Wizz Air will commence flights from Skopje to four European cities from November 1, which will be subsidised by the Macedonian government over the next three years after it won a tender designed to support the introduction of new routes from either the Macedonian capital or Ohrid. The budget carrier, which boasts a base in Skopje, will commence three weekly flights each to Ljubljana, Stuttgart, Salzburg and Luxembourg. Under the terms of the tender, Wizz Air will be obligated to maintain flights from Skopje to these four destinations for another three years once the subsidy program expires. If it fails to do so, it will have to return the state funds.
Wizz Air has previously operated flights between Skopje and Salzburg. The service commenced in the summer of 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic but was discontinued after just one flight as Austria banned entry from a number of countries in the Balkans, including Macedonia. Flights were not restored thereafter. On the other hand, services to Ljubljana will resume for the first time in four years. Flights were previously operated by the now defunct Adria Airways until its bankruptcy in September 2019. At the time, Adria maintained operations on the route twice per day. Skopje is one of Ljubljana’s busiest unserved routes and the Slovenian government recently also launched a tender to subsidise the introduction of ten new destinations, among which is the Macedonian capital.
Lufthansa, which was the only other airline to take part in the Macedonian tender, will receive financial support over the next three years for its previously announced ten weekly service between Frankfurt and Skopje, which will launch on Sunday of next week. The carrier has not committed to adding more frequencies or routes as part of the tender. “I want to express my great satisfaction that we managed to secure five new destinations from Skopje Airport. At this point, Skopje Airport offers 41 scheduled routes, and there are a further seven European destinations served from Ohrid”, the Macedonian Minister for Transport and Communications, Blagoj Bočvarski, said. Wizz Air is expected to schedule its new routes out of Skopje for the 2023/24 winter season shortly.
Wizz Air wins again!
ReplyDeleteits the only airline really interested. You cant blame them. Its been a blessing for them
DeleteWho's blaming them?
Deletethe conspiracy people ;)
DeleteYou say conspiracy, I say it’s knowledge on how the Balkans really work!
DeleteLuxembourg is the only surprise for me from the list.
ReplyDeleteFinally Ljubljana gets a new route :D
ReplyDeleteMore happy about one route LJ is getting than SKP four.
DeleteConsidering how few routes Ljubljana has, yes.
DeleteWhy offer money for flights to Luxembourg instead of a major EWuropean hub like LHR, MUC, DUB or MAD?
ReplyDeleteWas waiting for this comment... only thing missing was that Wizz air flies to villages
DeleteWasn't the point of the tender this time around to offer connections to major hubs?
Deletewell theres FRA ;)
DeleteBut the retroactive subsidies Lufthansa...
ReplyDeleteNot sure, but whats the target with the route to Luxembourg? German west is well covered, same as Brussels...pity that there is nothing attractive (e.g. Prague, Madrid, Barcelona) for the Macedonians who live in Macedonia and who are paying for these subsidies, the destinations are more gasto oriented...
ReplyDeleteI assume the target is Albanian/Kosovo diaspora. There is a big one in Luxembourg.
Delete@ 09.06 lmao
DeleteImo it makes sense,, major airports are at least 2hrs away. there's nothing for that part of Germany (Saarland & Baden Württemberg) + covers large chunk of France for which both baden baden in D and Basel in CH are too far away.
DeleteFor the ones complaining it is for diaspora and it is not "attractive": Luxembourg and surroundings are worth a weekend trip, same as Stuttgart and the rest of Schwaben, same with Lorrain in France.
@9.06 haha patethic
DeleteI don't see what is pathetic about my comment? There truly is a big Albanian/Kosovo diaspora in Luxembourg. The "big" Montenegrin diaspora in Luxembourg are also mostly Albanian Montenegrins. You can check official records if you don't believe me. I don't know why this would bother you exactly?
Deleteits pathetic that you think that Wizz is launching routes from Macedonia for targeting only diasporas from neighbouring countries. You should really get out of your etnic bubble cave Its 2023.
DeleteI didn't say that they are launching routes from Macedonia targeting only diaspora from neighboring countries, I am saying that this particular route is likely primarily targeting the diaspora as the number of Macedonians in Luxembourg is miniscule and I don't think the route is targeting tourists 3x per week with A320 or A321. I really don't know what you are on about.
DeleteWhy is everyone loling when it comes to mentioning the Albanian diaspora? Are you going to deny it? Does it not exist? 85% of the routes offered in both SKP and OHD are purely gasto. The fact that QR and FZ stopped flying to SKP should tell you many things. Will yet to be interesting to see how LH develop in SKP being the first real Western legacy carrier operating in its modern history.
DeleteI also don't get it, whenever Wizair opens a new route somebody immediately must point it is for the Albanian diaspora.. and even if it is, where is the problem? It's a matter of supply and demand.
DeleteReminds me of people commenting earlier that ZAG was suppose to only have legacies and no LCCs because it was some sort of elite airport or whatever, or when people comment Croatia and Slovenia are not Balkan countires when their respective airports are compared with the rest of the region and not with dunno Prague or Vienna.
@10.22 totally agree with you.
DeleteFact! Btw the macedonian diaspora in LUX is 200 citizens 😂😂, i dont see where this is going, even if every macedonian fly turisticly to LUX one day the planes will be empty, even Koscice in Slovakia would have worked more, but we will see what will happen.
Delete9.51 there are around 2k Albanians in Luxembourg that’s not enough to maintain this route Wizzair route
DeleteWhy does some people envy om SKP when getting new flights. Every country tries to increase traffic to their country. Does it matter how. Some countries relies on more on tourist some on gasto some on both. The only important question is it sustainable and yes it is. And besides it will increase gasto traffic and also tourist traffic. 5 euro or whatever amount for subsidy it is nothing(it’s small push). Nobody spends less than 5 euro at their destination when they go by plane.
DeleteOhrid missed out :(
ReplyDeleteLet's see how this impacts ZAG-SKP as many used it to get to Slovenia.
ReplyDeleteAfter Zagreb - Podgorica, Skoplje - Ljubljana are the 2nd LCC rout in ex-yu. Surprising!
ReplyDeletethis will mostly effect Croatian Airlines and Air Serbia from Ljubljana in terms of Skopje tranfers.
Deletethat boring comment that we keep reading here: "bad news for JU" you can it use now Im afraid. Same for OU. @10.14 I agree with you
Delete@9.16 surprising is that ZAG-TGD was qicker then LJU-SKP :)
DeleteSo LJU has now extra subsidies if they can get money only from one government?
DeleteWizz Wizz also get subsidies from Slovenian government for LJU-SKP?
ReplyDelete*Will Wizz
DeleteHighly likely
DeleteSo Wizzair only launch routes if both sides subsidise it?
DeleteNo, but it is convenient to have both sides cover your costs. Why wouldn't you use that opportunity if you are a business that has a base in one of those two airports and are interested in that route. I certainly would.
DeleteIt has already been said several times in the comments here: Double subsidy is not possible. The Slovenian tender explicitly prohibits double subsidization of the same flight connection.
DeleteWould SKP-LJU route block other airlines to get the slovenian subsidy for the same route?
Deleteno. any other airline can participate.
DeleteYes for example if Ryanair will apply as expected they could launch Skopje flights and compete with Wizz if I understand it correctly.
DeleteIt is possible only if the application is submitted before Wizzair flight is in the booking system.
Deletenow that would be a thing :D
Deleteyes but I think it would be better if they dont use the subsidies (Slovenian) for Skopje flights if they are going to be operated from Macedonian subsidies and rather use them for the second list of routes that could be subsided with the likes of Oslo, Stockholm, Barcelona, etc…
Deleteand this is exactly what they will do.
DeleteI really hope so but there should be enough money for it anyway because 5.6 mil a year is a lot for those subsidies
DeleteWizz new routes are not yet in theri booking system :). Come on Ryanair, plz submit the application! :D It would be funny to have 3x weekly W6 and 3x weekly FR between LJU and SKP :)
DeleteWhat on earth are you talking about? So you would rather see that the money from subsidies goes for flights to SKP which will already be operated by Wizz from Macedonian subsidies instead of going for the destinations like Barcelona or Stockholm which are in the second plan for subsidies??
DeleteI was hoping they would add Prague
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteSo was me
DeleteNothing exotic this time around. LUX is a bit of a surprise, Ljubljana was expected.
ReplyDeleteStuttgart will be their 11th destination in Germany from Skopje!
ReplyDeleteAt least it is a bigger city this time around.
DeleteIt is interesting that Baden-Baden and Stuttgart are both served 3/7, but are only 100km apart.
Deletemaybe they will go down at FKB to two. Im not sure that all these 4 routes will start as 3 weekly. LJU was confirmed on the press conference and I think he reffered only to LJU for being 3 weekly but I might be wrong
DeleteHe said all four will be three weekly. Then again he announced Skopje-Abu Dhabi by Wizz few years ago and that he signed an agreement and we see how that turned out.
DeleteI cant see SZG and LUX starting as 3 weekly, STR and LJU yes
DeleteNot bad at all. Four new routes for SKP and they start in winter.
ReplyDeleteNooo I was hoping they would resume Barcelona and Larnaca
ReplyDeleteIt was obvious Wizz was not interested in Barcelona when there was news a few weeks ago how TAV is talking to Spanish airlines about flights to Spain.
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2023/04/skopje-to-get-cyprus-charters.html
DeleteOne of the criteria Was to be unobserved routs in past two IATA seasons, so next summer the can get with Barca and can take money for them
DeleteThey won't be able to get money for Barcelona next year. They won't organize another tender for new routes for the next three years.
Delete@9.36 not true. Theres money left from this tender and this is what they said yesterday that they want to use it for another one
DeleteAnon 09:36
DeleteNot true - the macedonian government announced that enough money is left for a second tender end of 2023.
If you ever visited BCN, you will see that many local street tour agencies offer Albania and Montenegro as packages because they have a lot more to offer as destinations. Spanish people adore countries with coast because it's in their culture. I don't see any local North Macedonian operator promoting Barcelona neither. So why would the flights be resumed at first place?
Deletebecause they had way more pax on this route then on other two weekly routes from SKP
DeleteBCN flights were 100% subsidised and remember the fares were as little as 19,99€ especially in winter. The schedule was good, but there is obviously not enough demand especially from Barcelona. It was a short-lived destination. SKP might need to add up a 14th German destination as there is clearly more demand there.
DeleteMissing airports: DUS, LEJ, PAD, SCN and KSF.
wtf does 100% subsidied even mean? LOL
Delete12:00 a flight 100% subsided is impossible it means that the government will pay for every seat. What you mean is that from the susbidies Wizzair got a large part went to BCN. These subsidies were to give the route a push and were 4-5 euro per passenger so the majority by the money is still payed by passengers.
DeleteWill they ever launch flights from Skopje to Abu Dhabi?
ReplyDeleteFinally Ljubljana!!!
ReplyDeleteLuxembourg is surprising considering Wizz has a very small presence there, but like someone said, really worth a visit. It is beautiful (but expensive)
ReplyDeleteThere is absolutely nothing interesting in Luxembourg. Just a couple of buildings and some castle. Very boring country similar to Belgium. Those countries are just for work and that's it. Netherlands is waaay much better.
Delete:D I think LUX will cater to neighbouring countries as well. its not that huge ;)
Delete@Anon 10:05 +1.
Delete"Very boring country similar to Belgium. Those countries are just for work and that's it."
DeleteGhent and Bruges alone are more interesting than the whole of southern Netherlands. Incredible what you can read here.
Nothing wrong with Luxembourg 🇱🇺 beautiful little country
DeleteWill they be able to fill an A321 between Ljubljana and Skopje?
ReplyDeletehaha dont worry
DeleteThey have A320s based in Skopje too. And I think it is irrelevant since they will be getting money from Slovenia and Macedonia for this route.
Delete@9.35 having a bitter morning? Demand between SKP and LJU is huge
DeleteIt's only 3 times per week and don't forget that passenger to/from PRN will use those flights.
DeleteBitter morning? What are you talking about? I am just thinking out loud if it is possible to fill 690 seats per week each way between Skopje and Ljubljana. Why are you angry exactly? What I wrote is not insulting. I didn't say they won't be able to or that they won't succeed. You really need to chill.
DeleteAnon 09.34.There will not get money from Slovenia. Double subsidy is not possible. The Slovenian tender explicitly prohibits double subsidization of the same flight connection.
Deletecount in 20k SLO tourists in MK and vice versa (which nr will probably rise thanks to these flights) plus the huge MK diaspora, count in 10% on business trips plus 10% Kosovar diaspora using these flights then you easily reach the 690 seats imho
Delete^ Ok, you could have answered that way rather than name calling someone and saying they are bitter because they simply asked can the route work. I don't know exactly why I would be bitter about flights between Skopje and Ljubljana.
Deletethere was this "high density expert" that was trolling against this route some time ago
DeleteYou are underestimating Kosovo population. If you check last population census made in 2002, already at that time there were more than 6k of Albanians (most of those are actually Kosovarians) and less than 4k of Macedonians. And that difference is only higher by now..
Deletenobody underestimates anybody we are just tired of etnocentric postings
Delete23k people have kosovan citizenship in Slovenia and 14 k have Macedonian citizenship in Slovenia so that should be fine.
Deleteyou all are surprised with LUX but the actual surprise is STR. Its a compeletely new W6 destination. Lets see how it goes but it can be a mini "Basel", they tried Basel from SKP for the first time and the rest is history (aka their best route out of YU)
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the new routes
ReplyDeleteThey announced the Abu Dhabi route years ago and it seams they are not interested to launch it at all. The demand for UAE flights is so small? I remeber we had FlyDubai and Qatar out of Skopje. Good times!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know when they will actually schedule it?
ReplyDeleteSoon but flights won't start until November.
DeleteWizzair knows what they are doing. I flew Nyo-Skp on their first wednesday flight 2 weeks ago and their 321 was packed on a random wednesday. Ofc a lot of diaspora from Mk/Srb & Ks but also people from Sweden and a saw a couple of Asians too..
ReplyDeleteGreat flight and great crew!
on lcc levels their SKP crew is excellent
DeleteMaybe we will see some surprise when they schedule the flights, aka the return of Turku or something
ReplyDeletepity about Ohrid. Very hard to get there from London. TUI flights.. weds only in summer are very expensive
ReplyDeleteGeneva ✔
ReplyDeleteLjubljana ✔
Amsterdam
I agree about AMS,,, we need a representative from Skyteam or One world
Deleteif it materializes I wonder if EIN would be affected
sleepy Easyjet has a base there plus Transavia
DeleteAnd nobody mentions that Wizz will fly to Stuttgart while they already fly three times a week to Karlsruhe. I am a bit disapointed, they had to lauch Prague, Madrid, Barcelona..
ReplyDeletesee above
DeleteThe only thing I'm dissapointed about is them not starting the flights earlier - which is ofc understandable
ReplyDeletewe need a second UK destination but Wizz has slots only for LTN and LGW
ReplyDeleteWizz UK
DeleteWhat is interesting is that WIZZ would get much more money from Slovenian tender than Macedonian for the SKP-LJU route.
ReplyDeletewanted to write that too. Didnt they know it?
DeleteWhy not get both and get money for other routes at LJU
Deletebecause u cant due to rules set by slovenia
DeleteIf the Slovenian tender offers much more money, the Macedonian subsidies can't be very generous. The Slovenian scheme only covers 50% of the airport and ground handling charges at LJU. That's it.
DeleteI think the Macedonian subsidies are exactly the same (half of the charges) but they are less then what LJU charges
DeleteMaybe Slovenia would like to subsidies LJU-OHD and spend less money than Macedonian government? Adria used to fly to Ohrid...
ReplyDeleteWizz is a joke!
ReplyDeleteThey started seriously from MXP and then suddenly disappeared.
Maybe they went to Rome.
Also, they announced Belgrade 3 years ago, and still there is no flight.
I've followed this blog since I was a young kid and prior to my career in aviation as cabin crew at a major airline. As an avgeek, thank YOU for all the work on this blog - it's really exciting seeing how the region is developing and changing, for the better.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that hasn't changed is the tonality and pointless, sometime racist, comments pointed at a certain group of people form the former YU, or the wider region. To you folks: just stop, that just really shows that we're (unfortunately) still that narod! ✌🏼☀️
happy that SZG is back in the game, always thought STR would be launched by Eurowings. LJU was long overdue
ReplyDeleteAgree with LUX and LJU, don't understand SZG and STR but anyway, it's done now.
ReplyDeleteÖsterreich is a huge market for ExYu in general and not evrybody is in Vienna, Salzburg can serve the south of Bavaria as well
DeleteThis site is getting very frustrating with all of the different airport fan boys and/or ethnocentric posts. There's no reason for any of the tensions I am reading in the posts above. This is an aviation site. Can you guys just enjoy the hard work that goes into bringing you news on a daily basis? So much passive aggressiveness is really putting off.
ReplyDeleteLufthansa case is priceless. LH announced FRA-SKP service, then applied for the tender for that exact line, then won the tender for the next 3 years for that already announced route. What a coincidence!
ReplyDeleteAs an added bonus, Wizz can now proudly boast about not being the only airline to win SKP tenders every time. Lucky win-win for everyone!
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
ReplyDeleteLove the FRA addition.
Peace out.
Really, you love the FRA addition? Don't you work for Wizz?
DeleteLeft a long time ago once the proper work was done and greener pastures beckoned. Built it up to be self sustainable both in terms of market and tools developed which is what matters.
DeleteBeen preaching for a daily connector for quite some years now. Would've preferred PAR/AMS since I'm not the biggest LH fan but this will do just fine.
Been following you on build.mk for ages my man, but whatever you had built over there is now being brought to shambles by a delusional CEO. The Akbar Al Baker of Europe, Joe Varadi is unhinged. I don't see Wizz surviving another summer like last one, given how many crew are leaving. Even Avion Express and Smart Lynx pay more, and here's Joe with his yachts and private jet telling the people council "if you want more money go work for Emirates or Qatar". Good luck sourcing crew for the upcoming years, they're canceling flights left and right because staff are leaving at a higher rate than they can recruit.
DeleteThe macedonian Diaspora in Luxembourg is over 1000 including all the bulgarian people with macedonian roots( the passport is only bulgarian😅)
ReplyDelete