Helicopters Banned From Croatian Island

One of Croatia’s popular tourists islands, Vis, has been left without any helicopter flights, including rescue helicopters flights, because of a dispute over 20 meters of access road at the islands helipad.

Croatian Air Force Commander General Drazen Scuri has banned helicopter flights to the island. Vis’ heliport is inoperative until further notice due to a dispute over just 20 meters of access road.

Rescue helicopters transporting patients to the nearby hospital in Split provide a lifeline for the three thousand islanders, but also the thousands of tourists who descend on the island of Vis during the tourist season.

To make matters worse, nobody had informed the local Vis administration of the decision.

“This is a disaster. Nobody informed us, and it is such an important matter. The helipad has been named one of the safest two helipads in the country. Litigation over the 20 meters of land has been going on for years and the Vis Town has offered replacement land for the helipad. This can not be the reason to make this decision,” said Vis Mayor Ivo Radic to Croatian portal Index.hr.