A German investor and representative of the company Elite Private Jet Service, Mike Steinmiller, signed a memorandum on April 5, 2023, in Berane with then Prime Minister of Montenegro, Dritan Abazović, and the then President of the Municipality of Berane, Vuk Todorović, for the development of the Berane Aero-Park.
Steinmiller had announced at that time that, with significant investments, the Berane airport would be fully operational as part of the Aero-Park construction. However, the relevant institutions have not yet given the green light for the realization of this project. While Steinmiller confidently claimed that the construction of the Aero-Park was a done deal and that the works would start soon, the Montenegrin government has not officially commented on whether his proposal will come to fruition. The Municipality of Berane has stated that they have not received any official information about the future of Steinmiller’s project.
“In recent times, no one has contacted us regarding the Berane airport and the plans to open numerous facilities there. So, in these circumstances, I cannot give any more specific information about the airport’s future, as I have no official information on the matter,” said Božo Premović, the current President of the Municipality of Berane, in a statement to “Dan”.
It is known that no works have been carried out on the runway in Berane as previously announced. Steinmiller, during the Hydro-aviation Regatta held at the Berane airport, said that the economic feasibility study confirmed that the development of the airport could proceed as he envisioned.
Subsequently, an unofficial report from the Ministry of Transport revealed that the feasibility analysis for a public-private partnership for the development of the Berane Aero-Park showed that the investment was profitable. This document would serve as a basis for assessing under what conditions and with what funds the revitalization of the airport could be financed. The Ministry mentioned that they had received the final version of this analysis prepared by Ernst&Young and TCT Consulting from Belgrade, and that the government needed to approve the project.
“The analysis shows a positive outlook and recommends that investing in the Berane Aero-Park is worthwhile. The analysis helps the public entity assess whether and under what conditions, and with which funding sources, it is justifiable to finance the airport’s revitalization independently or in partnership with a private investor,” the Ministry of Transport stated three months ago.
The Ministry of Transport previously emphasized that several procedures need to be carried out before the government could give approval for a public-private partnership agreement to kick-start the airport project.
“After the government approves the project, opinions need to be obtained from the Investment Promotion Agency, the Ministry of Finance, and the Protector of Property and Legal Interests of Montenegro. Based on the approved proposal, the government will make a decision to initiate the process of awarding the public-private partnership contract. After that, the process of awarding the contract will take place, with the selection of the most economically advantageous offer,” the Ministry of Transport explained.
The procedures must be followed.