Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – The Airports of Montenegro Trade Union said that the withdrawal of the consortium led by Incheon International Airport Corporation should serve as a turning point for the Government to reassess not only the future of the airport concession process, but also its approach to the development of the state-owned Airports of Montenegro.

“The withdrawal of the top-ranked bidder does not automatically mean the concession process has come to an end. According to publicly available information, the Government may still continue the procedure with the second-ranked bidder or decide to cancel the tender,” the union said in a press release signed by its president, Damjan Radulovic.

The union therefore calls on the Government to formally conclude the process without delay, providing a clear explanation, and to end the years of uncertainty facing Airports of Montenegro.

Radulovic said the Government should also urgently consider exempting Airports of Montenegro from obligations arising under the current Public Procurement Law, either fully or at least with regard to strategic development and operational procurement.

“We are calling for Airports of Montenegro to be granted the same level of business and investment flexibility already enjoyed by the national airline, Air Montenegro, not necessarily through the same legal mechanism, but through a solution that achieves the same objective and effect: enabling a state-owned company operating in an open, international and highly competitive market to make timely business decisions, conclude contracts, and carry out investments,” Radulovic said.

He noted that the state has enabled Air Montenegro to operate under the rules and at the pace required by the competitive aviation market. There is no justified reason why Airports of Montenegro, which operates in the same international market and represents a key part of the country’s tourism and air transport infrastructure, should continue to be constrained by procedures that prevent timely investment.