Podgorica, (MINA-BUSINESS) – Prime Minister Milojko Spajic said that Air Montenegro is a profitable company that is good financial shape and has not issued a single complimentary airline ticket to public officials during the term of the current Government.

“Air Montenegro is in good financial shape. It is a profitable company with four aircraft, and a fifth is due to arrive soon. Unlike Air Montenegro, Montenegro Airlines (MA) left behind more than €70 million in illegal state aid, which was used to provide complimentary airline tickets to public officials,” Spajic said during Prime Minister’s Question Time, responding to a question from MP Vasilije Carapic of the Europe Now Movement (PES).

Carapic asked Spajic to disclose how many complimentary airline tickets had been issued by Montenegro Airlines before it ceased operations and by Air Montenegro since its establishment.

“During the terms of the 42nd and 44th Governments, Air Montenegro did not issue complimentary tickets to public officials. Such tickets were distributed when the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) held power or a parliamentary majority,” Spajic said. 

Responding to a question from the leader of the United Reform Action (URA) Dritan Abazovic, regarding the decision to cancel the airport concession process, Spajic explained that South Korea’s Incheon International Airport Corporation had raised concerns about taking over all existing employees, as well as about measures introduced to restore Montenegro’s air connectivity.

“They did not want to retain all employees, and they also questioned the measures adopted to restore air connectivity. We were not prepared to compromise,” Spajic said, adding that the South Korean bidder had failed to meet all the requirements set out in the concession agreement.