Niš Constantine the Great Airport

For other uses, see Constantine (disambiguation).

Niš Constantine the Great Airport
Аеродром Константин Велики Ниш
Aerodrom Konstantin Veliki Niš
Summary
Airport typeInternational/Military
OwnerGovernment of Serbia
OperatorAirports of Serbia
ServesNiš
LocationMedoševac and Popovac, Serbia
Focus city forAir Serbia
Elevation AMSL650 ft / 198 m
Coordinates43°20′14″N 021°51′13″E / 43.33722°N 21.85361°E / 43.33722; 21.85361
Websiteini.aerodromisrbije.rs
Map
INI is located in Serbia
INI
INI
Location in Serbia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
11/29 2,500 8,202 Asphalt concrete
Statistics (2025)
PassengersIncrease 393,102
Aircraft movementsIncrease 3,836
Cargo volumeIncrease 424,579 kilograms (936,036 lb)
Sources: Serbian AIP at Eurocontrol[1]
Official website[2][3]

Niš Constantine the Great Airport (Serbian: Аеродром Константин Велики Ниш/Aerodrom Konstantin Veliki Niš) (IATA: INI, ICAO: LYNI), located 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of downtown Niš, in the suburbs of Medoševac and Popovac. It is the second-largest and second-busiest airport in Serbia, after Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport.[1] Niš Air Base (Serbian Air Force and Air Defence), the Serbian-Russian Emergency Response Center, and the Center for Aerial Firefighting Duties, are all located on the site of the airport.

It is named after the Roman emperor, who was born in Naissus (now Niš), Constantine the Great.

History

Interior of the since replaced passenger terminal in 2015.
Duty Free shop

Early years

In 1912, the Air Command, the first aerial unit of the Kingdom of Serbia's military, was established in Niš,[4] and a site near the village of Trupale, 8 kilometres away from the town, was selected as the site of the first airport.[5] Construction began in 1923 on a new airport, located in Medoševac, where the airport is currently located.[6] Ahead of the founding of Yugoslavia's national airline, Niš was designated in plans from 1927 as a stop on one of the highest-priority routes.[7] In 1935, Aeroput included a stop in Niš on flights between Belgrade and Skopje.[8]

Following World War II, the airport was used as a military base. Among other units, it was a base for the 63rd Paratroop Brigade and 119th Aviation Brigade. A portion of the airport is still used by the Serbian Air Force and Air Defence. In 1952, at the site of today's airport, the first concrete runway, measuring 1,500 m (4,921 ft), was built and used for military flights. In order to maintain the pace with the development of military as well as civil aircraft, in 1972 the length of the runway was extended to 2,200 m (7,218 ft) to accommodate larger contemporary commercial aircraft.[9]

In the 1970s, the airport was used for occasional service to the Adriatic coast. By the 1980s, this occasional service led the local authorities to recognize the needs of the people living in Niš as well as Southern and Eastern Serbia and took into account the economic development of the city. The association of economic and political entities prepared detailed terms and in 1986 made a decision on establishing the entity "Airport Niš".[9]

The terminal building as well as the ancillary support facilities were built and opened to service in 1986. This project also included the asphalt coated runway and built-in system of lights that provided visual descent guidance during runway approaches at night. The development of air traffic in Niš was not initiated just by JAT Yugoslav Airlines, but also by Slovenian company Inex-Adria Airways (Adria Airways nowadays), although both were domestic airlines back then.[10]

Breakup of Yugoslavia

The Breakup of Yugoslavia at the beginning of the 1990s brought a sharp decrease in travelling to the Adriatic Sea, Ljubljana and Zagreb, once the busiest routes from Niš. This was followed by United Nations sanctions imposed on Serbia and Montenegro which included a ban on international air travel. In these circumstances the volume of traffic reached its lowest point with the only route being to Tivat Airport during the summer period. In 1998, the traffic volume increased owing to the heavy air traffic from Pristina International Airport which was out of use because of numerous foggy days during which the traffic was successfully carried out from Niš. The airport was heavily damaged during the 1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia.

The airport was reopened in 2003 with the financial assistance from the government of Norway. Damage sustained during the bombing was repaired, including the building of a new control tower and renewal of the terminal building.[10]

In 2004, Jat Airways and Montenegro Airlines resumed flights from Niš to Zürich, Paris, and Tivat. In 2010, Wind Jet connected the airport with Forlì, Italy while Montenegro Airlines linked it with Podgorica on a daily basis. The route to Podgorica was discontinued in 2013 because of low passenger numbers. For more than two years (2014–2015) there were only charter flights to and from Niš.[10]

Since 2015

The expansion in traffic began in 2015 when low-cost airline Wizz Air launched flights to Basel and Malmö.[11] In 2016, Ryanair announced flights to Berlin, marking the airlines entry into the Serbian market.[12] Later that year both Wizz Air and Ryanair announced more flights from Niš, respectively Wizz Air to Dortmund, Eindhoven, Memmingen and Ryanair to Weeze, Milan Bergamo and Bratislava.[13] In the first 8 months of 2016 Niš experienced triple-digit growth in passenger traffic.[14] In October 2016, Turkish Cargo, the airline for the transport of cargo which is a part of Turkish Airlines commenced scheduled cargo service between Niš and Istanbul.[15] In November 2016, Swiss International Air Lines announced flights to Zürich, operated by the Airbus 320. In December 2016, Swiss got direct competition when Germania Flug announced flights to Zürich, starting June 2017 operated by the Airbus 319. However, since 2020 no airlines operates services to Zürich.[16]

As of 2019, plans existed for Niš Constantine the Great Airport to be linked to twelve more European cities, after Government of Serbia publish document about lines of public interests (PSO). Companies with the best offers will be granted 5 million euros. Twelve destinations of public interest are Frankfurt, Rome, Hannover, Ljubljana, Bologna, Budapest, Göteborg, Friedrichshafen, Karlsruhe, Salzburg, Nuremberg, Tivat.[17] Currently, the airport serves the total of fourteen regular non stop destinations in eight countries during the whole year, plus four seasonal and three seasonal charter flights during peak summer months.[18]

Terminal expansion

In December 2016, it was announced that Constantine the Great Airport airport began overhaul of its terminal by expanding check-in and boarding space, as well as building a new exterior and fixing the roof. The project is being funded jointly by the Government of Serbia and local authorities.

As of 2022, progress has been made in construction of the new Airport terminal. The new terminal will span over an area of 7,160 square meters and will feature ten check-in desks, self-check-in stations, eight passport control booths, four passenger gates, one VIP gate, one air bridge and a luggage sorting facility. The new terminal is set to be completed in 2024 and the expansion will enable the Airport to handle up to 1.5 million passenger annually.[19] In 2023, it was announced that SMATSA (Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services Agency) plans to start construction in 2024 of a new control tower and an instrument landing system (ILS), which provides guidance to aircraft approaching and landing on a runway during low ceilings or reduced visibility due to fog, rain or snow.[20]

The new terminal building was inaugurated in July 2024.[21]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The following airlines operate regular scheduled, seasonal and charter flights from Niš Constantine the Great Airport:

AirlinesDestinations
Air Serbia Belgrade,[22] Cologne/Bonn,[23] Hahn,[24] Istanbul,[25] Ljubljana[23]
Seasonal: Athens,[26] Tivat[23]
Seasonal charter: Antalya,[27][28] Monastir[29]
Ryanair Malta,[30] Vienna[30]
Seasonal: Corfu,[31] Stockholm–Arlanda[32]
Swiss International Air Lines Seasonal: Zürich[33]
Wizz Air Basel/Mulhouse, Memmingen, Stuttgart (begins 16 April, ends 19 May 2026)[34]

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
My Freighter Ürümqi[35]

Statistics

Year Passengers Change Aircraft movements Change Cargo (t) Change
2004 19,040 Steady 284 Steady 147 Steady
2005 26,787 Increase 41% 315 Increase 11% 452 Increase 207%
2006 35,518 Increase 33% 382 Increase 12% 112 Decrease 75%
2007 30,453 Decrease 14% 456 Increase 19% 448 Increase 300%
2008 22,870 Decrease 24% 353 Decrease 23% 163 Decrease 64%
2009 17,159 Decrease 25% 349 Decrease 1% 390 Increase 139%
2010 23,627 Increase 38% 558 Increase 60% 1,554 Increase 298%
2011 25,112 Increase 6% 591 Increase 6% 705 Decrease 66%
2012 27,426 Increase 9% 781 Increase 32% 322 Decrease 54%
2013 21,700 Decrease 21% 497 Decrease 36% 343 Increase 10%
2014 1,335 Decrease 93% 271 Decrease 45% 285 Decrease 19%
2015 36,200 Increase 2,611% 526 Increase 94% 553 Increase 91%
2016 124,917 Increase 345% 722 Increase 37% 1,967 Increase 355%
2017 331,582 Increase 165.4% 1,477 Increase 104.6% 2,537 Increase 29.3%
2018 351,582 Increase 6% 1,417 Decrease 4% 688 Decrease 74.5%
2019 422,255 Increase 20% 1,967 Increase 39% 1,180 Increase 71.5%
2020 154,233 Decrease 63% 1,011 Decrease 49% 523 Decrease 56%
2021 146,296 Decrease 5% 1,040 Increase 3% 310 Decrease 32.2%
2022 389,022 Increase 166% 1,928 Increase 85% 91 Decrease 70%
2023 448,312 Increase 15.24% 3,974 Increase 3.06% 70 Decrease 24.08%
2024 357,313 Decrease 20.3% 3,486 Decrease 12.28% 425 Increase 507.14%
2025 [36] 393,102 Increase 10% 3,836 Increase 10% 2,822 Increase 564%

Niš Air Base

The Sergeant-pilot Mihajlo Petrović Air Base (Serbian: Војни аеродром наредник-пилот Михајло Петровић, romanized: Vojni aerodrom narednik-pilot Mihajlo Petrović), commonly known as Niš Air Base (Serbian: Војни аеродром Ниш, romanized: Vojni aerodrom Niš) is located at the airport. Operated by the Serbian Air Force and Air Defence, base is home to the 119th Mixed Helicopter Squadron "Dragons" of the 98th Air Brigade. It is also home to the elite 63rd Parachute Brigade, special forces unit.[38]

Emergency Response Centre

In 2009, the Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations established a joint Serbian-Russian Emergency Response Centre at the Niš Constantine the Great Airport, also known as Russian-Serbian Humanitarian Center. In 2011, a Russian Mil Mi-26 and Beriev Be-200 were dispatched to this centre for aerial firefighting duties in the region.[39] The centre was put into operation in 2012.[40]

Ground transport

Airport bus - old type

Two bus lines operated by the city public bus company connect the airport to the city center and most of the Niš suburbs — line 34A (Airport-Central Bus Station-Central Railway station-Airport) and 34B (Airport-Central Railway station-Central Bus Station-Airport).[41] The airport terminal has a parking lot.[42]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Aerodrome Location Indicator and Name" (PDF). smatsa.
  2. ^ Niš Constantine the Great Airport. "Official website". Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
  3. ^ "Statistics - Nis Constantine the Great Airport". Archived from the original on 12 February 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2017.
  4. ^ "Sto godina vojne avijacije Srbije". РТС (in Serbian). Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  5. ^ Podovac, Živomir R.; Tikić, Branislav (2007). "Историја нишког аеродрома — 95 година постојања" Istorija niškog aerodroma — 95 godina postojanja [The History of the Airport of Niš — 95th Anniversary] (PDF). Peščanik (in Serbian) (5). Niš: Niš Historical Archive: 64. [...Д]ецембра 1912. године у Нишу на Трупалском пољу, локалитету Утрине недалеко од железничке станице у Трупалу, на осмом километру од Ниша, изабран је простор за први аеродром, који је на брзу руку дотеран и уређен за вежбање пилота.
  6. ^ Podovac, Živomir R.; Tikić, Branislav (2007). "Историја нишког аеродрома — 95 година постојања" Istorija niškog aerodroma — 95 godina postojanja [The History of the Airport of Niš — 95th Anniversary] (PDF). Peščanik (in Serbian) (5). Niš: Niš Historical Archive: 69–70. [...А]еродром се сели у Медошевац-Медошевачке чалије. [...] После више изгубљених година због двоумљења Трупале или Медошевац, пришло се радовима. Припреме су отпочеле 1923. године, довлачењем материјала, парцелисањем и решавањем имовинско-правних односа са власницима земљишта.
  7. ^ Dimitrijević, Bojan B.; Kukobat, Ilija (2023). "Nastanak Društva za vazdušni saobraćaj". Aeroput: Društvo za vazdušni saobraćaj: 1927-1948. Biblioteka Vreme (in Serbian). Beograd: Arhipelag, sr:Institut za savremenu istoriju. p. 37. ISBN 978-86-523-0415-8. U pismima koja su razaslata na više uticajnih adresa krajem 1927. godine istaknuto je: „[...] Prema svemu gore izloženom, nameće se kao prva i iminenta potreba veza od Praga, preko Zagreba, Beograda, Niša, Skoplja do Soluna. [...]" [...] Tu prvu kategoriju linija činile su linije Beograd—Zagreb (sa produžetkom ka Pragu), Beograd—Niš—Skoplje (sa produžetkom ka Solunu) [...].
  8. ^ Dimitrijević, Bojan B.; Kukobat, Ilija (2023). Aeroput: Društvo za vazdušni saobraćaj: 1927-1948. Biblioteka Vreme (in Serbian). Beograd: Arhipelag, sr:Institut za savremenu istoriju. p. 207. ISBN 978-86-523-0415-8. U toku 1935. godine, Aeroput je radio na šest linija : [...] Beograd—Niš—Skoplje [...].
  9. ^ a b "History – Niš Constantine the Great Airport".
  10. ^ a b c "History – Niš Constantine the Great Airport".
  11. ^ "Poleteo avion na liniji Niš - Bazel (video) - Društvo - Južne vesti". www.juznevesti.com (in Serbian). 29 June 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  12. ^ ""Ryanair" leti od Niša do Berlina - Ekonomija - Južne vesti". www.juznevesti.com (in Serbian). 20 April 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  13. ^ "Wizz Air accelerates Niš expansion". 16 June 2016. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  14. ^ "Niški aerodrom trostruko uvećao broj putnika". www.novosti.rs (in Serbian (Latin script)). Archived from the original on 10 November 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  15. ^ "Serbia: Turkish Cargo make Nis airport its regional center - Transport - ANSAMed.it". www.ansamed.info. 8 November 2016. Archived from the original on 10 May 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  16. ^ "Swiss to end Niš operations". November 2019.
  17. ^ "Vlada odlučila: Od 1. jula 12 PSO linija na "Konstantinu Velikom"; Knežević: Sledeće godine očekujemo više od pola miliona putnika". tangosix.rs. 29 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Destinations – Niš Constantine the Great Airport".
  19. ^ "Niš Airport begins construction of new terminal". 6 May 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
  20. ^ "EX-YU Aviation News". 5 September 2023.
  21. ^ "New terminal building at the Niš Airport open for business (in Serbian)". 25 July 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  22. ^ "Air Serbia / Qatar Airways Begins Codeshare Service from Feb 2023".
  23. ^ a b c "Niš outlines planned new subsidised routes for 2022". 29 October 2021.
  24. ^ "Air Serbia / Flights from Niš to Frankfurt Hahn starting at".
  25. ^ "Air Serbia Expands Istanbul Service in NW22".
  26. ^ "Air Serbia / Flights from Niš to Athens starting at".
  27. ^ "Barcino Tours: Od 19.juna čarter letovi za Antaliju iz Niša". flyfromnis.blogspot.com. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
  28. ^ "Air Serbia to grow charter traffic by 15%". June 2023.
  29. ^ "Air Serbia to launch Nis-Antalya, Monastir summer flights - report". seenews.com. 23 February 2025. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
  30. ^ a b "Aerodrom Konstantin Veliki: Pad broja putnika uprkos novoj zgradi terminala". 14 March 2025.
  31. ^ "Nis, Serbia". OAG Flight Guide Worldwide. 25 (2). Luton, United Kingdom: OAG Aviation Worldwide Limited: 779. August 2023. ISSN 1466-8718.
  32. ^ "Ryanair to suspend Nis-Stockholm winter flights - report | Serbia Investments News | SeeNews". SeeNews. 5 September 2023.
  33. ^ "Swiss to resume Zurich - Nis route". 30 October 2024.
  34. ^ "Wizz Air launching limited new EX-YU flights from Stuttgart". 14 January 2026.
  35. ^ "Aerodromi Srbije u Kini: Uspostavljena kargo linija između aerodroma u Nišu i Urumćiju". 4 July 2025.
  36. ^ "Niški aerodrom povećao broj putnika u 2025, oboren kargo rekord".
  37. ^ "Statistics – Niš Constantine the Great Airport".
  38. ^ "PIONIR SRPSKE AVIJACIJE DOBIO SVOJ DOM: Vojni aerodrom u Nišu poneo ime legendarnog pilota Mihajla Petrovića". 23 September 2018.
  39. ^ "Russian water bomber, helicopter land in airport in south". B92. 30 August 2011. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  40. ^ "Serbia and Russia launch joint emergency center". B92. 25 April 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
  41. ^ "Aerodrom Niš". busevi.com. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  42. ^ "Usluga naplate parkiranja na putničkom terminalu – Aerodrom Konstantin Veliki Niš" (in Serbian). Retrieved 26 November 2025.

Media related to Niš Constantine the Great Airport at Wikimedia Commons

allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nis_Airport