Bosnia and Herzegovina Air Navigation Services Agency (BHANSA) will increase operational capacity in the airspace of Bosnia and Herzegovina as of 19 March to ensure the system is prepared for potential changes in international air traffic flows caused by the crisis in the Middle East.
Additional sector availability and increased capacity within existing sectors will be introduced to support the stability and smooth functioning of the European air traffic network.
The decision was made in coordination with EUROCONTROL following assessments indicating that the potential closure of the airspaces of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Yemen over the next eight weeks could lead to significant rerouting of intercontinental flights towards Southeast Europe, including Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Initial impacts of the crisis have already been recorded. In the early days, traffic temporarily increased as aircraft that were already airborne at the time of the airspace closures in the affected countries had to be diverted to alternative routes. BHANSA successfully handled the increased transit traffic through the airspace of Bosnia and Herzegovina without any operational disruptions.
In the days that followed, some airlines adjusted their flight networks and cancelled certain routes, temporarily reducing the overall traffic volume. Nevertheless, EUROCONTROL warns that if the crisis continues and overlaps with the start of the summer flight schedule, a renewed and potentially more significant increase in traffic along the southeastern axis of the European air traffic network could occur.
BHANSA Director Davorin Primorac emphasized that the agency is ready to respond to changes in global air traffic flows. “Air traffic management always requires the ability to adapt quickly to changes within the global network. In this situation as well, BHANSA has demonstrated a high level of operational stability and flexibility, successfully absorbing the initial changes in traffic flows without any disruption to service provision,” said Primorac.
He added that BHANSA is a stable and reliable part of the European air traffic management network and stands ready to safely and efficiently manage increased traffic flows in this part of Europe.
BHANSA will continue to monitor developments on a daily basis in cooperation with EUROCONTROL and adjust operational capacities as necessary to ensure the safety, efficiency and stability of air traffic above Bosnia and Herzegovina.
