The Ministry of Republika Srpska has issued a permit for the construction and operation of the airport with a 3.5-kilometer runway, reigniting concerns about the threat to the Ombla spring and water supply for the Dubrovnik area.
After the relevant ministry in Republika Srpska, responsible for spatial planning, construction, and environmental protection, gave the green light in the form of an environmental permit for the construction and operation of Trebinje Airport, the project has entered a new administrative phase. The issued permit covers an airport with a runway that can be up to 3,500 meters long, located on land belonging to the cadastral municipalities of Raševići, Kurtovići, and Pravice.
According to the project plans, the entire complex of the future airport would cover approximately 300 hectares, with the planned runway for takeoff and landing measuring 3,500 meters in length and 45 meters in width. The airport will include a passenger terminal, air traffic control tower, taxiways, aprons, fire station, fuel storage, and other ancillary facilities. The total gross floor area of all planned structures, according to the project, amounts to approximately 48,805 square meters.
The project has been causing great concern on the Croatian side of the border for years, primarily due to its potential impact on the Ombla spring and the water supply for the Dubrovnik area. In July 2021, the then-head of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Nikola Dobroslavić, met with engineer Tomislav Paviša, who at the time highlighted concerns about the location of the planned airport in relation to the catchment area feeding the Ombla, as well as the unique characteristics of the karst terrain below the surface.
In June 2022, Dobroslavić reported that the competent Croatian ministry had filed an objection to the documentation received from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"Our Ministry has filed an objection to the documents they received from BiH, with the remarks we have put forward, stating that at 5.5 kilometers from the Ombla spring, such a project cannot be treated as anything other than a threat to our county and drinking water," Dobroslavić said at the time.He emphasized that the County does not necessarily oppose the construction of an airport in Trebinje, but rather its planned location.
"If they really want to build an airport, let them relocate it," he urged.
The project was brought back into the spotlight in early 2026 by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who, during a visit to Trebinje, announced Serbia's readiness to invest more than 200 million euros in the airport. The current County Prefect of Dubrovnik-Neretva County, Blaž Pezo, at a session of the County Assembly in 2025, listed Trebinje Airport among the projects the County has already taken a stance on.
The environmental permit procedure was initiated at the request of the company Aerodrom Trebinje d.o.o., with the application submitted in June 2026. The project envisages an airport with a reference code of 4E, intended for civil air traffic, which clearly indicates that this is not a small local airstrip but a major infrastructure undertaking.
Although the environmental permit has now been obtained, it is not the same as a construction permit, so its existence does not guarantee that construction has already been approved. The next steps mentioned include the preparation and completion of the main project, resolving remaining land ownership issues on the ground, and preparing the conditions for actual construction work to begin.
