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| Macedonia to invite foreign airline to become its new national carrier |
Five years after the demise of MAT Macedonian Airlines, the Macedonian government has agreed to invite an established foreign airline to become the country’s new flag carrier. On Tuesday night, the Macedonian government adopted plans to first examine interest by foreign carriers to effectively become Macedonia’s leading airline. Similar plans were made several years ago when it was suggested Turkish Airlines could become the country’s national carrier. “In collaboration with a consultancy firm, which will handle the process, the first step will be to survey the market and test the interest of world famous companies to set up base in Macedonia”, Mile Janakieski, the Minister for Transport and Communication, said. He added, “It is necessary for the government to list all it can offer to a foreign partner, including subsidies. Once the analysis is completed and the conditions are set, we will offer them to several well established airlines”.
Last month, TAV Airports Holding, which runs both of Macedonia’s international airports, said the country is in need of a national carrier which will help develop its aviation industry. “What is lacking is a national airline. ”Macedonian Airlines" must be established. We have invested in airports and Macedonia should invest in its own carrier. Every country should have an airline. I'm sure it will happen soon and, with it, the number of passengers will rise significantly”, the co-founder and CEO of Turkey’s TAV Airports Holding, Sani Sener, said. Wizz Air is currently Macedonia’s busiest airline. The no frills carrier set up base in Skopje as a result of generous subsidies offered by the government. Last year, almost half of all passengers using the airport travelled with low cost airlines, a rise of 200% on the year before.
Currently, the Macedonian government offers 40.000 euros for each new destination launched by low cost airlines and pays a further seven to nine euro for each ticket purchased on these new flights. “This year, we plan to spend 4.9 million euros on subsidies for new flights. We plan to keep this policy as data show it has produced significant results in the short timeframe since it was introduced”, the Ministry for Transport and Communication said. The government is now looking to maintain the massive passenger growth achieved over the last year, through the establishment of a national airline. Over the past twenty years, Macedonia had two national carriers, both of which subsequently declared bankruptcy.
Comments
If they had allowed Aeromak to operate, today it would be under Air Serbia = Etihad.
Macedonia needs someone like Qatar Airways, Etihad, Emirates, KLM, Lufthansa, Swiss and so on...
A National carrier sounds nice but i dont think macedonia is in need of one...
This should go to a regional carrier such as Adria or Air Serbia. Not sure if Bulgaria Air has regional aspirations but they might be considered as well.
Adria and Croatia (ill add Aeromak if that idea ever materialises) is a more likely scenario
the good thing is they dont want to start a new airline from scratch, well for now.
btw. Austrian cancelled all flights to ISTANBUL from next winter season
hm, JU transports (only) around ca.150-70 pax a day between SKP and BEG (in one direction) which is not that much.Openinig a base means several flights a day to various major destinations => there will be way over 150-170 pax a day (and more money)
P.S does Adria hurt itself with those PRN and TIA flights? I dont think so(Adria also relies on transfer passengers)
1st 737-300
SKP-BEG-WAW-BEG-SKP-BEG-OTP-BEG-SKP
ATR 72-200
OHR-BEG-PRG-BEG-OHR-BEG-PRG-BEG-OHR
2nd 737-300
SKP-FRA-SKP-AMS-SKP-LHR-SKP
The end! Win-win for Air Serbia (2 planes dedicate for Air Serbia) and for Macedonia (5 direct routes + 4 via BEG)
JP will be the most likely candidate, as they already have a presence in PRN and TIA.
LHR slots are next to impossible to be found, and even still, JU would need them to increase its precence there. I think the Aeromak story is history when the Macedonian government declined JU the licences and with the Air Serbia story happening, with the focus shifted on BEG and funelling in pax through BEG as Aleksandar mentioned above. However, there was some talk of some regional aquisitions, and the B733 is set to leave the fleet...eventually. How much longer will the B733 be able to operate is another question, as it is getting more expensive to operate the type however lower cycles the frames have had. I expect JU to add a 3rd flight to SKP as the JU network ex BEG expands. As well, there is a chronic lack of ATR's in the JU fleet for its BEG opps. Your idea would be an interesting suggestion had Air Serbia not come out of Jat Airways.
JP however seems to opening mini-bases, PRN and now TIA, I think that there wouldnt be an issue of Adria being a flag carrier to Macedonia, neutral name, plus in Star Alliance, and they have a CRJ9 which would fit SKP well. Lets see what happens.
again???
http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2014&mm=07&dd=17&nav_category=78&nav_id=877946
"The US Federal Aviation Administration on April 23 issued a "special notice" regarding Ukrainian airspace to US aviators and air carriers advising them not to fly in airspace around the Crimean city of Simferopol without special approval of the US government.
The notice also warned US operators and pilots flying in other parts of Ukraine, including Kiev, Lvov, Dnepropetrovsk and Odessa, to "exercise extreme caution due to the continuing potential for instability."
The warning remains in effect until April 23, 2015.
International aviation agencies in April also had warned pilots and airlines to avoid the airspace around Simferopol.
Agencies including the European Aviation Safety Agency and ICAO, a United Nations civil aviation agency, warned that airlines faced "serious risks" in the area and advised airlines to take alternate routes".
JU mgt obviously knew something that the rest of us didn't - BRAVO JU mgt - keep up the good work !!!
They add to the debate don't you think?