Ponikve Airport is situated approximately 18 km northwest of the City of Uzice. The airport was built in the mid 80s of the last century for the purposes of military needs and it was in function occasionally. It was severely damaged during the 1999 NATO bombing. Ponikve Airport complex consists of 556 ha, where 200 ha is used for the purposes of air traffic.

According to the Conclusion of Republic of Serbia adopted on 22^nd October 2010, a Contract was signed between Republic of Serbia and the City of Užice by which Ponikve Airport was transferred to the City of Užice ownership. By signing the Contract, the Assembly of City of Užice held on 3^rd March 2011, adopted a decision on establishing Public Enterprise for managing Ponikve Airport in Užice and for offering airport services. The Assembly of the City of Užice adopted Decision on transfer of shares and founding rights in PE “Ponikve Airport” Užice to the Republic of Serbia, which created a precondition for concluding an Agreement on transfer of founding rights in PE “Airport Ponikve” Uzice between the City of Užice and the Republic of Serbia. Based on the concluded contract, the Government of the Republic of Serbia brought the Decision on amending the founding act of the Public Company “Ponikve Airport” Užice on March 12th, 2020.

The first phase of cleaning the airport complex, respectively demining, was realized during 2013. It was cleaning of an area with total surface of 1.200.000 square metres (the area around runway with dimensions 4.000×300 m). This area was demined by engaging experts from Sector for Emergency Management, thanks to the USA Embassy donation of 300.000 USD. A Certificate on demining-cleaning the terrain was given by Mine Action Center of the Republic of Serbia. In this way were created conditions for undisturbed process of air traffic.

The opening ceremony was held on October 5th 2013 with the manifestation of “Air Show’’. PE “Ponikve Airport” Užice is currently signed by Civil Aviation Directorate as an airport operator with an agreement to operate Ponikve Airport (Decision no 4/3-08-0001/2019-0003, on 7^th March 2019).

The airport is equipped with instruments for imprecise approach, respectively flying can be (beside visual) conducted also according to IFR conditions. Currently it can be used by aircraft of general aviation (mostly airplanes of 10-12 seats). Technically, the runway can now accept bigger airplanes, but for accepting those airplanes, securing the funds for fence around the airport is necessary and purchasing of specific equipment for aircraft handling. In 2016, the terminal (general aviation building) was built by repairing and extending one of the hangars, according to the conceptual design of our celebrated director Emir Kusturica.

PE “Ponikve Airport” started, according to Law on Planning and Constructing of Republic of Serbia, making technical documentation for the needs of constructing the future buildings at the airport. State Audit Commission of Ministry of construction, transport and infrastructure of Republic of Serbia gave consent to the Feasibility Study and the Preliminary Design for reconstruction and additional construction of Ponikve Airport (preliminary designs are developed up to the level that makes 90% of the content of the main projects. The funds for generating this documentation (along with the Feasibility Study) were provided by European Union’s donation (150.000 EUR).

You can see here the future airport appearance.

Cadastral and topographic plan for the whole Ponikve Airport complex, in scale of 1:500 and 1:2.500, were generated in 2013. It was provided from donation of EU and USAID, and partly from airport’s funds.

General Regulatory Plan for the entire airport complex (556 ha) was adopted in the first half of 2015. According to GRP, investors have preconditions for getting all the permissions.

Works on the installation of the fence of the restrictive zone of the airport were carried out during 2018 and 2019, in accordance with elaborated project documentation (adopted by the DCV, decision No. 6 / 3-09-0172 / 2016-0002 from October 18th 2015). The fence of 3,730 m in length was installed, out of a total of 8,928 m projected. 

During period 2013-2020, the following funds were received for the further development of the airport and improving of user’s safety:

– airport fence long 2,5 km, commercial vehicle, mobile and fixed radio stations for establishing communication between services within the airport complex, 2 computers with additional equipment, 4 check-in counter with proper printers, passenger waiting chairs (donation from Airport “Nikola Tesla” Belgrade);

– 50,000,000 RSD for the construction of terminal building for acceptance of passengers, goods and mail, or passenger terminal (donation from Airport Nikola Tesla Belgrade, in accordance with the Government’s conclusion);

– funds in the amount of 8.800.000 RSD for: creating the project documentation for the Main Project of the fence (the project for construction of the fence) and radio connection at the Airport Ponikve, examining of runway capacity and professional training for the employees in PE Airport Ponikve at Belgrade Airport ( a donation of Civil Aviation Directorate of the Republic of Serbia).

In 2015, Highway Institute Belgrade had examined the functional and structural characteristics of pavement structures of maneuvering surfaces and platforms and evaluated the condition of these structures at Ponikve Airport. The relevant aircraft was designated ATR72, which determined the following:

Data on the bearing capacity of maneuvering surfaces and platforms are taken from the developed project Testing of the bearing capacity of the runway (RWY) at Ponikve Airport (“Institute for Roads” jsc Belgrade, 2015).