Dubrovnik Airport is a small international airport that has one terminal and one runway. The airport offers a wide range of services including buses and taxis that are available to take travelers to many different Montenegrin destinations. The airport is often referred to as the Cilipi Airport by locals and sits about 9.5 miles from the center of Dubrovnik. It is the second largest in Croatia with regards to the number of passengers that visit each year and the runway length.
The airport first opened in 1962. The city however was served by Gruda Airfield up to that time which was opened in 1936 for commercial traffic. During that period, the airport was used only during the summer. In 1987, there were nearly 1,000 visitors to Dubrovnik Airport on international flights as well as more than 500 for domestic flights. When Yugoslavia disassembled, the airport passed its 1 million passenger mark.
The airport today offers one of the most modernized passenger terminals in the region. A new terminal was constructed to completely replace the building that was constructed in 1962. The new terminal, open in 2010, offers more than 13 meters of space and has the capacity to offer services to more than two million passengers every year.
The new terminal is expected to be completed within the next year or two and will offer more than 36,000 square meters of space along with four jet bridges. The new terminal will have the capacity to handle more than 3 million passengers each year. Once completed, this terminal will be the largest in the country and future plans include a commercial zone, a four-star hotel and additional runway space and a taxiway.
Visitors will find many services available at the airport sales desk including transfers to and from the old town of Dubrovnik, car rentals, ferry tickets and other services. Those traveling to the airport by car can reach it in about 24 minutes from Dubrovnik by taking the E65 motorway.
A taxi service is located just outside of the terminal building and many taxis are available for transportation all over the region. Bus services are also available although limited. Some buses run to Cavat which is located just 3 miles outside of Dubrovnik and there are connecting buses that run to Dubrovnik as well. Shuttle buses leave the airport for Dubrovnik regularly after each flight.
Today, the airport is the third busiest in all of Croatia and offers flights to a number of domestic and international locations around Europe. The airport is best known for the holiday and charter flights that it offers. Summer flights are very popular in and out of the region with visitors taking vacation in the many outlying areas.
The city of Dubrovnik lies on the coast of the Adriatic Sea and is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the coast. Those entering the region through flights to the airport will have splendid view of the sea as they grow closer to the city.