Tivat airport is located right next to the city of Tivat, 8 km (5 miles) from the center of Kotor and 20 km (12 miles) northwest of Budva, one of the most popular tourist destinations on the eastern Adriatic coast. The airport’s single runway ends just 88 m (289 ft) from the Bay of Kotor coastline.
Tivat Airport has been classified 4D by ICAO airspace class D and is notable for its difficult approach and landing procedures. Landing in Tivat is considered challenging due to the rugged terrain surrounding the valley where the airport is located and the strong crosswinds prevailing. The runway 32 approach requires a descent into the Tivatsko polje valley and a 20° turn for runway alignment just before landing. The Runway 14 approach is even more difficult due to the flat-to-land maneuvering performed in the dramatic landscape surrounding the Bay of Kotor. It is known among pilots as the Kai Tak of Europe due to its difficult approach and landing procedures and is also comparable to Madeira Airport. Porto Montenegro luxury marina.[citation needed] The airport is often visited by aircraft lookouts, as the runway end is easily accessible and offers unobstructed views of takeoffs and landings against a mountain backdrop.
Among the year-round services from the airport are Belgrade and Moscow; however, with the start of seasonal and charter flights, more than 80% of the traffic is concentrated in the summer period. With the opening of Porto Montenegro and the introduction of other high-end tourism services, the airport is increasingly catering to business jets.
The Adriatic Highway (E65/E80) passes right next to the passenger terminal, providing easy access to the airport from the entire northern part of the Montenegrin coast.
