PREMIUM
The United States is Macedonia’s largest unserved market, with 48.525 passengers flying between Skopje and points across the US in 2019. New York is Skopje Airport’s busiest unserved route with over 19.000 people either originating or departing between the Macedonian capital and New York City’s airports in 2019, with Chicago following as the seventh busiest unserved destination. Other cities with notable passenger flow to and from Skopje include Miami, Detroit, Washington, Boston and Los Angeles. The busiest routes largely reflect cities and areas in the US with a prominent Macedonian diaspora. New York retained its position as the busiest unserved route from the Macedonian capital in 2020 as well, although with significantly fewer passengers due to the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike many in Europe, Macedonian citizens are permitted entry into the States with a valid visa but must not have transferred through a country that is a member of the Schengen Zone.
Skopje Airport's top unserved destinations in the United States in 2019
Istanbul was used as the primary point for transfers between Skopje and the United States, from which passengers connected onto Turkish Airlines. It was followed by Vienna and Belgrade. Overall, the Turkish carrier was the single most utilised airline for flights between Skopje and the Big Apple, accounting for 39% of the market. It was followed by Austrian Airlines with a 24% market share and Air Serbia with 8% of transfers.
Top connecting carriers between Skopje and the United States in 2019
Skopje Airport has previously attempted to secure flights to New York. In 2017 it submitted a joint proposal with the Macedonian government for Turkish Airlines to introduce services to the United States via Skopje. Macedonia and Turkey have an Open Skies Agreement in place with the United States, which permits for a Turkish carrier to be issued fifth freedom rights by regulators from both parties. At the time, Turkish Airlines said it would study the proposal and expressed interest in the potential service. "Turkish Airlines is one of the world's leading carriers. We believe that there is a chance that, for the first time, Skopje could have an intercontinental service that would cover the needs of Macedonians living abroad. It would also greatly increase passenger numbers at Skopje Airport and would help turn it into a regional hub", the Macedonian government said at the time.
Prior to the pandemic, Skopje Airport’s operator said, "As TAV Airports, we are actively promoting both Skopje and Ohrid airports in various fields in order to attract new airlines and expand the route network and passenger numbers. We have always established close relationships with our airline clients through our world-wide airport operations. This is also the case in Macedonia, and we are ready to provide the utmost support to an airline which would consider flying transatlantic from Skopje. Skopje Airport is operationally capable to handle such transatlantic flights and ready to support carriers which would consider operating. A nonstop flight to North America would lead to additional feeder flights from the Balkan region to Skopje. The airport would attract many passengers from surrounding countries".