The airspace above Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing potential closure or retransmission from Croatia and Serbia.
This possibility appeared after the European Air Navigation Security Organization (Eurocontrol) frozen all payments to the Service Agency in the Air Navigation of BiH (Bhansa), confirmed for Radio Free Europe (RSE).
Everything happens after the Judicial Request of the Slovenian company Viaduct initiated by the arbitral treasury against BiH due to debt.
“As a result of a third party order issued by the Belgian Court for the implementation of the Arbitration against the state of BiH, Eurocontrol is currently obliged to freeze routine fees that charge in the name of BiH,” EUROControl told.
Bhansa took control of the sky above BiH in December 2019. year after certification of staff and procurement of radar and communication systems.
Until then, the sky controlled the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency and the Directorate of the Civil Aviation of Serbia, depending on the area of the territory and the amount of the flight.
“Bhansa got a concession sky above BiH. The planes pay in Brussels, Bhansa received money directly from Eurocontrol and has no financial relationship with BiH,” Omer Kulić said, former President of the Council of Bhansa.
Kulic says that the freezing of the funds that the Eurocontrol pays Bhansa mean the closure of this agency and that then there are only two options.
“The first is that planes would no longer fly out of BiH, which would not suit the airlines, because they would fly longer to return to the previous state that Serbia and Croatia are controlling the sky and that they charge it,” Kulić explained.
From the Bhans, they did not respond to an inquiry on freezing funds and possible solutions. Earlier than this Agency announced that they met the institutions of BiH, the European Commission and the Member States of the EUROControl.
They warned that this agency, as well as all other such agencies in Europe, a non-profit organization and that revenues were used exclusively to cover costs.
“Safely and continuous air traffic in BiH is under immediate threat. There is a possibility of the complete closure of the BiH airspace, which would cause the domino effect on the regional importance and the airport.”
