Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – The concession process for the airports should be halted and all options related to the development of air transport in Montenegro should be reconsidered, said Mirko Stanic, senior official of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and representative of the European Alliance.

“Airports are the backbone of Montenegrin tourism, as well as a ‘window to the world’ for Montenegrin citizens due to the lack of connections with modern European transport routes,” Stanic said in a press release. 

He believes that the harmful and compromised deal should therefore be halted as soon as possible so that all options related to the development of air transport can be reconsidered.

According to him, the current authorities’ intention to grant the airports in Podgorica and Tivat to a concessionaire for 30 years is unacceptable. 

He noted that the tender process began more than seven years ago with an initial price that is significantly lower than what would be considered realistic today.

“Completing this process would essentially halt the development of our most important economic sector, considering that Montenegro is the country in Europe with the highest percentage of GDP coming from tourism, while nearly 20 percent of our total workforce is employed in this and related economic sectors,” Stanic said.