Maastricht and Tuzla Tourism Boosted as Wizz Air Launches First Direct Netherlands–Bosnia Route from Maastricht Aachen Airport: What You Need to Know

Published on December 13, 2025

Maastricht and Tuzla tourism are set to benefit from a landmark air connection as Maastricht Aachen Airport inaugurates the first-ever direct route between the Netherlands and Bosnia and Herzegovina, operated by Wizz Air. The new Maastricht–Tuzla service positions the Limburg gateway as a regional tourism hub, improving access for visiting friends and relatives (VFR) travelers, city-break visitors and diaspora communities moving between the Netherlands and the Western Balkans.​

New Maastricht–Tuzla route and schedule

The Maastricht–Tuzla route launches on 12 December, creating a non-stop link between Maastricht Aachen Airport (MST) and Tuzla International Airport (TZL) that did not previously exist in the Dutch market.  Wizz Air initially operates the connection twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays, giving leisure and VFR tourism flows predictable options for weekend and short-stay travel.​

To capture strong holiday tourism demand, the airline adds extra Wednesday flights through 7 January, expanding capacity during the festive and winter travel peak. The inaugural flight is welcomed at Maastricht Aachen Airport in the presence of official representatives, underlining the start of a strategic partnership between the airport and Wizz Air and signaling long-term commitment to developing tourism and connectivity in the region.​

Supporting regional hub and tourism ambitions

The new route is aligned with Maastricht Aachen Airport’s long-term strategy to become a future-ready regional hub, with ambitions to handle around six hundred thousand passengers and two hundred thousand tonnes of cargo annually by 2030. By adding a direct Netherlands–Bosnia air bridge, the airport strengthens its profile as a cross-border gateway for Limburg, neighbouring German regions and Belgian catchment areas, all of which can use MST as a convenient point for Balkans tourism.​

Airport planning documents and sustainability roadmaps emphasise that growth should be balanced with environmental goals, a positioning that resonates with travellers who increasingly seek responsible tourism options. The Tuzla connection supports this by consolidating demand onto efficient narrowbody aircraft and offering regional travellers a closer alternative to more congested hubs further north in the Netherlands.​

Meeting migrant, diaspora and VFR tourism demand

Airport leadership identifies the route as a response to growing demand from first- and next-generation migrants travelling between the Netherlands and Bosnia and Herzegovina to visit family and maintain cultural ties. This VFR tourism segment is increasingly important for regional airports, as it delivers consistent year-round traffic and supports local economies both at origin and destination through spending on accommodation, retail and services.​

By offering a non-stop, low-cost connection, the Maastricht–Tuzla service reduces travel time and complexity for communities that previously relied on indirect routes via larger hubs, often involving long surface journeys. Easier access encourages more frequent trips, stimulates two-way tourism flows, and helps visitors explore lesser-known areas of Bosnia and Herzegovina, broadening the country’s tourism base beyond the most established cities.​

Opening the Balkans to Dutch and Benelux tourism

The new connection also acts as a gateway to wider Balkans tourism, with Tuzla offering access to regional road and bus networks that connect to other destinations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and neighbouring states. Travellers from Maastricht, Limburg and the broader Benelux regioncan now reach Balkan cultural, nature and heritage attractions through a single non-stop flight coupled with onward ground transport, making multi-stop itineraries more attractive.​

For Tuzla and its surroundings, the direct route opens opportunities to attract Dutch and Belgian tourists seeking authentic, lower-cost alternatives to established city-break markets in Western Europe. Increased arrivals support local tourism businesses, from small guesthouses and restaurants to tour operators, and contribute to the diversification of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s tourism economy.​

Summer 2026 expansion to six Eastern and Central European destinations

From the summer 2026 season, Wizz Air plans a major expansion from Maastricht Aachen Airport, adding six destinations across Eastern and Central Europe, including Katowice, Lublin, Bucharest, Chișinău and Podgorica, alongside Tuzla. These routes will be spread across the season with varying weekly frequencies, and together they will bring the airline’s schedule at MST to around 16 weekly departures during peak tourism months.​

This network effectively transforms Maastricht into a low-cost hub for Central and Eastern European tourism, enabling residents of Limburg and nearby regions to access city-breaks, cultural trips and VFR travel to multiple countries from a compact airport. Conversely, it improves access for visitors from Poland, Romania, Moldova, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina to discover Maastricht, the Meuse–Rhine Euroregion and Dutch tourism attractions, thereby expanding inbound tourism to the Netherlands beyond Amsterdam and other primary gateways.​

Airbus A321neo operations and sustainable tourism goals

All Maastricht–Tuzla and future Wizz Air routes from Maastricht are scheduled to be operated with the Airbus A321neo, a quieter and more fuel-efficient aircraft that supports the airport’s sustainability objectives. With a capacity of around two hundred thirty-nine passengers, the A321neo allows the airline to concentrate demand on fewer, larger aircraft while reducing per-passenger emissions, an important factor for travellers and authorities committed to sustainable tourism development.​

Maastricht Aachen Airport has advanced to Level 3 “Optimisation” under the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme and has set a goal of net-zero emissions by 2030, including measures such as expanding solar power, electrifying ground operations and tightening energy efficiency. Deploying the A321neo fleet fits into this broader environmental roadmap, enabling tourism growth while aligning with European climate targets and reinforcing the airport’s reputation as a forward-looking regional aviation and tourism hub.

Image Credit: Wizz Air