Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – Parliament should not approve the proposed decision to award a 30-year concession for Montenegro’s airports to top-ranked bidder Incheon Airport Corporation (IAC), representative trade unions of the country’s two airports said.

Union representatives said they oppose this model of concession under the proposed terms.

“We believe Parliament should reject and annul the proposal, and that the best solution, or management model, for Airports of Montenegro should be found through renewed cooperation between the Government, stakeholders, and social partners, in the interest of the state and its citizens,” the unions said in a press release. 

They questioned how a decision of such strategic importance could be based on a tender defined back in 2018, before global economic disruptions, the pandemic, and major changes in the aviation industry.

“Is it reasonable and responsible to hand over airports, as the country’s key transport and economic gateway, for €100 million and roughly 30 percent of revenue?” they asked.

They said that, if the airports are already recording steady growth in revenue and traffic, it is unclear what analyses support the conclusion that it is more profitable to hand over management to a third party rather than keep the profits within the state budget.