The Macedonian Minister for Transport and Communications, Aleksandar Nikoloski, has said the country is laying the groundwork for the introduction of long-haul flights from Skopje. Speaking at the annual conference of the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations in Skopje, Mr Nikoloski said, “The government has plans to organise nonstop intercontinental flights from Skopje Airport, which will be a unique case not only for the country but also for the region. We have already started working on it, and I believe it is a big ambition, but we will greatly benefit from it. This will be of great importance for the entire country, because we have a big diaspora that wants to fly nonstop from Skopje, but it will also help attract tourists not just to our country but the region as well”.
Mr Nikoloski did not specify how long-haul flights would be established from Skopje, however, it is not the first time the idea has been floated. In 2017, the Macedonian government discussed the possible introduction of flights from Skopje to the United States and Canada with Turkish Airlines' CEO Bilal Eksi. Macedonia and Turkey have an Open Skies Agreement in place with both the United States and Canada, which permits for a Turkish carrier to be issued fifth freedom rights by regulators from all parties involved. However, in order for Skopje to secure flights to the States, it would also have to undergo an audit by US authorities.
Commenting on the potential introduction of long-haul flights, the General Manager of airport operator TAV Macedonia, Nejat Kurt, said earlier this year, “It is an ongoing conversation with airlines and our headquarters are working on this. We have all the tools, necessary equipment, and facilities to cater for long-haul flights to markets such as North America. I am personally convinced that this will happen in the nearest future. I believe that this is a good step forward and I hope that we will have a positive outcome with airlines that are willing to operate such flights”. Meanwhile, Minister Nikoloski said the outcome of the country’s public call to airlines for the launch of new routes in return for subsidies will be made public in the coming days.
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ReplyDeleteI was saying this but haters were laughing.
ReplyDeleteI think route Ohrid - Anchorage has a bright future
Deletesame here. i was the one that said that Emirates is not unlikely to start flights with subsidies to US or AUS.. when they obtain A350, of course not with A380 or B777.
DeletePeople joked and wrote weird stuff, like Skopje to Rio or Skopje to Singapore.. No one said we want flights there, we said to US or AUS.
^ Sorry, but it is still a joke that you think Emirates will fly with A350 to Skopje of all places.
DeleteIf tirana starts 2025 direct flights
Delete90'percent of north macedonian diaspora is albanian people rest macedonian muslim
Noone will fly from shkup if tirana start the flights no airline will fly from skopje
Maybe if albanians from kosova which are 300k in usa will use that route
So is better for north macedonian goverment to finish the highway from skopje to kosova border
Would love to see it, even if its only seasonal. But my guess is this is just hot air.
ReplyDeleteWow hope it happens
ReplyDeleteBetter to aim for more options to connect through the other hubs in Europe. I think even the diaspora will appreciate more options such as AMS, LHR, CDG, MUC compared to a seasonal once or twice per week long haul flight
ReplyDeleteI agree
DeleteConnectivity with places like CDG and DBX would help immensely with connectivity to Australia and North America
DeleteI am really curious to see which airlines and routes aplied for the tender. Something is telling me that half of the things the minister said are far from the reality. These tenders were going for a decade now and the last one was last year. What could have changed all of a sudden so that now more airlines applied but before it was only Wizz ( with exception of the last one where we had A3 and LH ). The only different thing is that now non EU carriers can apply. I bet we will get ESB flights tho with subsidies now.
ReplyDeleteFrom the article it seems only turkish would fly the route.
DeleteIstanbul to skopje then to new York.
But very unlikely to happen
Turkish would rather use that wide-body on another route which will make them more money.
DeleteIt will end like Gulliver
ReplyDeleteOr HiSky in OTP.
Deletewhy, HiSky still operates NYC-OTP
DeleteWith very poor LF.
DeleteYou are comparing this with uknown carriers. GullivAir and HiSky are unknown to most people, especially Gullivair. GullivAir can start flights from Dubai to London and would still be emtpy cause nobody knows about them!
DeleteGood one:))
ReplyDeleteEK has flights to JFK and EWR through MXP and ATH.
ReplyDeleteSomething similar would be great for SKP.
And don't forget the big Albanian diaspora in the US that would also use such a flight.
Of course. EK will fly from SKP do USA… come on…
DeleteTK instead of EK.
DeleteThree much larger airports than SKP are in the vicinity: TIA, SOF and SKG. None of them have long haul. What exactly will make SKP succeed where they failed? What has stopped SKP from getting TK to fly IST-SKP-JFK since 2017 when idea was discussed? Why did ZAG fail to get EK to fly DXB-ZAG-JFK but SKP will get it? Why did Gulliver fail? Answer those questions first.
ReplyDeleteTIA is not larger then SKP, in fact it is much smaller and its as chaotic as possible there.
DeleteHe likely meant in terms of pax rather than surface area
DeleteEquipment wise - TK can deploy from SKP to Canada or USA the A330-200 or the dreamliner. These birds accomodate 250 to 300 people.
ReplyDeleteWithout a feeding network (like YU has in BEG - transit pax), this are big and ambitious numbers for SKP (I am from SKP and would love to see this, but the busines needs people on seats.
This might be an option in the summer sesion with 2 to 3 weekly from big disapora hubs.
+1
DeleteThe subsidy model applied by SKP and OHD can workout with the new XLR but likely seasonal in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteI know the United boss had previously expressed wishes to connect east cost with central and eastern Europe with the arrival of XLR. Hence, if the gov is willing to pay, I'm sure United or AA will think twice about serving SKP.
Imagine American Airlines in Skopje.
Delete😂
DeleteBe realistic, A321XLR is not gonna happen to US.
DeleteI believe we have actual chance with Emirates or Turkish to New York or Chicago.
not gonna happen from Skopje. from Ireland/Iceland, UK of course and will happen.
DeleteNot happen because....? XLR has an autonomy of 8700km. Distance between SKP and JFK is roughly 7500km so it's not a technical issue. However, I agree that neither AA nor UA have any interest in using their XLR to SKP but rather to major eastern European destinations such as BUD, PRG, ZAG, OTP unless the government offers them attractive subsidies......
DeleteRight. I also think USA airlines will start using A321XLR to ZAG from Boston, Washington, NYC, Philly, Chicago, Cleveland… whole eastern coast to major Euro destination - Zagreb
DeleteThis is a joke of the day!
ReplyDeleteReading these comment today, may I ask what you are all smoking in Macedonia to come up with such ludicrous ideas?
ReplyDeleteWait and see who will be a joke. We have more chance with incentives than than other airports. We will get flights before Bosnia or Croation, you will see. Of coursenthwre is no chance without subsidies.
DeleteSorry, what is the point for Macedonian government to subsidize flights for mostly albanian diaspora???
DeleteIf flights need to be subsidised then there is no need for these flights. The market speaks for itself.
DeleteDelusions
ReplyDeleteBigger chance JU to fly Tokyo in 6 months then USA flights from SKP. Ever…
ReplyDeleteI think both Sarajevo and Ljubljana will get long haul before Skopje
ReplyDeleteLol sure. If you said Zagreb and Split I would have said ok fair enough. Skopje has more pax then both airports combined
DeleteZagreb does already have them. But sure we will see
DeleteTheir plans have nothing to do with EK ... but ...
ReplyDeleteHope it happens
ReplyDeleteThey will need big subsidies to make it work. Traffic is one directional, extremely seasonal and it is expensive to maintain flights. Diaspora is big but impossible to maintain simply on diaspora traffic. With no feed traffic whatsoever because government decided it was best to kill privately owned flag carrier they will have to pump millions and millions annually to make the route work.
ReplyDeleteI would rather focus on getting nonstop flights to main European airports. Still many lacking from SKP. Would be more useful to everyone than token route for diaspora and to show off.
ReplyDeleteDoes not necessarily have to be Turkish. Could be some charter airline like Neos.
ReplyDelete