New flights to Macedonia this year
The Macedonian Civil Aviation Directorate has confirmed that flights between Skopje and Dubai will commence by the end of the year. EX-YU aviation news exclusively reported last week that Flydubai has begun a feasibility study into launching flights to the Macedonian capital, with word of a possible two weekly service. The Directorate states that the flights will be possible from September onwards when Macedonia and the United Arab Emirates finalise an air services agreement. “By the end of the year the route should be launched”, the Directorate says.Skopje has become of interest to the low cost airline due to attractive subsidies being offered by the Macedonian government to no frills carriers. From next week, airlines will be able to apply for the subsidies with the government expecting six new destinations from Skopje Alexander the Great Airport by the end of the year. Although Flydubai was considering launching flights to Zagreb, it decided against the move due to its distance. Flydubai only operates flights to cities within a five hour radius, in order to allow the same cabin crew to work on the return leg. Crew duty times would just be exceeded on the return Zagreb service.
Until Flydubai’s arrival, Macedonia will also see several other airlines launching flights to its two international airports. This week Turkey‘s Borajet launched a seasonal one weekly service to the Macedonian capital from Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen Airport. Germany’s XL Airways will operate flights from Stuttgart to Skopje from June 30, once per week. Details can be found here. Finally, Finnair will launch a seasonal service to Ohrid this summer from its hub in Helsinki.
Great news! SKP and OHD already have growth of over 20% in the first quarter.
ReplyDeleteGrowth is about 27 percent!
DeleteMacedonia is an example of how things work when there is no destructive interference from the government and professional management.
Btw. OHD will see 7 weekly services from Amsterdam and Eindhoven+ 2 from Brussels+ 1 from Helsinki. There will be soon announcements about Tel Aviv and Moscow.
Hello starts Geneva from 30.06 too!
However the country is missing an own established airline which could have given the possibility of tansit pax at SKP.Unfortunately there is neither vision nor support for such a move.
Btw. Does FZ flight to BEG is in Amadeus/GDS and can you buy a ticket from SYD to BEG with EK and FZ or you buy 2 seprate tickets?
I second the last part of that comment. Does anyone have information on this?
DeleteYou can buy an EK ticket with FZ leg to BEG (with EK baggage allowance), but you cannot do it online - you have to call EK office directly.
DeleteAny more details on Hello's GVA flights? I don't see them published on their website.
Delete@GVA airprishtina.com
Delete@SKP Thank you mate. Pity it's only weekly, though it's interesting it's scheduled until the end of the summer '12, which means it might be extended further.
DeleteGreat news! If it proves successful, we might see more frequencies and GVA-SKP year round :)
DeleteHolding my fingers crossed.
Delete@SuisseOuest and GVA Cointrin: I think it will be a year round service but I doubt it will see more frequencies as people from Macedonia living in CH are mainly concentrated in the germant part of it! However some of You showed interst while ago to visit Skopje so it will be more convinient to you! I am happy for You too
Deletesorry , but nothing is confirmed yet
ReplyDeleteAlthough I’m very happy for all of these new routes I would really like to see some established western European companies come to SKP like Air France or Lufthansa because more and more it seems that our only option for transit is Istanbul. Thank god for Austrian Airlines.
ReplyDeleteWell, Austrian is Lufthansa ;-)
DeleteAustrian is currently ripping everyone since Malev and Czech withdrew.
ReplyDeleteThey are better than Jat-sbijansko/romski hava yollari
ReplyDeleteThis is a comment worth to be published? Shame.
DeleteAwww mukica iskompleksirana ;-). pozz sa najveceg exYu aerodroma.
DeleteOT
ReplyDeleteDa li neko zna kakvi su ovo letovi za Madrid na sajtu beogradskog aerodroma? Ocigledno avion dolazi iz Zagreba da bi obavljao ovaj let....
I really do not see how the directorate can confirm the flights to Dubai, I doubt that the feasibility study is complete. Moreover, an agreement is yet to be signed with the Emirates. Good news, but it cannot be confirmed for several more months.
ReplyDeletethe article that ex-yu is referring to , never said anything about CONFIRMED.
DeleteYou can buy an EK ticket with FZ leg to BEG
ReplyDelete(with EK baggage allowance).
But you cannot do it online -
you have to CALL EK office DIRECTLY !
Great for Macedonia if this eventuates!
ReplyDeleteI think Dubrovnik would be a great destination for Fly Dubai.
Congratulations! I have had personal dealings with the folks at InvestMacedonia. I can attest that they are really professional, efficient and helpful! Excuse the language - I dare say the Macedonians are the ones that really gives a ****. As a small foreign investor, I couldn't be happier for what they have finally achieved.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from Asia.
you made me lol so much. Greetings from Macedonie
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