Pristina International Airport

Prishtina International Airport Adem Jashari

Aeroporti Ndërkombëtar i Prishtinës
Adem Jashari
Summary
Airport typePublic/Military
OperatorLimak Kosovo International Airport J.S.C.[1]
ServesPristina
LocationLipjan, Kosovo
Opened
Elevation AMSL545 m / 1,789 ft
Coordinates42°34′22″N 021°02′09″E / 42.57278°N 21.03583°E / 42.57278; 21.03583
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata
Map
PRN is located in Kosovo
PRN
PRN
Location in Kosovo
PRN is located in Mediterranean
PRN
PRN
Location in the Mediterranean
PRN is located in Europe
PRN
PRN
Location in Europe
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
17/35 3,000 9,842 Asphalt
Statistics (2023)
Passengers3,424,883 Increase 14.3%
Aircraft movements23,082 Increase 5.8%

The Prishtina International Airport Adem Jashari (Albanian: Aeroporti Ndërkombëtar i Prishtinës Adem Jashari), also referred to as Pristina International Airport (Albanian: Aeroporti Ndërkombëtar i Prishtinës, IATA: PRN, ICAO: BKPR), is an international airport in Pristina, Kosovo. The airport is located 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of the capital city of Pristina. The airport has flights to numerous European destinations. The airport is the only port of entry for air travelers to Kosovo.[2] It is named in honor Adem Jashari, the founder of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

History

Foundation and early years

The airport was originally built as Slatina Air Base, containing the second-largest military underground hangar complex in Yugoslavia.[citation needed]

From 12 to 26 June 1999, there was a brief but tense stand-off between NATO and the Russian Kosovo Force in which Russian troops possessed the airport. A contingent of 200[4] Russian troops deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, crossed over into Kosovo and captured the airport in Pristina.[citation needed]

The apron and the passenger terminal were renovated and expanded in 2002 and again in 2009. In June 2006, Pristina International Airport was awarded the Best Airport 2006 Award by Airports Council International (ACI). Winning airports were selected for excellence and achievement across a range of disciplines including airport development, operations, facilities, security and safety, and customer service.[5]

On 12 November 2008, Pristina International Airport received for the first time in its history the annual one-millionth passenger (excluding military). A special ceremony was held at the airport where the one-millionth passenger received a free return ticket to a destination of his choice served by the airport.[6]

Development since 2010

In late 2010, the airport was renamed from Pristina International Airport to Pristina International Airport Adem Jashari, the founder of the Kosovo Liberation Army, which fought for the secession of Kosovo from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the 1990s.[7]

Due to the ongoing dispute between Serbia and Kosovo, flights to and from Pristina International Airport are impacted by the refusal of ATC in Serbia, namely SMATSA, to allow overflights via Serbian airspace.[8] This ultimately results in flight paths avoiding Serbian territory with flights to Pristina having to enter via Albanian or Macedonian airspace.[8] This dispute can generally add up to 30 minutes to a flight duration and discussions to overcome this dispute have so far failed.[citation needed]

In April 2011 operation was handed to Limak Kosovo International Airport J.S.C. under a design-build-finance-operate-transfer (DBFOT) 20-year concession agreement with the Turkish-French consortium Limak and Aeoroports de Lyon. To take account of travel disruptions due to COVID-19, in 2024 the concession agreement was extended another 20 months.[citation needed]

In December 2021 the runway was extended from 2,500 m to 3,000 m and ILS upgraded from Category 2 to Category 3b, funded by the Kosovo Government. In 2013 a new 42,000 m2 terminal was inaugurated. In July 2024 the number of gates increased from 8 to 12, funded by the private operator.[citation needed]

On 27 December 2024 the Airport reached 4 million passangers.[9]

Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights to and from Pristina:[10][11]

AirlinesDestinations
Aegean Airlines Seasonal charter: Heraklion[12]
airBaltic Seasonal: Riga[13]
AJet Istanbul–Sabiha Gökçen[14][15]
Seasonal: Bodrum[16]
Austrian Airlines[17] Vienna[18]
Chair Airlines[19] Basel/Mulhouse, Zürich[20]
Charter: Stuttgart[21]
Condor Seasonal charter: Düsseldorf,[22] Hamburg,[23] Munich,[24] Stuttgart[25]
Corendon Airlines Cologne/Bonn[26]
easyJet[27] Amsterdam,[28] Basel/Mulhouse, Berlin, Geneva, Milan–Malpensa[29]
Edelweiss Air[30] Zürich[31]
Eurowings[32] Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Munich, Stuttgart
GP Aviation[33] Basel/Mulhouse, Berlin,Düsseldorf, Geneva, Halmstad,[34] Hamburg,[35] Hannover, Ljubljana,[36] Luxembourg,[37] Memmingen,[36] Munich, Münster/Osnabrück,[38] Nuremberg,[39] Paris–Charles de Gaulle (begins 4 April 2025), Stuttgart, Växjö, Zurich
Norwegian Air Shuttle[40] Oslo
Seasonal: Copenhagen, Gothenburg,[41] Helsinki, Stockholm–Arlanda
Pegasus Airlines[42] Istanbul–Sabiha Gökçen
Seasonal: Antalya[43]
Scandinavian Airlines Seasonal: Copenhagen,[44] Oslo (resumes 1 July 2025),[45] Stockholm–Arlanda[46]
SunExpress Seasonal: Antalya,[47] İzmir[48]
Swiss International Air Lines[49] Geneva
Trade Air Charter: Basel/Mulhouse, Bremen, Dortmund, Gothenburg, Hahn,[50] Helsinki, Malmö, Memmingen,[50] Munich, Nuremberg, Paderborn,[50] Stuttgart[51]
TUI fly Belgium Seasonal: Brussels[52]
Turkish Airlines[53] Istanbul
Wizz Air[54] Dortmund, London–Luton, Memmingen, Milan–Malpensa, Vienna

Statistics

Check-in hall
Annual passenger traffic at PRN airport. See Wikidata query.
Passenger and flight movements statistics (2004–2023)[55]
Year Passengers Change Flight Departures Change
2004 910,797 9.1% 4,716 13.3%
2005 930,346 Increase 2.1% 4,983 Increase 5.7%
2006 882,731 Decrease 5.1% 4,077 Decrease 18.2%
2007 990,259 Increase 12.2% 4,316 Increase 5.9%
2008 1,130,639 Increase 14.2% 4,928 Increase 14.2%
2009 1,191,978 Increase 5.4% 5,709 Increase 15.9%
2010 1,305,532 Increase 9.5% 6,143 Increase 7.6%
2011 1,422,302 Increase 8.9% 6,738 Increase 9.7%
2012 1,527,134 Increase 7.4% 6,947 Increase 3.1%
2013 1,628,678 Increase 6.6% 7,305 Increase 5.2%
2014 1,404,775 Decrease 13.7% 5,994 Decrease 17.9%
2015 1,549,198 Increase 10.3% 6,773 Increase 13.0%
2016 1,744,202 Increase 12.6% 7,254 Increase 7.1%
2017 1,885,136 Increase 8.0% 7,508 Increase 3.5%
2018 2,165,749 Increase 14.7% 8,388 Increase 11.7%
2019 2,373,698 Increase 9.6% 18,226 Increase 8.6%
2020 1,102,091 Decrease 53.4% 8,472 Decrease 53.5%
2021 2,180,809 Increase 97% 17,842 Increase 110.6%
2022 2,994,560 Increase 37.3% 21,842 Increase 21.3%
2023 3,424,883 Increase 14.3% 23,082 Increase 5.8%

Ground transportation

Car

The airport is linked with the M-9 motorway, which connects with the R7 motorway.

Taxi

Taxis from the airport to Pristina are available.[56]

Bus

The airport can be reached from the city center, via the 1A bus route, which departs from the Pristina Bus Station every two hours.[57] The first bus starts at 07:00 from the city's main bus station to the airport and then for every two hours, the last one being at 23:00. From the airport to city, the first bus is on 08:00 and the last at 24:00, there is also a bus every two hours.

Rail

The Minister of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure, Liburn Aliu announced that construction of a railway from Pristina to Pristina Airport is expected to begin in 2024. The project has also received EU funding. [58]

Accidents and incidents

See also

Notes and references

References

  1. ^ "PPP Public Procurement Number PPP-09-001-611" (PDF). Partneritetet Kosova. 12 August 2010. p. 1. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Civil Aviation Authority of the Republic of Kosovo" (PDF). Caa-ks.org. Retrieved 20 April 2018. [permanent dead link‍])
  3. ^ "EAD Eurocontrol". Archived from the original on 25 February 2009.
  4. ^ "Singer James Blunt 'stopped World War 3'". BBC. 14 November 2010. Retrieved 20 March 2014. In an interview with BBC Radio 5Live, to be broadcast later on Sunday, he said: "I was given the direct command to overpower the 200 or so Russians who were there.
  5. ^ "Home | Pristina International Airport". www.limakkosovo.aero. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008.
  6. ^ "Pristina airport hits 1 million passengers". New Kosova Report. 12 November 2008. Archived from the original on 21 October 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2014.
  7. ^ "Renaming Balkan airports to annoy the neighbours". The Economist. 9 November 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Focus on Kosovo". The Controller. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  9. ^ "Liberalizimi i vizave: Aeroporti regjistron katër milionë pasagjerë sivjet". Koha. 27 December 2024. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
  10. ^ airportpristina.com - Destinations Archived 16 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 25 January 2019
  11. ^ "Kosovo bans flights from European markets". exyuaviation.com. 13 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Aegean Airlines to run Pristina charters". exyuaviation.com. 28 March 2024.
  13. ^ "airBaltic to launch Ljubljana, Skopje and Pristina flights". exyuaviation.com. 30 August 2023.
  14. ^ "AnadoluJet to launch Pristina operations". exyuaviation.com. 15 March 2021.
  15. ^ "AnadoluJet upgrades Sarajevo, Pristina service". exyuaviation.com. 10 August 2021.
  16. ^ "AnadoluJet adds three more EX-YU routes". exyuaviation.com. 22 March 2021.
  17. ^ "Flight status & Itinerary". Austrian Airlines.
  18. ^ "Austrian NW24 Europe Frequency Changes – 26MAY24". Aeroroutes.
  19. ^ "Chair Airlines". www.chair.ch.[full citation needed]
  20. ^ "Air Prishtina | Flights from Europe to Pristina, Ohrid & Skopje".
  21. ^ "Chair Airlines nimmt Pristina-Route ab Stuttgart auf".
  22. ^ "Condor to launch Pristina flights". exyuaviation.com. 23 January 2023.
  23. ^ "NAJAVE: Condor pokreće Hamburg-Priština". zamaaero.com. 25 August 2023.
  24. ^ "Charter: Condor bedient München-Pristina". Aviation Direct. 20 July 2023.
  25. ^ "CONDOR ADDS STUTTGART – PRISHTINA IN NS24".
  26. ^ "Corendon fliegt nach Pristina – streicht zwei Verbindungen in Nürnberg".
  27. ^ "Flights Timetables". EasyJet.
  28. ^ "EasyJet introduceert vier nieuwe routes vanaf Schiphol".
  29. ^ "EasyJet annuncia 60 nuove rotte per la prossima stagione. 10 da e per l'Italia. 6 da Napoli". 11 June 2024.
  30. ^ "Timetable". www.flyedelweiss.com. Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  31. ^ "Edelweiss Moves Forward A350 Service Launch to April 2025". Aeroroutes. Aeroroutes. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  32. ^ "Flight Schedule". Eurowings. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  33. ^ "Prishtinaticket Schweiz AG".
  34. ^ "PRVI OBJAVLJUJEMO – NAJAVE: Gp aviation pokreće Priština-Halmstad". zamaaero.com.
  35. ^ "GP Aviation, LZ-GPA". 29 June 2024.
  36. ^ a b "GP Aviation Expands Prishtina Network in Nov/Dec 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  37. ^ "GP Aviation NS24 Prishtina Network Additions". Aeroroutes.com. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  38. ^ "SOMMERFLUGPLAN 2022" (PDF). Münster Osnabrück Airport. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2022.
  39. ^ "Neues Flugziel: Ab Nürnberg nach Pristina". www.airport-nuernberg.de.
  40. ^ "Fly to All destinations from Pristina | Norwegian".
  41. ^ "Norwegian NS24 Network Additions – 14NOV23". AeroRoutes.
  42. ^ "Our Network | Pegasus Airlines".
  43. ^ "Pegasus NS24 Antalya Network Expansion". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  44. ^ "NAJAVE: SAS pokreće i Priština-Copenhagen". 11 March 2024.
  45. ^ Liu, Jim (17 December 2024). "SAS NS25 Europe Network Additions – 15DEC24". Aeroroutes.com. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  46. ^ "Scandinavian Airlines Flights to Kosovo". 21 April 2024.
  47. ^ "SunExpress to launch Pristina operations". 21 November 2022.
  48. ^ "SunExpress to launch new Pristina and Podgorica flights". 26 September 2023.
  49. ^ "Arrivals and departures". Swiss International Air Lines.
  50. ^ a b c "Deutschland: Trade Air mit drei weiteren Kosovo-Strecken". 27 February 2024.
  51. ^ "Reisebüro PRISTINA: Fluturime të lira për në KOSOVË, Gjermani dhe Zvicër - Rezervoni online në PISHTINË - Bazel, Cyrih, Dusseldorf, STUTTGART dhe Mynih". flyrbp.com. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
  52. ^ Liu, Jim. "TUIfly Belgium Sep/Oct 2023 Prishtina Routing Additions". Aeroroutes.com. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  53. ^ "Our Destinations". Turkish Airlilnes.
  54. ^ "WIZZ – Dream more. Live more. Be more". wizzair.com.[full citation needed]
  55. ^ caa-ks.org - Statistics retrieved 16 February 2017
  56. ^ "A guide to public transport in Pristina, Kosovo". kosovogirltravels.com. 30 April 2019.
  57. ^ "Orari dhe linjat". trafikurban-pr.com.
  58. ^ "Pristna Airport to get city rail link".