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Qatar Airways has deferred the resumption of its flights between Doha and Skopje for a third time, with the carrier now planning to restore operations between the two cities at the start of the 2021/2022 winter season, which begins on October 31. An analysis of the airline’s top destinations to and from Skopje reached by transferring via Doha gives a clear understanding for the airline’s decision. In 2019, passengers flying exclusively between Doha and Skopje accounted for 23% of all passengers on the route, the remaining 77% being transfers. The majority either originated or were destined for the Australian market – 33%, followed by India 7%, Thailand 5% and Singapore 4%. All of these remain largely closed to international travellers with little prospects they will reopen any time soon.
Australian citizens are not permitted to leave their country unless they receive special permission from the government - only for urgent business travel or compassionate grounds - while Australian nationals returning to the country must endure a strict two-week quarantine during which they cannot leave their hotel rooms for which they have to fully pay. International arrivals into Australia are capped at less than 5.000 per week. Foreign nationals are not permitted entry. Australia is unlikely to fully open its borders in 2021 even if most of its population gets vaccinated this year as planned, a senior health official said last month. The comments have dampened hopes raised by airlines that travel to and from the country could resume as early as July. As a result, Qatar Airways’ decision to push back its service resumption to Skopje is in line with the closure of the largest market it serves out of the Macedonian capital.
Qatar Airways top O&D destinations to/from Skopje in 2019
Speaking to EX-YU Aviation News, Qatar Airways said, “Similar to other airlines around the world, the Covid-19 pandemic has created significant operational challenges for Qatar Airways. While we continue to operate as many flights as possible, many routes remain commercially unviable due to the significant drop in global demand for air travel”. It added, “We understand how important it is for many of our passengers to have access to flights and we want to reassure them we remain committed to operating as many flights as possible. An ongoing review is being conducted and the intention is to reinstate flights in line with a return to regular conditions and market demand”.