Skopje Airport will overhaul its runway next year, during which it will be closed for eight and a half hours during the daytime over a span of fifty days. However, the airport notes disruption to traffic will be limited. In a statement, operator TAV Macedonia said, “As part of the investment plan for the expansion and renovation of Macedonian airports, next year, starting from March 28, 2022 until May 16, 2022, over a time period of fifty days, TAV Macedonia plans to rehabilitate the runway at Skopje Airport. For this purpose, during this time, air traffic will take place from 17:30 in the afternoon until 9:00 in the morning”.
It is unclear how the airport will manage flights scheduled to depart and land between 09.00 and 17.30 each day. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, utilising Ohrid Airport as an alternative is one of the options being considered, although Ohrid itself has its own traffic and limited capacity. “Planned in consultation with all stakeholders, the rehabilitation works will be completed without closing the airport and with a minimal impact to air traffic. We will provide further information in due course”, TAV Macedonia noted. Airline timetables are yet to reflect the airport closure times, however, the operator noted updated flight schedules for the fifty-day period will be announced soon.
Skopje has a number of flights scheduled to operate during its planned closure time, the majority of which are maintained by Wizz Air. Others include flights operated by Aegean Airlines, Austrian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Edelweiss Air, Air Serbia, Croatia Airlines and Pegasus Airlines. This summer, operator TAV Macedonia said it would invest 49.7 million euros in airport and public infrastructure in Macedonia over the next three years. The investment replaces plans to build a cargo airport in Štip, which was stipulated in the concession agreement between TAV and the Macedonian government.
I can't believe they didn't use last year during height of Covid to do this. Most airports in the world did.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I remember they did do some work on the taxiways during the airport's closure.
Delete^ yes apron and taxiways
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2020/04/skopje-airport-overhauls-apron-taxiway.html
If JU is going to be affected then their INI-BEG flights will profit from this closure.
ReplyDeleteTime to start Ohrid again.
DeleteI don't think so because people who want to go from BEG to SKP will probably use the bus. Its not convienent at all to go first from BEG to INI and then yo SKP
DeleteLju did same few years agou part of operations were moved to mbx. But there wasn't much happening as mbx didn't even have enough equipment to handle aso many planes so most of them were just parked there.
DeleteWouldn't it have been more logical to do this during winter when there are fewer flights instead of the start of the summer season, especially in a year when hopefully traffic will pick up?
ReplyDeleteask any construction worker why work with concrete and asphalt is not recommended in winter. It is possible to pave runways dirong winter, but its more expensive, less daylight and very likely lower quality and durability if carried out during winter.
DeleteBas........ne znam sto bi u Svedskoj na to rekli....ili Kanadi
DeleteTAV should really look into overhauling OHD instead. It pains me to see my hometown airport in the state it currently is, especially with the travel boom expected for the upcoming summer season.
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteAt the end of 2019 they said how they plan to expand Ohrid Airport. Hopefully after they finish runway work they will do that.
DeleteLet’s hope that they make OHD as modern as SKP!
DeleteIt could be a great little airport for sure.
Deletedf
ReplyDelete?
DeleteAnnon 09:05 Yes, W6 returns their last wave around midnight.Then there are OU, OS, JU etc. with overnight stay.
DeleteI'm just wondering what logic led them to close the airport during these hours. Then again SKP does have a lot of flights during night time.
ReplyDeleteThat's incorrect. On the contrary, SKP has most traffic in the time span they're planning to do the works.
DeleteI love how TAV spins it that there will be minimal impact
DeleteSo why do it then and not at night like the rest of the world?
DeleteMaybe they need daylight to perform the work? Just guessing.
DeleteMess in the making.
ReplyDeleteIsn't Ohrid a bit far to be an alternative airport? SKP should just move to PRN during that period and that's that.
ReplyDeleteIt's much easier to organize things with an airport in your own country which you also happen to manage rather than you "rival" PRN which has accuses you of stealing passengers with unlawful subsidies.
DeleteI think that some flights will definitely be cancelled. There is no way OHD could handle all the traffic.
ReplyDeleteIt is possible that some airline will use alternative airports - PRN and INI although that might be problematic during current different Covid restrictions in each place.
ReplyDeleteI think people from Serbia who used SKP will definitely switch to INI, I'm talking about those from Vranje, Presevo and so on.
DeleteI remember when Ljubljana closed for 2 weeks in 2010 so they could do runway work and it wasn't a very smooth process.
ReplyDeleteWhich airports were used as an alternative? Ironically, 10 years later it would have been a non issue consider the traffic volumes.
DeleteMaribor
DeleteLjubljana's closure was rather short. Although it was a complete closure.
DeleteWhat exactly are they going to do with the runway?
ReplyDeleteHey maybe it forces OU and JU to consider OHD and keep flying there afterwards too :D
ReplyDeleteOU said recently they were considering Ohrid. JU flew there a few years ago but gave up as soon as the incentives from Ohrid ended, after one season.
DeleteNo wonder JU failed at OHD. They had the most atrocious departing times
DeleteDo you remember what were the times?
DeleteAround 4 in the morning
DeleteI guess it was for transfers to connect onto the morning wave. They also have one of their Skopje flights depart at that time too.
DeleteFrom Skopje you have also OU and OS with early morning departures. So they can connect transfer passengers.
DeleteJU also has some morning flights from SKP
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/p/air-serbia-belgrade-ohrid.html?m=1
Delete3 pw in 2016 became 4 pw in 2017 before they dropped it in 2018 during their rationalisation. Would be great to see it return.
In 2017 the rotations were on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday:
JU168 BEG OHD 0020 0150
JU169 OHD BEG 0410 0535
It was so unfavorable for tourism or business or anything else but transfers. Maybe they should give it another try with some P2P friendly schedule at least two times weekly
DeleteThe timing really could have been better.
ReplyDeleteYou can say that again
DeleteI also doubt they will manage to shift all traffic to Ohrid. There is simply not enough space. Also, will they organize busses to Skopje?
ReplyDeleteI'm sure they will organize transfers.
DeleteAs for flights, airlines will reduce operations for sure.
DeleteThis is quite a long period of time. 50 days. The logic of doing it at the start of the season escapes me.
ReplyDeleteThe issue is, you can't even shift flights to operate from 5.30 until 9 in the morning since many European airports are closed over night.
ReplyDeleteThis timing will be problematic for flights to Zurich. The airport closes at 11pm.
ReplyDeleteWell they could always schedule the flights to land at 17.30 when the airport opens and depart at 18.30 and you will make it to Zurich with more than enough time to spare. Problem solved.
DeleteWe will adapt the schedule, don't worry. You're right, slots are issue.
DeleteDoes Skopje's current runway have CATIIIb system?
ReplyDeleteNo
DeleteNo, it's a CATI airport.
DeleteSkopje actually has CAT I!
DeleteSkopje has a classification of CAT I for instrument approaches and due to high terrain in the final approach and the resulting steep glide path of 3.3° is not able to upgrade to CAT II instrument approaches or higher.
DeleteIn order for us to be able to keep up with the airports in our region and be able to offer more on the market and be competitive, the only solution is to build a new airport on a location that will not be affected by obstacles, without the valley effect and foggy days. The new location will need to offer expansion possibilities allowing for new, longer runways to be built and certified for CAT III approaches in order to attract more airlines to open new routes to our country.
DeleteAnd where would you build a new airport and how much would that cost?
DeleteAerodrom?
DeleteGreat that means my booked flight will be rescheduled or moved to another city/country...
ReplyDeleteWhich flight are you supposed to be on?
DeleteCopenhagen
DeleteI also wonder what kind of work they will do with the runway? Is it just resurfacing?
ReplyDeleteOhrid is not going to work. It has a capacity of handling 300 passengers per hour. That is basically 2 planes per hour.
ReplyDeleteand how many planes do you think SKP has throughout the day?
DeleteExactly. Skopje never has more than 2 flights departing in the same hour.
DeleteSo untrue. Before Corona and even now there are 6-7 departures around midday.
DeleteI'm interested to know how this works in general. Airport informs the airlines and then is it up to the airlines to reschedule their flights or the airport helps? Do they get discounts on landing and handling fees during this period?
ReplyDeleteThere goes my hope of QR returning to Skopje at the start of summer :D
ReplyDeleteThey can just move it to may. If they ever decide to come back...
DeleteI mean they could why not? They land at around 12pm and depart back at around 2pm... This won’t affect afternoon turnarounds, only the early morning and night flights to places like BEG, IST and some wizz destinations!
DeleteRunway in the photo seems to be in good shape
ReplyDeleteAt least Zagreb can rest assured it will now overtake SKP :D
ReplyDeleteHopefully airline schedules are revised soon.
ReplyDelete"however, the operator noted updated flight schedules for the fifty-day period will be announced soon."
DeleteDoes anyone know till when does the TAV concession run?
ReplyDelete2030
DeleteThey said how they plan to extend it past 2030.
DeleteThese airports are well managed in my opinion. They have done a good job and it is one of the better concessions in ex-Yu.
DeleteOpinions on Fraport in MK?
DeleteI actually think it's good news the airport is doing necessary work with the runway.
ReplyDeleteWhy did they want to build a cargo airport in Stip of all places? I don't think SKP has so much cargo flights.
ReplyDeleteIt was a vanity project ordered by former PM who had routes in Stip.
DeleteI heard Sener (TAV chairman) say on Macedonian TV that these airports aren't that profitable for them. Does anyone have figures of their financial results for last few years for example.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck!
ReplyDeleteWhat's up with the old terminal at SKP? What is it being used for?
ReplyDeleteNothing. It's just sitting there abandoned.
DeleteThey have said, if they receive a permit, they will demolish it and extend the new terminal towards it.
DeleteThanks.
DeleteLet’s hope they make a few more jetbridge gates or even another terminal!
DeleteWhen was the last time the runway was overhauled at SKP?
ReplyDeleteI believe during the construction of the new terminal. Between 2008-2010. I may be wrong.
DeleteSkopje has many alternative airports nearby: PRN, INI, SOF and OHD but it seems a bit far. Don't know why they don't collaborate with any of them and work in a tranquil manner....
ReplyDeleteHopefully they will spend some money on the ILS to avoid weeks of disruption like we had a few winters ago.
ReplyDeleteILS upgrade doesn't mean a thing in SKP since the terrain in the approach prevents it from effectively utilizing it.
DeleteUnfortunately, the only proper solution involves building a new runway. :-(
The construction workers will have a 9 to 5 job :D
ReplyDeleteSJJ airport will go through the same process around the same time and they also claim the closure will have minimal impact on avio operations... Let' see. Any other airport in the region is doing an overhaul of runways? Will Belgrade runway be completed anytime soon?
ReplyDeleteBelgrade's runway will be completely overhauled. But they avoided the closure because it will be replaced by the new runway currently under construction. It will be completed in 2023 and then they will close the current runway.
DeleteI wonder which airport will be used as alternative for Sarajevo?
They used Tuzla in 2006 when they did overhaul of the runway.
DeleteDoes anybody know what is the cost for the runway overhaul in SKP?
ReplyDelete