SARAJEVO AIRPORT TO BE OPENED FOR CIVIL FLIGHTS ON 15 AUG

SARAJEVO, August 13 (Hina) - The Sarajevo airport would be opened for regular civil traffic on 15 August, head of the Civil Aviation of Bosnia-Herzegovina Directorate Ismet Secic told a press conference in Sarajevo on Tuesday, adding that all preparations for departure and landing of planes had been made and that full security could be guaranteed to all passengers. The Sarajevo airport is in part still controlled by the NATO- led Peace Implementation Force (IFOR) and military flight inspectors will guide all civil flights. On IFOR's demand, the governments of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Bosnian Federation and the Serb entity had to deliver written warranties for the safety of planes landing in Sarajevo and for now it was agreed that three to five civil planes would land in Sarajevo weekly. The first plane is expected from Istanbul at 9,30 a.m. on Thursday, a flight established by national company Air Bosnia in cooperation with Turkish company Top Air. Air Bosnia manager Omer Kulic said that his company would establish flights to Germany, Scandinavia and France, adding that the current intention of Air Bosnia was to connect Sarajevo with countries with the largest number of Bosnian refugees. Bosnia-Herzegovina had so far signed contracts on air traffic with Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Turkey and Iran, Kulic said, adding that all flights would be established on the basis of reciprocity. Preparations for the opening of airports in Banja Luka, Tuzla and Mostar were under way, said Secic and added that, with minor investments, there was a possibility to repair the Coralici air- field near Bihac for civil traffic, until the status of the Zeljava airport on the Croatian-Bosnian border was determined. Flights unable to land in Sarajevo will be directed to Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia. (hina) ha 131550 MET aug 96