Skopje Airport turns 83

Skopje Airport celebrates 83rd birthday
This month Skopje Airport celebrates 83 years of existence. In July 1928 the airport opened its doors with the first experimental flight organised by the national carrier of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes - Aeroput. Flights departed Belgrade and operated via Skopje, Mostar and Sarajevo back to Belgrade. On July 31, 1929 Skopje saw its first scheduled service, with Aeruput operating return flights from Belgrade. The first international flight to Skopje was operated in 1930 from Vienna.

Current Skopje terminal - soon to close
After the Second World War Skopje became a secondary hub for the Yugoslav national carrier JAT. The devastating 1963 Skopje earthquake severely impacted on the airport’s operations. A new terminal was built in 1987. Following Macedonia’s independence from Yugoslavia, the airport went through reconstruction and redevelopment. During that time it served as a base for Palair Macedonia, as well as MAT Macedonian Airlines later on. Today, only Mat Airways calls Skopje its home.

Skopje's new terminal - opening in September
In more recent history, Skopje renamed itself to Alexander the Great Airport, an unpopular move with the international community. In 2008, the Macedonian Government signed a contract with the Turkish TAV Holdings for a 20 year concession during which the company will run both Skopje and Ohrid airports. As a result, the construction of a multi million Euro terminal began in the spring of 2010. On September 8, 2011 the brand new terminal will open marking a new chapter in the airport’s long history.

Comments

  1. Well done for Skopje. The new terminal looks great.

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  2. Anonymous12:28

    I have just seen the video from the new terminal and let me tell you that I have never seen such terminal in the Balkans. Truly amazing, it will set a benchmark for future terminal upgrades in Croatia and Serbia.

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  3. Anonymous12:33

    What furture upgrades in Serbia???
    Serbia has got one airport only and that one is far too big for all future requirements.

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  4. Anonymous14:01

    Thanks for that bit of history. It would be nice if the national airline would change its name back to "Aeroput" (Airways), and just add a country designation to call it "Serbian Airways".

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  5. Congrats for Skopje and Macedonia as well. It has been pretty damn hard in the last few years for the airport but in just a month everything will be changed. The new terminal "Alexander the Great" looks awesome and I am sure it will bring much better prosperity for the Macedonian aviation. Well done!!

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  6. Anonymous14:17

    aeroput is a lovely name

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  7. Congratulations to Skopje! Looks like a beautiful new terminal. Hope we see more like this one all over Ex Yu.

    I agree with the previous anonymous. The "Aeroput" sounds like a really nice name for an airline. If the airlines of Ex Yu were smart enough, they could do something similar to what LAN or Taca did in Latin America. They use multiple national airlines but operate under one name. This way we could have Aeroput as the main name and then we just add Bosnia, Macedonia, Serbia, etc next to it. Just an idea although I know it might never come to fruition :)

    Cheers

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  8. Anonymous15:40

    http://www.sitel.com.mk/video/biznis/ekskluzivna-reportaza-aleksandar-veliki-vo-novo-ruvo

    The new airport is coming along nicely. The deal that Macedonia has with TAV also includes the building of a new cargo airport in eastern region of Macedonia.

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  9. Anonymous15:58

    koryo?
    do you mean that white beauty
    which is flying into the right direction?
    where you can read gray goose spotters?
    at jfk ?
    if swift air is still operating
    then there is something really fishy going on there.

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  10. Anonymous17:16

    @ last anonymous,

    idk where you read this, but apperently swift air on june 25th was able to operate again... idk lol

    congrats to our neighbors in skoplje and macedonia :)

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  11. Anonymous18:47

    Mehhh....
    I dont like this Airport ! I think
    our Albanian Arport in Prishtine will be much more better and beautifuller!
    As an Albanian from Macedonia I support Economy of Kosova and fly only with Prishtine Airport !!
    I know also a lot of other People from my Town (Kumanova) who will boycott Shkup Airport !!

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  12. JATBEGMEL18:47

    Најубани желби за Аеродром Скопје :) Сакам се нај нај....

    I think the terminal expansion may be a bit too ambitious considering there isnt a proper airline based there with any hope of proper and serious expansion. The new terminal for sure will be the best in the Yugoslavia region and i dont doubt that the facilities will be great.

    @ anonymous

    the current airport in Belgrade is horrible and must become bigger. More and more pax are using the airport with each year and i believe that the facilities etc are hindering its growth. The departures is like a post office, come to the desk, the terminal for me feels a bit claustrophobic, especially in arrivals. The reconstruction isnt consistent and is much noticed....

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  13. Anonymous23:32

    Anonymous above , you are going to boycott Skopje Airport..Why your earth do you live in Macedonia???

    Why don't you move to Kosovo and stay there?

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  14. AirKoryoTU-20400:01

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  15. Anonymous00:30

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  16. B77701:26

    Koryo well said...

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  17. Lollipop04:12

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  18. Anonymous06:56

    Pleased to see the new terminal and gladly will travel. Looking forward to new routes and cheaper flights.

    I have one suggestion to the admins of this excellent blog- can you please make a "lost, but never found" section where you will place the irrelevant comments posted here?

    @ the anonymous: for the name of the country where you live in, just check what it says on the passport or the ID that you use.

    Thank you :)

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  19. Anonymous07:03

    Wow, I did not know that, thanks! "The first international flight to Skopje was operated in 1930 from Vienna." Good luck to Macedonia and all travellers to the new Skopje terminal when it opens.

    But I have to say that the current airport building from 1987 also has excellent aesthetic value, very modern and futuristic exterior, I'd even use it in a scene in a Hollywood movie. :)

    Check out the exterior shots in this video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROZT1i_4Z4E

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  20. AirKoryoTU-20410:09

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  21. Anonymous12:19

    @ AirKoryoTU-204
    Bravo!!!

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  22. JATBEGMEL13:45

    @ anonymous

    Kjo nuk eshte veni per racizem tuaj! Mund te shihni se ti nuk je nga Kosova ose Ballkan. Ju lutem, mos me komentin tuaj negative.

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  23. Anonymous14:40

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  24. Anonymous15:12

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  25. Anonymous17:16

    To all Macedonians :
    When I look at my Passport or at my ID I will see that I am a Swiss citizen! A lot of us Albanians have
    papers from other European countries!While as Maconian passport holder you needed Visa to leave the country we Albanians have foreign passport all since more than ten years!! We Albos can come and leave to Macedonia whenever we want to!As Swiss citizen you can not deny us anything!!

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  26. Anonymous22:48

    ^You're an Albanian living in Macedonia with Swiss citizenship refusing to travel through Skopje and choose Pristina instead.

    Kill yourself

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  27. Anonymous23:21

    ^No ! I am not only ONE Albanian with Swiss citizenship .. I am one of A THOUSANDS OF Albanians with Swiss and other foreign citizenships.
    There are over 200 Thousand of us
    living in Switzerland alone.
    Most of them are also citizen of Macedonia...have there homes families and so much more.
    Half of the country is ours!
    Have you ever been in Macedonia??

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  28. If 200.000 of you is half of Macedonia then let it be. Although this has nothing to do with the topic, you are Macedonian Swiss :DD who prefers Prishtina Airport. That's kinda strange

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  29. Anonymous01:17

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  30. Anonymous01:35

    @anonymous albanian

    peace brother, what are you so angry about? live your life, let others live their lifes. no matter if albanian, swiss, macedonian, greek or serbian. take it easy, relax and drink a good cup of tea or beer or whatever you like...

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  31. Anonymous12:44

    I hate talking politics but cannot remain calm about this guy wit the Swiss citizenship! If YOU and others like YOU are so proud to be Albanian, Kosovars or something third, why you ALL rush in your life to gain another country's citizenship, if you love your Albania, Kosovo or any other homeland that much. Why don't you stay there and do something to make it a better place to live.

    I rest my case!!!!

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  32. AirKoryoTU-20413:46

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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