On 16 December 2010 Amsterdam Airport Schiphol welcomed B&H Airlines, the national airline company of Bosnia-Herzegovina, as a new airline at the airport. The Bosnian airline has launched a scheduled service from the capital Sarajevo to Amsterdam with an Airbus 319 carrying passengers on three weekly flights (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday). Sarajevo is the 270th direct destination in the Schiphol network in 2010.

Previously, Air Bosna carried out flights between Sarajevo and Amsterdam during a short period in 2002-2003. “We’re very glad to have been able to include Sarajevo once again as a destination in our network,” says Ivo van der Vlis, Schiphol’s Aviation Marketing Director. “This new direct connection eliminates the need for a transfer, boost trade relations and further helps Bosnia to open up to the rest of the world.” The Prime Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina, who attended the arrival of the first flight of B&H Airlines at Schiphol on 16 December, added that many tourists are eager to get to know his country, a relatively new destination on the tourist map.

B&H Airlines is the fifth airline to be welcomed to Schiphol this calendar year. Previous newcomers in 2010 include Emirates from Dubai, Garuda Indonesia from Jakarta, Cimber Sterling from Copenhagen and SmartWings from Prague.

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