Serbia plans to start construction of an airport near the resort of Zlatibor in the spring of 2026.

2025-10-243 min.

Serbia will begin construction of an airport near the resort of Zlatibor in the spring of 2026, local mayor Milan Stamatovic announced, BalkanEngineer.com learned from the Tanjug agency. The project, which envisages an airport area of about 200 ha, is presented as a strategic element for the development of the tourist center, and the goal is for the first building permits to be issued as early as this spring so that preparatory activities can begin.

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The planned first phase envisages a runway approximately 700 m long, sufficient for light and sports aircraft, and in the second phase the runway will be extended to about 1,200 m, with the ultimate goal of reaching 2.5 km in the third phase. The first two phases also include the construction of the main buildings—the terminal, control towers, and related infrastructure. At present, contractors are preparing the site and project documentation.

 

According to the municipal development plan covering the period 2024–2031, the total value of the project is around 1.2 billion dinars (approximately 10 million euros), with funding expected to come from a combination of municipal and state funds and private investors. The municipality of Čajetina reports that there is already interest from several foreign investors willing to participate alone or in partnership with the local authority, but final decisions on the specific financing mechanisms will be determined in the future.

 

The aim of the rapid implementation of the first two phases is to enable the acceptance of charter flights — an important stimulus for tourist traffic in Zlatibor, which is already the second most visited tourist center in Serbia after Belgrade. The completion of the first two phases and the construction of the main facilities is expected to take about five years, according to the municipality's forecast.

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