year later, Aeroput opened a new route which linked Belgrade andZagreb via Sarajevo, Split, and Rijeka. In 1935, Aeroput operated three times weekly the non-stop route Belgrade – Sarajevo, which was extended toDubrovnik a year later. In 1937, Aeroput included regular flights linking Sarajevo to Zagreb, and 1938 was the year when first international flights were introduced when Aeroput extended the route Dubrovnik – Sarajevo – Zagreb to Vienna, Brno, and Prague.[4][5]
The airfield in Butmir remained in use all the way until 1969. The need for a new airport in Sarajevo, with an asphalt-concrete runway, was acknowledged in the mid-1960s when JAT, Yugoslav national carrier at that time, began acquiring jet planes. The construction of the airport began in 1966 at its present location, not far from the old one.[citation needed]
Sarajevo Airport opened on 2 June 1969 for domestic traffic. In 1970,Frankfurt became the first international destination served. Most of the time the airport was a 'feeder' airport where passengers embarked for flights toZagreb andBelgrade on their way to international destinations. Over time, the traffic volume steadily grew from 70,000 to 600,000 passengers a year. The first renovation came for the1984 Winter Olympics, when the runway was extended by 200 meters, the navigation system was improved, and a new terminal building was built, designed for 1 million passengers a year.[citation needed]
At the beginning of theBosnian War, the airport was put under control of theYugoslav People's Army (JNA). When the regular flights were stopped, the JNA evacuated some 30,000 people, mostly women and children, who were spouses and children of JNA officers fleeing thesiege of Sarajevo; the first humanitarian aid from the US and France arrived in this period too.[6]
On 2 May 1992 Bosnian PresidentAlija Izetbegović and his daughter flew into the airport from Lisbon, where they had been taking part in EC-mediated talks. Although guaranteed EC Protection, the airport had been seized by the JNA and they were held in the airport against their will.[7] Their situation was made public when, that evening, a woman phoned the airport to ask for the whereabouts of her daughter and Izetbegović took the phone, proclaiming "Dear lady, this is President Izetbegović, please call the Presidency, call the TV station and tell them we are being held against our will!".[8] Izetbegović negotiated his own release, leading to himself and his daughter being released on Dobrovoljačka Street in exchange for safe passage of anill-fated JNA column.[9]
After JNA left, the airport was for a while under control of Bosnian Serb forces and in June 1992, they handed over the airport to the UN to use it for humanitarian purposes (United Nations Security Council Resolution 757). In the biggest humanitarian operation in history of the UN that followed, during the Bosnian war, some 13,000 flights were carried out and over 160,000 tons of international humanitarian aid was delivered to the besieged city of Sarajevo.[6]
The airport re-opened to civilian air traffic on 16 August 1996 and has since been renovated and slowly restored. Since theDayton Agreement in 1995, the airport has a commercial flight business which includesAustrian Airlines,Lufthansa,Air Serbia,Croatia Airlines,Turkish Airlines, and others.
On 18 October 2005,Paddy Ashdown, the High Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina, suspended a decision by Bosnian authorities to name the airport afterAlija Izetbegović, the first President of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The High Representative stated that such a renaming might undermine the reconciliation process by alienating non-Bosniak citizens.[10] In 2005, the European branch of theAirports Council International awarded Sarajevo the award ofBest Airport Under 1 Million Passengers.[11]
In 2013, Sarajevo International Airport handled 665,638 passengers which was more than all of the other airports inBosnia and Herzegovina combined and a 14.7% increase from 2012. This was till then the highest number of passengers per year since the reopening of the airport. On 26 December 2014, the airport welcomed its 700,000th passenger onAustrian Airlines flight OS758 toVienna.[12]
In May 2015, work started on expansion of Sarajevo International Airport. Current work is undergoing on expansion of arrival area, adding more passport control check stands and rearranging whole arrival area to make it more passenger friendly. Next to follow is expansion of check in area which will include three more check in counters making it total of 15 check in counters. By the end of the year the airport will begin with platform expansion and the construction of rapid exit taxiway with scheduled completion by mid of the next year. 2017 should be the year in which airport will enter into the reconstruction of the runway and the maneuvering areas. Expansion of the airport at the current level is financed by Sarajevo Airport own funds. On 6 June 2015, Pope Francis visited Sarajevo arriving on anAlitaliaAirbus A320-200 fromRome. Welcome ceremony was held at Sarajevo International Airport.
The airport served as the home base for the country'sflag carrier,B&H Airlines, until July 2015 when the airline ceased operations.[13] During December 2015, Sarajevo Airport experienced very low visibility and fog. About 40% of flights were canceled which impacted passengers growth and financial loss to the airport. Airport handled only 28,167 passengers of 50,000 planned (last year in December 43,079 passengers were handled). For Sarajevo International Airport one of major restrictions is a mountain terrain that requires a high approach precision and a big inclination angle in a procedure of unsuccessful approach and landing. Vlado Jurić, Head of the Office for aviation safety at Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Navigation Services Agency (BHANSA), presented the information about problems caused by reduced minimums at Sarajevo Airport. For the implementation of ILS categories (CAT II or CAT III), the terrain in front of the runway start should be free of obstacles for at least 1,000 metres. It means that the RWY 12 threshold should be moved for additional 200 metres which would reduce the runway length and as such is unacceptable. From the point of view of procedure design, the reduction of minimums is not an option and therefore it is necessary to find other solutions for improvement of landing conditions at Sarajevo Airport. The biggest problem at Sarajevo Airport is fog. The representative of Sarajevo Airport, Mr Nermin Zijadić informed that there is a relevant plan regarding this problem. He also presented the information about future projects of Sarajevo Airport among which the most important one is a reconstruction of the runway including its lighting system.[14]
In 2016,Qatar Airways announced a new route fromDoha to Sarajevo. However, the start of this service was first postponed and then moved to 10 October 2017. with four weekly flights.[15] On 5 December 2016, the airport welcomed its 800,000th passenger onAir Serbia flight JU113 toBelgrade.[16]
In 2017, Sarajevo International Airport welcomed six new airlines and seven destinations:AtlasGlobal (Istanbul),Wizz Air (Budapest),Wataniya Airways (Kuwait City),Nesma Airlines (Riyadh),TUI fly Belgium (Charleroi),flydubai (Dubai),Qatar Airways (Doha).[17]
On 28 November 2017, Sarajevo International Airport received its 900,000th passenger of the year, representing a record number of passengers in one calendar year. On 5 December 2018, Sarajevo International Airport welcomed for the first time its millionth passenger of the year.[18]
On 3 May 2017, the airport announced a major terminal expansion. The project is worth 20 million Euros and scheduled to be completed in 2020. A new, 10,000 sqm building on four levels will be built as an addition to the current terminal building. The new terminal will have capacity to handle 2 million passengers per year and will be equipped with three jet bridges.[19] On 9 April 2019, the airport announced expansion of the VIP area into a new VIP building as part of the expansion project for the new main terminal with a separate check-in, customs and arrival section for VIP travellers.[20] During June–July 2019, the airport saw its largest destination expansion. A total of 10 new destinations were added.FlyBosnia started flights from Sarajevo toRiyadh,Kuwait,Jeddah,Gassim, andBahrain.Flynas started flights from Riyadh and Jeddah.Norwegian started flights fromGothenburg, whileEurowings started flights fromBerlin Tegel Airport. In October and November 2019, FlyBosnia started flights toLondon Luton and Rome Fiumicino Airport.
On 17 November 2020, Sarajevo International Airport terminated its contract withFlyBosnia after the company failed to repay its debts within 60 days.[21]
On 3 February 2021,Wizz Air announced the opening of its second base in Bosnia and Herzegovina, after Tuzla; the airline will open a base at Sarajevo with one Airbus A320. The airline announced nine new European destinations from Sarajevo with 21 weekly departures.[22] On 12 August 2021, Wizz Air has subsequently announced that it will base its second aircraft at Sarajevo International Airport. It is planned to launch 7 new routes from December 2021.[23] Also,Wizz Air Abu Dhabi plans to introduce direct routes between Sarajevo and Abu Dhabi in October 2021.[24] However, in September 2022, Wizz Air announced it would close its base at the airport, ending all routes except those to London and Abu Dhabi.[25]
In 2024Ryanair introduced six routes connecting Sarajevo with:Bergamo,Charleroi,Gothenburg,London–Stansted,Memmingen andThessaloniki.[26][27] Ryanair doubles traffic at Sarajevo for Summer 2025 with five new routes –Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport,Weeze Airport,Girona Costa Brava Airport,Paris Beauvais Airport, andStockholm Arlanda Airport, bringing Sarajevo route network to 11 in eight countries[28]
The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Sarajevo International Airport:[29]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| DHL Aviation[75] | Ancona,Milan–Malpensa,Zagreb |
| Year/ Month | January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December | Year total | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 121,762 | 121,762 | 4.7% | |||||||||||
| 2025 | 116,283 | 105,463 | 112,056 | 185,911 | 197,260 | 230,771 | 292,574 | 311,827 | 221,966 | 181,426 | 137,953 | 133,202 | 2,226,692 | 22.2% |
| 2024 | 77,454 | 75,112 | 82,926 | 133,822 | 151,152 | 202,515 | 269,161 | 259,017 | 188,040 | 148,402 | 123,146 | 111,033 | 1,821,762 | 33.8% |
| 2023 | 61,068 | 56,979 | 76,193 | 89,580 | 115,976 | 133,945 | 196,195 | 208,570 | 144,013 | 119,458 | 83,139 | 76,891 | 1,362,007 |  1.1% |
| 2022 | 56,521 | 50,475 | 70,292 | 94,690 | 132,590 | 154,887 | 210,954 | 217,253 | 143,824 | 110,580 | 68,243 | 67,039 | 1,377,348 | 79.5% |
| 2021 | 13,239 | 10,836 | 18,115 | 17,106 | 31,925 | 71,985 | 136,017 | 151,309 | 99,950 | 84,462 | 61,989 | 70,200 | 767,133 | 207.2% |
| 2020 | 58,397 | 51,969 | 28,249 | 929 | 367 | 3,629 | 13,345 | 22,014 | 21,011 | 21,416 | 14,949 | 13,367 | 249,642 | 78.2% |
| 2019 | 53,485 | 53,130 | 67,893 | 89,843 | 74,178 | 119,205 | 180,929 | 178,943 | 105,370 | 95,628 | 67,358 | 57,718 | 1,143,680 | 9.3% |
| 2018 | 54,113 | 48,986 | 65,991 | 86,995 | 81,026 | 92,997 | 159,380 | 159,506 | 98,227 | 83,660 | 62,253 | 53,417 | 1,046,635 | 9.2% |
| 2017 | 43,377 | 41,122 | 57,381 | 79,796 | 84,137 | 78,170 | 140,025 | 144,330 | 100,923 | 80,769 | 57,887 | 50,218 | 957,971 | 14.2% |
| 2016 | 41,208 | 42,567 | 53,438 | 68,085 | 85,738 | 66,429 | 109,141 | 118,350 | 91,123 | 71,360 | 47,352 | 44,183 | 838,968 | 8.5% |
| 2015 | 43,700 | 39,908 | 50,273 | 63,064 | 80,143 | 74,855 | 89,319 | 101,307 | 79,120 | 71,255 | 51,793 | 28,167 | 772,904 | 8.8% |
| 2014 | 36,114 | 35,435 | 45,789 | 56,611 | 71,513 | 74,976 | 74,948 | 88,591 | 71,168 | 64,844 | 46,833 | 43,079 | 709,901 | 6.6% |
| 2013 | 33,437 | 30,399 | 44,631 | 56,918 | 65,495 | 72,949 | 69,699 | 79,796 | 66,721 | 64,387 | 44,446 | 36,760 | 665,638 | 14.7% |
| 2012 | 33,247 | 26,278 | 36,765 | 49,709 | 55,107 | 62,491 | 69,346 | 60,787 | 60,323 | 52,115 | 38,612 | 35,278 | 580,058 | 3.3% |
| 2011 | 30,484 | 34,148 | 40,803 | 49,489 | 56,812 | 62,994 | 81,042 | 59,042 | 59,074 | 52,957 | 39,785 | 33,348 | 599,978 | 6.5% |
| 2010 | 31,746 | 28,850 | 37,657 | 39,907 | 51,398 | 59,636 | 72,615 | 60,475 | 54,753 | 51,137 | 40,912 | 34,180 | 563,266 | 6.2% |
| 2009 | 28,117 | 27,266 | 33,909 | 41,390 | 45,921 | 57,588 | + | + | 177,762 | + | + | 121,427 | 530,391 | 4.7% |
| 2008 | 23,909 | 27,121 | 34,896 | 38,052 | 46,974 | 55,391 | 62,524 | 61,560 | 42,752 | 46,094 | 34,089 | 32,913 | 506,398 | 0.2% |
| 2007 | 32,235 | 28,028 | 35,168 | 42,297 | 43,633 | 53,281 | 59,436 | 57,381 | 45,113 | 43,980 | 31,952 | 32,735 | 505,269 | 8.4% |
| Year | Passengers | Change | Aircraft movements | Change | Cargo (t) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 310.126 | 4,1% | 7.401 | % | 1.686 | % |
| 2003 | 364.512 | 17,5% | 9.877 | 33,4% | 1.648 | 2,2% |
| 2004 | 399.607 | 11% | 9.982 | 1,0% | N/A | N/A |
| 2005 | 433.222 | 8,4% | 11.309 | 13,2% | N/A | N/A |
| 2006 | 455.626 | 5,1% | 13.433 | 18,7% | N/A | N/A |
| 2007 | 496.756 | 9,0% | 13.891 | 3,4% | N/A | N/A |
| 2008 | 510.396 | 2,7% | 13.599 | 2,1% | 1.837 | N/A |
| 2009 | 533.915 | 4,7% | 13.824 | 1,6% | 1.815 | 1,1% |
| 2010 | 563.266 | 6,2% | 13.347 | 3,4% | 1.753 | 3,4% |
| 2011 | 599.978 | 6,5% | 11.633 | 12,8% | 1.607 | 8,3% |
| 2012 | 580.058 | 3,3% | 10.635 | 8,5% | 1.526 | 5,0% |
| 2013 | 665.638 | 14,7% | 11.026 | 3,6% | 1.603 | 5,0% |
| 2014 | 709.901 | 6,6% | 12.074 | 9,5% | 2.060 | 28,5% |
| 2015 | 772.904 | 8,8% | 11.107 | 8,0% | 4.235 | 105,5% |
| 2016 | 838.966 | 8,5% | 11.399 | 2,6% | 2.865 | 32,3% |
| 2017 | 957.971 | 14,2% | 12.773 | 12,0% | 2.957 | 3,2% |
| 2018 | 1.046.635 | 9,2% | 13.432 | 5,1% | 2.508 | 15,1% |
| 2019 | 1.143.680 | 9.3% | 13.671 | 1,8% | 2.523 | 0,6% |
| 2020 | 249.642 | 78,1% | 5.896 | 56,8% | 2.461 | 2,4% |
| 2021 | 767.133 | 207,2% | 11.467 | 94,4% | 2.249 | 8,7% |
| Source:[77] | ||||||
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Istanbul | 233,331 | Turkish Airlines |
| 2 | Sabiha Gökçen | 229,414 | AJet,Pegasus Airlines |
| 3 |  Vienna | 166,057 | Austrian Airlines |
| 4 |  Frankfurt | 104,842 | Lufthansa |
| 5 |  Abu Dhabi | 98,124 | |
| 6 | Dubai | 73,390 | Flydubai |
| 7 |  Zagreb | 53,187 | Croatia Airlines |
| 8 | Antalya | 47,938 | Pegasus Airlines,SunExpress |
| 9 |  Belgrade | 39,855 | Air Serbia |
| 10 |  Zurich | 38,743 | Swiss International Air Lines |
| 11 |  Kuwait City | 36,321 | Kuwait Airways |
| 12 | Cologne/Bonn | 35,417 | Eurowings |
| 13 |  Riyadh | 34,830 | |
| 14 | Stuttgart | 23,471 | Eurowings |
| 15 | Jeddah | 22,421 | Flynas |
Sarajevo Airport is connected to theSarajevo–Zenica–Mostar highway (A1) via the nearbyStup Interchange and Briješće Interchange.
The airport is accessible by taxi and private vehicles, with a dedicated drop-off and pick-up area in front of Terminal B. Multiplecar rental companies operate directly at the airport, offering vehicles for short-term and long-term rental. Parking facilities include both short-term and long-term parking lots, as well as designated spaces for premium and disabled passengers. Traffic signage is well-marked, and the journey from Sarajevo city center typically takes about 20–25 minutes under normal traffic conditions.
Regular city bus services connect Sarajevo Airport with the city center. Bus line 200E operates between the airport andSarajevo central areas, including key locations such as theOld Town and the main bus terminal. Buses run at intervals of approximately 30–60 minutes, depending on the day and time. Tickets can be purchased onboard or at designated kiosks.[79]
Taxis are available outside Terminal B. Licensed airport taxis offer fixed rates to major parts of Sarajevo. Several shuttle services and hotel transfer options are also available, which can be booked in advance.
Numerous car rental agencies operate at Sarajevo Airport, enabling passengers to rent a vehicle immediately upon arrival. These services offer a variety of vehicles for business travelers and tourists visiting Sarajevo and other destinations across Bosnia and Herzegovina. Additional information about car rental services at the airport can be found on the official local platformAirport.ba.
The airport is connected with Sarajevo's city center with trolleybus number 103, operated by the GRAS transport company.[80]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Media related toSarajevo International Airport at Wikimedia Commons
