Mat begins flights from Skopje base
The reincarnated MAT Macedonian Airlines, now known as Mat Airways, has begun scheduled charter flights from Skopje Alexander the Great Airport to Zurich and Dusseldorf. The airline, owned by Serbian tour operator Kon Tiki, is also offering flights from Ohrid to Zurich. It has been awarded the IATA prefix 6F. The airline is currently operating its flights with a single Boeing B737-500. Its other aircraft, a leased Aviogenex B737-200, has been returned to its owner and is now flying for Jat Airways. Currently, passengers can only book Mat Airways tickets at their offices in Skopje and Belgrade.According to the Mat’s owners, the airline plans to commence flights to Rome, Barcelona and Prague in the near future. “Our plan is to expand our fleet and purchase another aircraft. We aim to be the best in the airline industry, slowly but surely reaching the top”, Zoran Milevski, the President of the board of the Metropolitan Investment Group (one of Mat’s owners) said.
Meanwhile, work on the new terminal at Skopje Airport is progressing although some changes have been made to the initial design of the terminal building. Currently, the runway is being lengthened. Skopje’s new multi million Euro terminal should open its doors to passengers in just under a year from now, on October 20, 2011.
Many happy landings MAT!
ReplyDeletegood news. But its stupid to fly the same routes as Airlift Service / Sky Wings do. they would better start flights to Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, Milano... and not zurich, rome, dusseldorf!
ReplyDeletehappy landings mat!!!
''We aim to be the best in the airlines industry''
ReplyDeletehahaha...very ambitious...
Considering the ownership, unexperienced in airline industry, I do not think that this MAT is possible to become serious airline...
ReplyDeleteWhat an awful livery. How old is that airplane anyway?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGreat!!
ReplyDeleteIt was time to have a more competition on the macedonian market.Prices of the new MAT are really reasonable -about 75Euros incl. taxes ZRH-SKP for example.
The plane is 19 years old but
since it was not really utilised after the grounding of Sabena and ex.MAT it has still many flying hours.
About the destinations I hope new ones will be introduced, like Anonymus said, but I doubt the profitability. It is not so logically to hand over the most profitable routes like ZRH, DUS, FCO to your competitor-Skywings.
However market demand says that on these routes there is a need of competition and more reasonable prices..
Many happy landings MAT!!
what im worried more about is what changes have been made to the initial design of the new airport....Hm
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to Macedonia and MAT on restarting flights. Even though there were other airlines operating to Macedonia, it's always better to have your own carrier fly too. I just don't understand why they are building a new terminal in Skopje. I mean it's not a hot destination and is overcrowded with passengers...so why invest so much money into something that is currently not necessary? Macedonia needs investments in many other infrastructure projects, the least of which are its airports.
ReplyDelete@Jeebusman
ReplyDeletehaha, you obviously have never been at SKP airport
@ Dear Yeebusman
ReplyDeleteWith full respect to You I must bet that you neither have been in Macedonia nor flew ever to Skopje and because of that Ican understand your comment.
So for Your information SKP has only 2 gates, 8 check-in desks, 2 passport control desks and 1 metal detector security check.This all for 750 000 pax this year..In the peak season there are about 10 flights in the morning so there is no place for staying.Cramped like in a tuna can!
Second the investment is made by privately owned company-TAV, they manage Ataturk in IST so there is not even a cent from the government.
Third what do you mean with hot destination?
As far as I know the only hot destination in ex-yu is Croatia and maybe a little bit Montenegro.Does this mean that for ex. Ljubljana does not deserve a normal airport?
Maybe he ment that an airport like SKP doesn't need a 6 000 000 pax/capacity terminal...lets face it, BEG won't be having that much passengers or a long time. What makes you think that SKP will?
ReplyDelete@ Anonymus
ReplyDeleteI dont think also that SKP will get 6 000 000 pax in 5 years, none of that, but when you build an airport thats a long term investment.
You build an airport for the min. next 20-30 years and not for 5 years!!
You must plan it smart, in order to be easier tomorow to expand and not to conclude in 10 years that you have made wrong decision.
A little calculus shows that with average growth rate of 10% yearly in 20 years the airport should be prepared for 5 000 000 pax.
ReplyDeleteThis predict the numbers, the reality, who knows!
To everyone:
ReplyDeleteI agree with IN007 that such big projects in infrastructure like an airport need to have long-term goals in mind. But still...6,000,000 is a bit much. Macedonia's population is about 2,000,000 and in the long-term it will be smaller. So an airport with a terminal that can hold 6,000,000 passengers is a bit too much...but that may be me.
And the article said that it was building a new terminal not refurbishing the current one. So that means there will be two terminals one with a capacity of 6,000,000. Unless Macedonia is hiding something that will turn it into a tourist or business hotspot I don't see the need for a new 6,000,000 passenger terminal. If anything, refurbish the current one or open another terminal with a much less capacity, and then refurbish the old terminal, but what they are planning to build is a money-waster in my opinion.
why do you all believe at that published 6mio number at all ??? LOL
ReplyDelete@Jeebusman
please forget the existing terminal, its an excuse for an airport really
If you build it they will come, or you will go bankrupt.
ReplyDelete@ Jeebusman
ReplyDeleteHmm..You people are experts for everything!!
Why, why so big?!!Stupborn!!
Let face the fact that there are analysts and profis that make such huge plans.And in this case it is made by renowned company and not by some stupid government auhorities.
About population it can only rise in the long-term!!
I must admitt it is sometimes harder to explain something people that have read 1 book, instead of those that read none!
I agree as well that SKP is not amazing hot point on tourist map, but once you build airport you build it for next 20-30 years.
ReplyDeleteso therefore TAV management plans pax's up to 6 000 000, BUT none of us need to stick to this number!
this is only a plan , and i think that 1,5 - 2 millions will be still great succsess for TAV and Macedonia in next 2-3 years :)
About MAT very bad logo but not the most important, important is that they need to choose new destinations!
Wish them many happy landings !
Good luck!
To everyone:
ReplyDeleteLike I said I understand where you are all coming from. I agree that there should be a new terminal at the airport because judging from what you guys are saying it's barely functional. So I can understand the need for a new terminal. But a capacity of 6,000,000. Why not build a terminal for 4,000,000 and put in the rest of the money in other infrastructure projects the country desperately needs and if the need arises for a greater capacity in the future, than expand the airport like Zagreb and Belgrade are doing. It will be much more cost-effective. According to UN data, by 2050 the Macedonian population will be just under 2,000,000. So I don't see the need in building a huge terminal for that kind of future...no offense...
@ Jeebusman
ReplyDeleteI understand your point and to some extent I agree with you, but there is no way for that money to be used for something else, because the terminal is not being build by the government but by the privately owned company that bought the rights to manage the airport in the next 20 years.
Sorry. In that case I absolutely agree with you, but I'm glad you understand my point :)
ReplyDeletemat air ways,new planes ,please pay first your debts
ReplyDelete