Airport Security and Air Taxi Network in the Adriatic

The project ADRIAIR is driven by two leading ideas: the first one is the possibility to set up a new flexible and on demand air connection in the Adriatic macro-region based on air taxi; the second one is the improvement of the security standards of the airports involved. Both these leading ideas are melted in the same project with the intention to contribute to facilitating, improving and intensifying the air transportation in the Adriatic macro-region. As stressed by the IPA Adriatic Operational Programme, in fact, the 2 banks of the Adriatic are already characterized by a high exchange of people, goods, capitals, knowledge and technologies. It depends on geographical proximity, centuries of linkages, deep geo-political changes of the last years as well as on a reasonably good infrastructure and transport organisation. But a minor role plays in it the air transportation (e.g. exchange of goods is all via sea, road or train; none role is played by air coonections). Within such a context, ADRIAIR intends to contribute to improving this situation through addressing some well-defined issues: (1) HARMONIZE THE SECURITY STANDARDS OF THE AIRPORTS with the best practices and facilities implemented at the main European terminals and to improve the airport procedures with the aim of preventing duplication of security checks: e.g. professional training of airport operators and EU standard level equipments and procedures. (2) INVESTIGATE AND EXPLOIT THE MARKET POTENTIAL OF THE REGIONAL AIRPORTS of the areas participating in the project: Forlì-Ravenna (IT), Pula, Rijeka and Dubrovnik (HR), Banja Luka, Sarajevo and Mostar (BiH), Tirana (AL) -, taking into consideration their territorial location, their links with international hubs, their regional influence, the chances for niche services like aero-taxi. This market analysis will enable all the beneficiaries and other connected actors, to adopt the most appropriate development strategies, both “soft” (marketing) and “hard” (physical improvement of the airport infrastructures). (3) ENHANCE THE CONCRETE REALIZATION OF AIR TAXI CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE ‘REGIONAL’ AIRPORTS OF THE ADRIATIC, through reciprocal territorial marketing of the involved areas (but no direct funding to airlines implementing new flights) (4) LAY DOWN THE BASIS FOR CREATING A PERMANENT NETWORK AMONG REGIONAL AIRPORTS OF THE ADRIATIC, which will be open not only to the participating partners, regions and airports, but will be accessible to ALL other regions and players that want to become part of the ADRIAIR network. The ADRIAIR partnership involves airport authorities (Pula, Rjieka, Dubrovnik), public institutions who are key shareholders of the airports of their territories (Province of Forlì-Cesena), public body having territorial interest (the Province of Ravenna’s territory is benefitting from the Forlì airport, it being situated at a short distance), an important local development agency working in this project in strict cooperation with the airports concerned (LIR, with the airports of Banja Luka, Sarajevo and Mostar, who delegated it for lack of internal staff) and, finally, the Chamber of Commerce of Tirana, an actor of territorial marketing operating in synergy with the airport.