Sarajevo International Airport, also known as Butmir Airport, is the main international airport in Bosnia and Herzegovina, serving the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Located 6,1 km southwest of Sarajevo train station, the airport is connected to the municipality of Ilidza.
Located approximately 12 km west of Sarajevo city centre, the airport is heavily used by private jet charter services due to its location. In 2019, 1.143.680 passengers traveled from the airport. The construction of the airport started in 1966 before the collapse of Yugoslavia, and it was put into service on June 2, 1969.
Sarajevo private jet charter prices
Although Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo air charter fees depend on variables such as the number of passengers, departure airport, flight time, aircraft position, flight date, the prices for private jet charter from Istanbul → Sarajevo are as follows.
| Light Jet | 11.050 EUR |
| Midsize Jet | 15.550 EUR |
| Heavy Jet | 21.250 EUR |
These prices are average amounts and you can contact us on our flight reservation screen or by phone for the most accurate price information.
One of the oldest airports in the region
The first flights to Sarajevo International Airport started in the 1930s. Located in the suburb of Butmir, the airport was called Butmir Airport for a long time. The airport, which was used for Podgorica flights in those years, reached an important point in regional flights between 1935 and 1937 and regular flights connecting Sarajevo to Zagreb began. In 1938, the Dubrovnik – Sarajevo – Zagreb route was extended to Vienna, Brno and Prague, and thus the first international flights began.
The aerodrome in Butmir remained in use until 1969. In the mid-1960s, the aerodrome underwent renovation due to the need for a new airport with asphalt-concrete runways in Sarajevo. While looking for a place for the new airport, it was deemed appropriate in 1966 to build a concrete runway next to the grass runway instead of moving the airport to another location, and construction started in 1966. Sarajevo Airport was opened to domestic traffic on June 2, 1969. In 1970, Frankfurt became the first international destination to be served. The airport was often a ‘feeder’ airport where passengers made flights to Zagreb and Belgrade on their way to international destinations. Over time, traffic volume steadily increased from 70.000 to 600.000 passengers per year.
At the beginning of the Bosnian War, the airport was taken under the control of the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA). When regular flights were stopped, the JNA evacuated approximately 30.000 people, mostly women and children, who had fled the Sarajevo siege; The first humanitarian aid from the USA and France also arrived during this period. After the departure of the JNA, the airport remained under the control of Serbian forces from Bosnia for a while and was handed over to the UN in June 1992 to use the airport for humanitarian purposes. During the Bosnian war, the largest humanitarian aid operation in UN history, approximately 13.000 flights were carried out to the besieged city of Sarajevo and over 160.000 tons of international humanitarian aid was delivered. The airport reopened to civil air traffic on August 16, 1996 and has since been renovated and gradually restored.
In the early 2000s, minor renovations were made inside the airport and the functionality of the airport was increased. The first major renovation of the airport, which has increased in usage, started in May 2015, and the planned arrangements to expand the arrival area, add more passport control stands and make the entire arrival area more passenger friendly are still in progress today.
Places to visit in Sarajevo
Sarajevo, which hosts many works of art, especially Ottoman works, is one of the important points for culture and art tourism.
Among the must-see places in Sarajevo, Baščaršija, which contains Ottoman artifacts at every point, the National Library bearing the traces of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Eternal Fire lit for those who died after the World War II, the public fountain, which is at the entrance of Baščaršija and has become the symbol of the city, is Svrzo’s House, the best example of the Ottoman families’ lifestyle and places to stay, Latin Bridge and Gazi Hüsrev Bey Mosque.
Transportation from the airport to the central points
Sarajevo Airport is connected to the Sarajevo – Zenica – Mostar highway (A1) via the nearby Stup Junction and Brijesce Junction. Those who want to travel by private vehicle can reach the city center by using this route.
Centrotrans Eurolines, in cooperation with Sarajevo International Airport, provides Airport – Bascarsija City Center – Airport bus service. The bus stop is located just outside the arrivals area in the main terminal.
In addition, Trolleybuses can be preferred for alternative travel. The airport is connected to Sarajevo city center by trolleybus number 103 operated by the GRAS transport company.
