Landing and take-off minimums at Sarajevo Airport

At BHANSA head office in Mostar on Friday was held a meeting attended by representatives of the US Embassy, Sarajevo International Airport and BHANSA. Topic of the meeting was landing and take-off minimums at Sarajevo Airport. BHANSA representatives first presented considerations of procedure design related to Sarajevo Airport, taking into account types of instrumental approach and altitude decisions as one of the most important issues in defining a landing minimum.
For Sarajevo International Airport one of major restrictions is a mountain terrain that requires a high approach precision and a big inclination angle in a procedure of unsuccessful approach and landing.
Mr Vlado Jurić, Head of Office for aviation safety, presented the information about problems caused by reduced minimums at Sarajevo Airport. For implementation of ILS categories (CAT II or CAT III), the terrain in front of the runway start should be free of obstacles for at least 1000 meters. It means that the RWY 12 threshold should be moved for additional 200 meters what would reduce the runway length and as such is unacceptable.
From the point of view of procedure design, the reduction of minimums is not an option and therefor it is necessary to find other solutions for improvement of landing conditions at Sarajevo Airport. The biggest problem at Sarajevo Airport is fog. The representative of Sarajevo Airport, Mr Nermin Zijadić informed the attendees that there is a relevant plan regarding this problem. He also presented the information about future projects of Sarajevo Airport among which the most important one is a reconstruction of the runway including its lighting system.
During the meeting it was stated that Mostar and Tuzla airports could be used as alternatives for Sarajevo Airport and that interested parties should start coordination regarding this issue.