The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina adopted a motion yesterday to suspend the passenger departure tax at the country’s commercial airports from January 1, 2024, which will reduce costs for airlines. The tax, which has only ever been fully enforced for carriers operating out of Sarajevo Airport but is supposed to be applied at all of the country’s commercial airports, has been seen as a deterrent for airlines, especially low cost carriers. Earlier this year, Ryanair discontinued operations out of Tuzla when the airport was pressured to start applying the tax by the Bosnia and Herzegovina Directorate for Civil Aviation. The departure tax, which amounts to 1.5 euros per passenger, will be suspended for at least one year. “This way we are encouraging foreign carriers to grow their presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina and launch new services from Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla and Mostar, all with the aim of increasing passenger numbers”, Edin Forto, the Minister for Communication and Traffic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said.