Tag: BHANSA

QSL NDB IL-405 and KG-357.5 Sarajevo

September 28, 2026 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

Mr Dzeko from BHANSA was so kind to QSL my reception of NDB IL Sarajevo/Ilidzaj on 405 kHz and NDB KG Sarajevo/Butmir/Kobiljaca on 357.5 kHz. Mr. Nikolic, system engineer at BHANSA was so kind to forward my report (see my post on Banja Luka NDB NA and NDB LU for a bit of background).

Unlike the Banja Luka pair, both beacons are still in operation. NDB KG is located 12.5 km NW in line with the runway. NDB IL is located next to the runway of Sarajevo

Sarajevo International Airport traces its roots to 1930, when Aeroput began regular flights linking Belgrade, Sarajevo, and Podgorica from a military field at Rajlovac and later the grass airfield at Butmir; after World War II interrupted service, civilian traffic resumed in 1947.

It was substantially expanded ahead of the 1984 Winter Olympics, including a longer runway and a new terminal that handled a record 14,000 passengers on the Games’ final day. During the Bosnian War the airport became the hub of a massive UN humanitarian airlift of some 13,000 flights and 160,000 tons of aid.

For Sarajevo International Airport expansion plans one of major restrictions is a mountain terrain that requires a high approach precision and a big inclination angle in a procedure of unsuccessful approach and landing.

QSL NDB LU-397 and NA-383 Banja Luka

September 26, 2026 / Peter Reuderink / 0 Comments

A few weeks ago I received an email from Mr. Goran Nikolic, Systems Engineer at BHANSA. He asked me if he could use the information of my reception report of NDB „TU“ on 445 kHz near Tuzla in a technical book he was preparing on radio navigation aids. The idea was to explain that NDBs can be received over much longer distances if propagation conditions are favourable. As Mr. Nikolic wrote: “It is a very useful practical example for explaining a phenomenon that can otherwise remain rather abstract.”

Of course I agreed, but I took the opportunity to ask Mr. Nikolic if he could confirm my reception of a number of beacons from Bosnia Herzegovina. My request was forwarded to Mr. Borenovic, Head of CNS department in Banja Luka. He confirmed my reception of beacons NDB LU on 397 kHz and NDB NA on 383 kHz. But also informed me that both beacons have been taken out of operation in 2026.

It is sad to see that this part of our radio hobby disappears as NDBs are replaced with more modern navigation systems. The picture below from OurAirports shows the position of these former beacons. Quite frankly I do think the exact location is a little bit more to the left, in line with the runway.

This is the equipment at the LU location as shown on Google Streetview:

Banja Luka International Airport (BNX), also known as Mahovljani Airport, began construction in 1976 as a secondary facility intended only for domestic flights within socialist Yugoslavia, and it saw little scheduled traffic even then. After the Bosnian War Banja Luka became the de facto capital of Republika Srpska, giving the airfield new political and practical weight; it opened to civilian traffic on 18 November 1997 and briefly served as the hub of the short-lived flag carrier Air Srpska (1999–2003).

Facilities were upgraded in 2002–2003 ahead of Pope John Paul II’s visit. For years passenger numbers remained modest, but the arrival of Ryanair in 2018 and Wizz Air in 2021 transformed it into a low-cost gateway. By 2025 it handled nearly 485,000 passengers, making it Republika Srpska’s only international airport and a vital link for Banja Luka—Bosnia and Herzegovina’s second-largest city—connecting the region to Belgrade and numerous European cities and supporting tourism, business, and the entity’s economic integration with the wider continent.

More info about the Republika Srpska can be found in my post on NDB BLK on 340 kHz.