The Macedonian Minister for Transport and Communications, Blagoj Bočvarski, has said the government plans to subsidise the introduction of more new routes from Skopje and Ohrid airports with a tender to select the destinations and operating carrier(s) to be launched towards the end of the year. “We have enough funds to organise another public call at the end of the year, which will enable more airlines to apply and more routes to be launched. Our commitment as a government is to provide quality services with a wider range of destinations for the public”, Mr Bočvarski said. A new tender would likely be held to enable carriers to add new routes from either Skopje or Ohrid airports in time for the 2024 summer season, which begins in late March of next year.
The development comes just a week after Wizz Air and Lufthansa were successful in their application for Macedonian government subsidies in return for the introduction of new routes. The budget carrier will commence operations from Skopje to Ljubljana, Luxembourg, Stuttgart and Salzburg this November, although flights are yet to be scheduled. On the other hand, Lufthansa’s new ten weekly service from Frankfurt to the Macedonian capital, which launches today, will also be subsidised, even though the carrier announced the new service well before the previous tender was launched. The subsidy scheme will provide state funds in the amount of seven euros per each departing passenger from Skopje over the next three years. The government said the carriers will be obligated to continue operating the routes after the subsidies end.
Once the new Wizz Air routes to be launched this coming winter season are factored in, Skopje Airport’s busiest unserved European destination based on indirect traffic flows will be Amsterdam, followed by the likes of Dusseldorf, Prague, Munich, Barcelona and Madrid. The busiest unserved route from the ones set to be introduced this winter is Ljubljana, followed by Stuttgart. The Macedonian government has been conducting tenders for the introduction of new services since 2013 and has so far held four. All have been won by Wizz Air, which was the only to have applied, with exception to the last one earlier this year, which also included Lufthansa.
Let me guess, Wizz Air will get the money.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely
Deletethey are the only one really interested in MK (their success proves them right)
DeleteI am not sure. There was already a deal with Lufthansa before the subsidy tender was launched.
Delete@13.55 rekla kazala. there was no deal. They announced it on their own
DeleteWhy would one give sunsidy to am already announced route? In this case every airline flying to SKP could get some money.
Deletebecause it wasnt served in the two last IATA seasons which was the requirement in the tender. The tender was waiting green light for same time until the for govs general budget got aproved in the parlament. But if you knew how mk parlam. works .... one is blocking other
DeleteGood
ReplyDeleteGood news. But I hope we finally see another airline using these subsidies. Wizz Air needs some competition.
DeleteAmsterdam and Prague would be great additions.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what Transavia is waiting for.
DeleteThat part of the world seems not to exist on their maps… maybe it’s blurred
DeleteWhy not
ReplyDeleteExcellent news
ReplyDeleteWondering why Easyjet never applies.
ReplyDeleteThis policy has been a great success for Macedonia really
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteHope that Ohrid will get some flights. It was completely sidelined in the previous tender.
ReplyDeleteGood luck to LH today and welcome to Skopje!
ReplyDeleteAny idea of the load on the first flight?
DeleteThe amount that is being given as a subsidy is not a lot actually.
ReplyDeleteIt is very reasonable
DeleteIt’s a stimulation for those in doubt, IMO a great way to lure someone into starting flights. It’s not like JU subsidies that fully cover INI and KVO.
DeleteDoes anyone know who is behind JK Travel MK and the new planned charter flights next month to LCA in collaboration with BH Air?
ReplyDeletehttps://webcmsskp.tav.aero/files/1678804735_Skopje%20Flight%20Schedule%20Summer'23_26Mar'23-28Oct'23.pdf
It seems they will run every week from May to September. Are those flights subsidised as well?
They are not subsidised and you obviously missed the news
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2023/04/skopje-to-get-cyprus-charters.html
Definitely did. Thanks a lot, mate! :)
DeleteDon't get it. Launch of every new route depends on subsidies. Where is the organic growth?
ReplyDeletehere my buddy: https://www.exyuaviation.com/2023/02/three-ex-yu-markets-to-see-double-digit.html
Deleteand its not true that every new route depends on subs
DeleteAnd it's also 2m market with limited income and no national carrier, so organic growth is limited too.
Deletefunny how you think that Wizz' growth is not organic. The subs which are the smallest in all EXYU end after 3 years for each route
Deletewe had 3 tenders but 5 stationed aircrafts. Thats your organic growth
Aegean should apply again!!
ReplyDeleteThe only route they could apply with is either Thessaloniki or Larnaca.
Deletewe are more then fine wit their new 6 weekly. so happy about it
DeleteThe 6weekly flights are great and allowing transfers to the Middle East so Kudos for that. But I could easily see a seasonal Larnaca or Heraklion service too.
DeleteMore regular airlines with flights to actual hubs please.
ReplyDeleteRyanair said recently it was interested in opening many new bases across Europe due to the number of planes they are getting. I'm hopeful they revisit their plans to open a base in Skopje which is what they wanted to do nine years ago until they were chased out by Wizz Air.
ReplyDeleteI really don't understand what are ESY and KLM wayting on starting AMS SKP - it is simply a noBrainer
ReplyDeletemy words too
DeleteMy words are that with AMS getting more and more limitations, destinations like SKP will be rather low on the priority list for KLM or ''ESY''
DeleteJU has 10 weekly and KLM has 14 weekly to BEG.
DeleteThat is total of 24 flights with A320 & E190 in rhe mix.
If we assume that BEG is 3 times bigger than SKP than
a daily flight on this route is not only possible - it is needed.
That doesn't mean much. TIA which is a much bigger market does not have service to AMS either
Deleteyou cant compare like that. each market has its own profile. Look at OHD they have AMS flights
DeleteWell, you compared it first with BEG
DeleteWell, that wasnt me
Deleteonly commenting on the options for the mentioned cities:
ReplyDeleteAmsterdam (EasyJet, Transavaia, KLM or even W6 )
Dusseldorf (Eurowings)
Prague (Wizz)
Munich (LH)
Barcelona and Madrid (Wizz)
if somebody is reading: change Ohrid criteria to seasonal flights
ReplyDeleteNo!
Deletethen its going to be "sidelined" again like somebody above wrote
Deletebtw Wizz has stationed 5 A321s at SKP at the moment
ReplyDelete(if FR24 are correct)
DeleteYes it is like that
DeleteI really expect a new tender because this time it was a complete failure except for FRA and LJU maybe. The government should have been aware that airlines plan new summer routes six months in advance.
ReplyDeleteBy delaying and cancelling the tender they have missed many possible routes that could had been introduced like BCN, PRG, LCA and others. Not a single airline will introduce new route to BCN for ex. in Nov.
I simply cannot understand how PRG is still not introduced. Even if someone claims LUX being a gasto route, this applies to PRG as well.
As for AMS I’m not optimistic Transavia or KLM will come anytime soon although it would be perfect for connections. Have in mind that after arrival of LH, SKP will have a plenty connection options via hubs in IST, FRA, VIE, WAW, ATH (6 flights allowing good connections from Oct) and even BEG. I don’t think that the market needs more at the moment. For instance you can find SKP-NYC return ticket with LOT for as little as 430€ in October.
agree but a 2 weekly p2p low cost connection shouldnt be a problem to fill but AMS has slot issues indeed.
Deletehow can one describe four new 3x weekly routes as a complete failure is out of my mind
DeletePRG used to be operated by OK. OK is literally a dead man walking.
DeletePlus, Smartwings is already in the hands of the Israelis and I don't think they will consider any Balkan expansions. OK used to be one of the best airlines in CEE during communism as well. They used to have A310s and had transatlantic flights.
PRG is also not a cheap airport for LCCs. W6 did not really succeed there and we don't see huge number of Ryanair flights as well.
AMS have this stupid green policy and lack of personnel in AMS and would therefore give priority to the routes making more money.
It is still too early for LH. The route will need sometime and it will be interesting to see if it remains under Lufthansa or transferred to Eurowings Discover as they tend to do on some routes with higher density and more economy to make more money. The trickiest part will also be winter as LH usually lower the number of flights in their network.
SKP-ATH for transfers....I don't see much traffic on the route. Bear in mind the turboprops have been used for quite a while and were a couple of times per week. SKP needs more leisure flights and OHD definitely needs to recover more flights and reach the 300,000 record in 2019!
I agree with most of the written, @16.30, just some small corrections, by person aged 50+ : CEE didn't exist during the cold war times. There used to be very clear and very strict division to the East and the West. The only exception was Yugoslavia and its airline companies. CSA was one of the airlines from "behind the iron curtain", operating Soviet-made fleet and with very limited access to strictly regulated western markets. CEE as a term was only introduced after the fall of Berlin Wall, and that's also the time when CSA switched their IL-62 fleet to A310. A310 was definitely not the part of CSA fleet during Czechoslovak communist times,it joined the fleet in 1991.But I have to agree with one thing : even during those communist times, belonging to the East, they managed to keep at least minimum of courtesy, politeness, professionalism and service and product level, unlike other eastern carriers, and thanks to their history and tradition, prior economic development and mentality
Deleteturbotrops arent an issue for the other company from the region flying to SKP which relies on transfers ... why should it be for A6, they even have a bigger european network to distribute the pax
DeleteBarcelona, Abu Dhabi routes are dismissed. But we have to each city in Germany, I mean cmon
ReplyDeleteyou are free to start an airline and fly to those routes ;) let the other airlines decide for themseleves where they want to fly
Delete