Chinese company interested in building airport in Trebinje

The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has expressed interest in partnering up with the government of the Entity of Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina for the construction of a commercial airport in Trebinje.

AVIC will undertake an analysis of a site at Rapti Zupci, a village near Trebinje, where the airport complex is planned to be built.

The company first expressed interest in the project in 2010 and last month met with representatives of the entity government to discuss the potential investment, the EX-YU Aviation News portal reports.

– Every country would be honored to have such a company [AVIC] as its partner and we are delighted they have expressed their readiness to continue their cooperation with us – the government said.

Last year, local authorities in Trebinje announced their intention to resume plans for the construction of the infamous airport.

The government forked out 820.000 euros between 2009 and 2011 for project documentation for a 2.6 kilometer runway and a terminal capable of handling 260.000 passengers per year, only to give up on the idea two years later after naming the airport's General Manager and contracting an Austrian consultant to identify potential routes. The government has since said the study conducted by the Austrian consultant was incomplete. A subsequent tender for the drafting of a new development strategy was canceled.

Aviation Industry Corporation of China is a state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate. It is ranked 159th on the Fortune Global 500 list and has over 100 subsidiaries, 27 listed companies and half a million employees across the globe.

Due to its natural beauty, it is believed Trebinje could attract a considerable number of tourists. However, the town is just over thirty kilometers north-east of Dubrovnik and ninety kilometers north-west of Tivat, making the viability of a future airport in the area questionable.

Vlada RS Banja Luka

Aviation Industry Corporation Of China

AVIC

Rapti Zupci

airport in Trebinje

airport construction