With the establishment of the Agency for Air Navigation Services of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHANSA), Bosnia and Herzegovina secured the conditions for taking over the control and management of its own airspace.
BHANSA was founded in 2009 through the adoption of the Law on the Agency for Air Navigation Services of Bosnia and Herzegovina (“Official Gazette of BiH,” No. 43/09) as a non-profit and financially independent institution with legal entity status.
The headquarters of BHANSA is located in Mostar, with other organizational units distributed in Banja Luka, Sarajevo, and Tuzla.
Thanks to the joint efforts of all employees, our partners, and friends, BHANSA began providing regional air traffic control services from the Sarajevo Operational Unit (ATCU I) in Bosnian airspace up to 10,000 meters altitude (from FL 100 to FL 325) on November 13, 2014.
On December 4, 2019, shortly after midnight, the Agency for Air Navigation Services of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHANSA) took over full control of air traffic in the entire airspace of Bosnia and Herzegovina, thus opening a new chapter in the history of aviation in BiH.
This event marked the complete implementation of Phase II of the Development Strategy for the Air Traffic Management System in BiH (ATM Strategy BiH), meaning that full supervision of the entire Bosnian-Herzegovinian sky is no longer conducted from neighboring countries but from within Bosnia and Herzegovina itself.
The law stipulates that BHANSA is financed from revenues generated by providing air navigation services, which include:
- provision of air traffic management services,
- provision of communication, navigation, and surveillance services,
- provision of aeronautical information services,
- provision of meteorological services for air navigation,
- rescue coordination center duties in search and rescue operations,
- professional training and development of air traffic control personnel,
- import and export for agency needs, and
- other tasks and operations supporting the safe conduct of air navigation.
In performing its activities, BHANSA applies the principles and procedures of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL), as well as national legislation governing air traffic control.
BHANSA is certified both as a provider of air navigation services and as a training organization for air traffic controllers.
Vision and Mission
BHANSA bases its work on the consistent implementation of the Strategy for the Development of the Air Traffic Management System of Bosnia and Herzegovina, carried out in cooperation with the Directorate of Civil Aviation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHDCA).
Vision
BHANSA envisions improving the level of its services through integration and an active role within the regional Functional Airspace Block Central Europe (FAB CE), as well as through efforts to harmonize and standardize methods and procedures in air traffic management within the framework of the Single European Sky (SES) initiative.
Mission
The mission of BHANSA is to enable safe, efficient, and rapid conduct of air traffic at all stages of flight by managing air traffic and providing services tailored to the requirements of users of the European airspace.
Aviation Services and Support
Air traffic management
Air Traffic Controllers
Air traffic controllers are responsible for the safe, orderly, and efficient flow of air traffic within their area of responsibility, airspace, or airport.
They monitor all phases of a flight — from engine start, taxiing to the runway, takeoff, climb, en route flight, descent, to landing at the destination airport and taxiing to the final parking position. Throughout all these flight phases, controllers must ensure and continuously maintain lateral or vertical separation between aircraft, as well as between aircraft and vehicles on the ground. They also relay necessary information, if available, such as meteorological updates, information about other traffic, airport details, etc., always prioritizing safety first, followed by regularity and efficiency.
Air traffic controllers are categorized as aerodrome controllers, approach controllers, and area controllers, depending on the airspace they manage.
Aerodrome Controllers manage traffic at a specific airport and within the controlled airspace surrounding the airport (Control Zone), up to a defined altitude. The height and boundaries of this airspace vary by airport and are published in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP BiH).
Aerodrome controllers work from the control tower, which provides visual oversight of maneuvering areas (runways, taxiways, service roads), parking stands, and most of the controlled airspace under their jurisdiction. They are also referred to as Tower Controllers.
Based on flight plans submitted by flight crews, the controller has information about the scheduled flight times, desired altitudes, planned speeds, routes, and total flight duration to the destination airport. The tower controller issues necessary clearances for engine start, taxi, and takeoff, considering other traffic and regulatory rules.
After takeoff, with coordination and at predetermined or agreed points or altitudes, the tower controller hands over the aircraft to the next air traffic control unit — the approach control.
Approach Controllers manage all arriving and departing flights at one or multiple airports, as well as flights transiting their airspace (Terminal Control Area). The lateral and vertical boundaries of this airspace are also published in the AIP BiH. Approach control may be radar-based or procedural. Accordingly, approach controllers are divided into radar approach controllers and procedural approach controllers. They work either from a dedicated radar room in the control tower or from the tower itself, at separate workstations and communication frequencies.
In some countries, approach control may be conducted from an Area Control Center.
Approach controllers monitor flights, ensuring separation from other aircraft until a defined or agreed point or altitude, then hand over control to the next unit — either an area control center or another approach control unit. For arriving aircraft, the approach controller receives information on the estimated time the aircraft will reach the handover point, marking the end of the previous controller’s responsibility and the start of their own.
Area Controllers oversee all aircraft in their controlled airspace (Control Area), which may be subdivided into multiple sectors both laterally and vertically. Unlike tower and approach controllers, whose working hours generally align with airport operating hours and are published via NOTAMs, area controllers work 24/7, ensuring continuous surveillance.
When approach control units are closed (typically overnight), parts of their airspace may be transferred to area control, which assumes responsibility for all traffic in that sector until the approach control unit reopens.
Area control is conducted from the radar room at the Area Control Center, typically staffed by two controllers per sector: one plans, communicates, and coordinates with neighboring centers and units, while the other executes instructions, communicates with crews, issues route, altitude, and speed clearances, and provides meteorological and traffic information relevant for safe, regular, and efficient operations.
All air traffic controllers undergo a specialized selection process and receive rigorous theoretical and practical training at dedicated training centers, including simulator practice. They then train on the job under instructor supervision, periodically passing announced and unannounced tests until they meet the required standards and their instructor certifies them for independent work.
Regardless of type, workplace, or responsibility zone, controllers daily process vast amounts of information, make decisions, or rapidly relay information. They use various communication and navigation tools. Communication with crews is conducted in English using standardized phraseology to prevent misunderstandings and ensure clear and timely transmission of clearances, instructions, and information. The profession of air traffic control relies heavily on teamwork, coordination, and communication with other participants, from flight crews and neighboring control centers to ground services at airports.
Aeronautical Information Services
The Aeronautical Information Service (AIS) provides aeronautical information necessary for users of the airspace of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Aeronautical information management is a process that includes the collection, initial processing, editing, formatting, storage, and distribution of aeronautical publications on behalf of the State of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The entire process is carried out in coordination with the originators of aeronautical information. AIS BiH coordinates its work with the expert bodies of EUROCONTROL in the field of aeronautical information services (AIS).
Aeronautical information/data are distributed as a consolidated package known as the Integrated Aeronautical Information Package (IAIP), which includes:
- Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP),
- AIP Amendments and Supplements (AIP AMDT/SUP),
- Aeronautical Information Circulars (AIC),
- Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) and Pre-Flight Information Bulletins (PIB),
- List of valid NOTAMs and checklists,
as well as through other publications.
The AIS operational procedures are regulated by the provisions of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Aviation Law, the Law on the Agency for Providing Air Navigation Services in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and relevant regulations, standards, and recommendations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation (EUROCONTROL).
The system used by AIS BiH in its work is the European AIS Database (EAD). This is a centralized database that provides aeronautical information to all users of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s airspace, complying with data quality requirements and offering integrated AIS solutions to service providers.
Flight Information Services
Flight Information Service (FIS) of Bosnia and Herzegovina, combined with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Rescue Coordination Center (BHRCC), is an operational-technical service that administratively unifies the tasks of two groups of activities within the domain of air navigation services:
- Providing information to aircraft in flight – ATS (Air Traffic Services) by the Flight Information Center, and
- The tasks of the Rescue Coordination Center in leading and coordinating search and rescue (SAR) operations.
The service is located in the premises of the Banja Luka Operational Unit (ATCU II).
Flight information services represent a part of operational air traffic services, aimed at providing advice and information necessary for the safe, regular, and efficient conduct of flights within the Flight Information Region (FIR) Sarajevo. Flight information services are provided to all aircraft affected by these services, i.e., to all flights with which radio communication has been established or which are otherwise connected to the Flight Information Center.
The Meteorological Oversight
The Meteorological Surveillance Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHMET) is responsible for tasks related to the operational provision of meteorological services in support of air navigation, specifically for en-route operations (LOWER and UPPER airspace) and the free flight layer within the Sarajevo Flight Information Region (FIR Sarajevo). BHMET is also responsible for the operational functioning of the Regional Meteorological Watch Office (MWO) Banja Luka and its coordination with aerodrome meteorological offices (MET offices) at airports.
To enhance the safety, regularity, and efficiency of air navigation, BHANSA provides aviation meteorological services in accordance with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO – Annex 3). The meteorological services provided by BHANSA include:
- Aviation meteorological observations and reporting,
- Continuous monitoring of meteorological conditions at airports,
- Aviation weather forecasts and warnings,
- Flight briefings, consultations, and preparation of flight documentation,
- Provision of required meteorological information to airspace users,
- Exchange of meteorological data, and
- Continuous VHF VOLMET broadcasting and monitoring.
BHMET services are used by:
- Air traffic operators,
- Flight crews,
- Air traffic services units,
- Search and rescue units,
- Airport authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and
- Other entities involved in or interested in the development and operation of air traffic.
International NOTAM Office
The International NOTAM Office in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHNOF) is located in Sarajevo, within the Area Control Center (ACC) – Operational Unit Sarajevo (BHACC/ATCU I).
BHNOF is responsible for operational tasks related to the issuance, receipt, updating, and distribution of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) within the Sarajevo Flight Information Region (FIR Sarajevo).
A NOTAM is an urgent operational message containing essential information that must be known in a timely manner by personnel involved in flight planning and execution. It relates to:
- The establishment, status, or modification of any aeronautical facility, service, or procedure,
- The occurrence or presence of a hazard.
NOTAMs contain information that is:
Temporary and short-term (not exceeding three months),
- Temporary and long-term, presented in a short message format,
- Permanent, but operationally significant, presented in a short message format.
Training Center
The Air Traffic Control Training Center equipped with an ATC (Air Traffic Control) simulator in Mostar is designed for the professional, theoretical, and practical training of BHANSA personnel engaged in operational air traffic control duties. The training is primarily intended for air traffic controllers, flight data assistants, and pseudo-pilots.
The Center is equipped with:
- a simulator room with six Controller Working Positions (CWPs);
- a pseudo-pilot room with four Pseudo-Pilot Positions (PPs);
- a server room;
- a multimedia classroom with a capacity for 20 trainees.
The Center is equipped with DPS ManagAir equipment from the Spanish manufacturer Indra and a VCS system from the Austrian company Frequentis. This setup is fully identical to the operational ATM system installed at the Area Control Centres (ACC) in Sarajevo and Banja Luka.
The ATC simulator, Aircon 2100, located in the Air Traffic Control Training Center, is a fully equipped system designed to meet the training needs of BHANSA’s operational staff.
Training Center Activities:
- Personnel Training – conversion and continuation training, refresher courses, as well as emergency training for staff involved in air traffic services within area (ACC) and approach (APP) control.
- To achieve training objectives, the controller working positions (CWPs) and servers in the simulator are identical to the corresponding components of the live operational ATM system.
- System Testing – the simulator is used as a working platform for testing and developing new system features before deployment to the operational ATM system. The ATC simulator fully meets this purpose.
Organizational Units of BHANSA
Head Office in Mostar
AIS BiH – Aeronautical Information Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Training Centre with ATC Simulator
BHNOF – International NOTAM Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina
BHMET – Aeronautical Meteorological Watch Service of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Flight Information Service of BiH merged with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Rescue Coordination Centre (BHRCC)
Approach and Aerodrome Control Units
Approach and Aerodrome Control Unit Sarajevo
Approach and Aerodrome Control Unit Mostar
Approach and Aerodrome Control Unit Tuzla
Approach and Aerodrome Control Unit Banja Luka
BHACC – Area Control Centre of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Area Control Operational Unit I – Sarajevo
Area Control Operational Unit II – Banja Luka
