Banja Luka International Airport Међународни Аеродром Бања Лука Međunarodni Aerodrom Banja Luka
IATA: BNX – ICAO: LQBK
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Airports of Republic of Srpska a.d.
Serves		Banja Luka
Location		Mahovljani, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Elevation AMSL		122 m / 400 ft
Coordinates		44°56′29″N 017°17′51″E / 44.94139°N 17.2975°E / 44.94139; 17.2975Coordinates: 44°56′29″N 017°17′51″E / 44.94139°N 17.2975°E / 44.94139; 17.2975
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
17/35	2,500	8,202	Asphalt/Concrete
Bosnian and Herzegovinan AIP at EUROCONTROL

Banja Luka International Airport (IATA: BNX, ICAO: LQBK) (Bosnian and Serbian Cyrillic: Међународни аеродром Бања Лука, Bosnian / Croatian / Serbian: Međunarodni aerodrom Banja Luka), also known as Mahovljani Airport, after the nearby village of the same name, is an airport located 18 km (11 mi) north northeast of the railway station in the city of Banja Luka, the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the capital of Republika Srpska entity. The airport received 13,000 people in the year 2008, a 40% increase compared to 2007.

History

The construction of the Banja Luka International Airport began in 1976. In accordance with the development plans, capacities were built defining BNX as an airport of secondary importance, restricted to domestic air traffic on the territory of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

After the political and territorial upheaval within the former Yugoslavia, Republika Srpska was established with Banja Luka as the de facto capital. That gave Banja Luka Airport new importance and a completely different role. Banja Luka International Airport was opened for civilian air traffic on 18 November 1997.

From 1999 to 2003, the airport served as the main hub of Air Srpska, which was the official flag carrier of Republika Srpska. The company was founded by Jat Airways and government of Republika Srpska. Unfortunately, the company ceased all operations in 2003 after increasing debt, and the withdrawal of Jat Airways from the partnership. There are plans for a new airline, Sky Srpska, to start and be based at Banja Luka Airport.

The airport was built in the area of Laktaši and Gradiška municipalities, in a wide valley of the Vrbas River expanding into the well-known Lijevče polje. It is connected to the main Banja Luka – Gradiška road and will also be connected to the new Banja Luka – Gradiška highway, which is due to be completed in 2011.

Flights

Over the years, the airport has had flights connecting Banja Luka to Belgrade, Zürich, Vienna, Athens, Salzburg and Tivat, mostly thanks to Air Srpska which was an airline based at the airport.

The airport is now a focus city for B&H Airlines, which will re-start direct, three-times weekly flights to Zürich in October 2010. B&H Airlines will also start flights from Banja Luka to Vienna (twice weekly) in October and Frankfurt (twice weekly) in November 2010.

Adria Airways currently operates four weekly flights between Banja Luka and Ljubljana.

Between November 2007 and December 2009, the Serbian airline Jat Airways operated flights between Belgrade and Banja Luka after a break of two years. However, the route was discontinued due to poor load factors (average load on the route was 26%) and inadequate type of airplane (Jat operated to route with ATR 72). For past two years flights were subsidized by Republika Srpska government. Austrojet operated two routes, to Salzburg and Tivat, three times weekly during 2008.

Airlines and destinations

Scheduled airlines

The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2010.
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