Ponikve Airport is an airport in the western part of Serbia, located on the Ponikve plateau: 12 km northwest from the city ofUžice. The airport boasts one of the longest runways in the Balkans, and the second longest in Serbia. In the vicinity of the airport are some of the popular tourist attractions and ski centres.
History
Ponikve Airport was built in the period from 1979 to 1983, but until 1992, it wasn't used. In 1996 and 1997, Jat Airways, then known as JAT Yugoslav Airlines, served the airport twice a week for a domestic round line Užice - Belgrade - Tivat - Užice, with an ATR 72 turboprop aircraft. Operations ceased in 1998 as the number of passengers reduced greatly. Ponikve airport was heavily bombarded by NATO forces during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia. On 21 October 2013, the Ponikve Airport greeted the first international civil flight - on the runway landed Cessna Citation CJ3 with two crew members and five-member delegation of businessmen from Brussels. Same day in the afternoon hours, Business jet went to Thessaloniki.
Recent developments
;2016–2018 Since 2006, the process of reconstruction of the Ponikve Airport has begun. The runway reconstruction has been completed and as of 2016, it has in length. Also, the new terminal building was built in 2016. ;2018–present As of 2018, together with Kraljevo-based Morava Airport, Ponikve Airport has the potential to become minor international airport if further efforts are being made. In January 2018, the Government of Serbia granted a 25-year concession of the Serbian largest Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport to the French airport operator Vinci Airports for a sum of 501 million euros. As part of the deal, other three Serbian civil airports are restricted when it comes to annual passenger flow expansion; they are allowed to increase to a maximum of 1 million passengers over the next 12 years. The airport, which boasts a new terminal building, was recently taken over by the state. In September 2019, a 3,735 metre perimeter fence was erected, however, a further 5,195 metres are required. In addition, the final 800 metres of the 3,200 metres long runway must be resurfaced, and a lighting system installed. Some five million euros are necessary in order for the airport to be put into commercial use. Chinese China Shandong International Economic & Technical Cooperation Group are interested in developing Ponikve airport and its commercialization, as well as cooperation on the project of building an exclusive hotel accommodation in Tara.
Airlines and destinations
There are no scheduled services to and from Ponikve Airport, because for now it is not civilian airport. But soon it would be, also it has potential to become new international airport. For now it can only be used as military airport.
