Representatives from the Sarajevo Canton Government, the Sarajevo Tourist Board, and Sarajevo International Airport announced the launch of eight new air routes connecting Sarajevo with European capitals. The routes are part of a broader initiative to boost air traffic and tourism in Sarajevo Canton, following a successful public call for airline partnerships.

Vedrana Vikic Music, Head of Airport Services, expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts with the Sarajevo Tourist Board and Sarajevo Canton Government, which have driven record-breaking achievements in air traffic and tourism growth. Highlighting the exceptional response to the call, she stated that the next two years will bring the largest increase in new airlines and destinations to date.

Seven airlines – Norwegian, LOT, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Sun Express, Eurowings, and Swiss – will now connect Sarajevo with over 23 destinations, eight of which are completely new. Vikic Music highlighted Ryanair’s addition of five strategic routes, including one to Stockholm, which was recently announced.

As part of the expansion, Norwegian will link Sarajevo to Stockholm, Oslo, and Copenhagen twice a week. Eurowings will expand its current service to Cologne and Stuttgart with flights to Berlin starting in summer 2025, and flights to Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Hannover beginning in 2026. Wizz Air will add seasonal routes to Abu Dhabi and Memmingen, complementing its current flights to London and Rome. Sun Express will extend its routes to Antalya and Izmir to year-round service, while LOT will maintain year-round flights between Warsaw and Sarajevo. Swiss will introduce a new Geneva route starting in summer 2026, in addition to its existing Zurich flights.

Sarajevo Canton’s Minister of Economy, Zlatko Mijatovic, highlighted tourism as a crucial economic sector for the region and emphasized the need for a responsible, strategic approach. He praised the collaboration with Sarajevo International Airport and the Tourist Board, calling the program one of the most impactful economic initiatives of the current government.

An independent analysis by a consulting firm showed that the subsidy program by the Sarajevo Canton and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina returns 15 times the investment per euro, with a direct positive impact on GDP per capita, underscoring the broader economic benefits for the region.