NEWS FLASH
Skopje Airport saw its passenger figures decline for a third consecutive month in June as a result of Wizz Air’s network reductions, caused by the grounding of a significant portion of its Airbus A320neo-family fleet. The airport welcomed 265.983 travellers during the month, down 2.6% on 2023. This is despite a 6.4% increase in aircraft movements. During the first half of the year, Skopje Airport handled 1.364.571 passengers, up 10.9% following a record first quarter.
Skopje’s largest airlines by scheduled seat capacity, June 2024
What happens when you put all your eggs into a single LCC's basket
ReplyDeleteWell, it's not like airlines are rushing to launch SKP. Airport tried to bring in new players but there were no takers. Market is rather small so what Wizz did was truly spectacular and they should be congratulated.
DeleteJust this year SKP added Air Baltic, Ajet, new Pegasus flights. Last year Lufthansa came.
DeleteYes but SKP has a tradition of losing airlines that launch flights, from the top of my head we have Qatar Airways and flydubai and there might be more.
DeleteAlso didn't LOT and Austrian Airlines and Air Serbia actually reduce SKP?
"Has a tradition" and goes on to mention just 2 airlines which left during Covid after flying for several years. How many airlines have left other airports in the past few years. It's more than 2 I can tell you that.
DeleteNo, they didn't reduce SKP.
LOT increased SKP this summer from seven to nine weekly flights. Keep dreaming.
DeleteJU reduced SKP from 14 to 12 and so did OS
DeleteJU is flying 14 weekly to Skopje. So wrong again.
DeleteMy friend those only started about ten days ago. Beginning of summer it was 9 and then slowly increased.
Deleteit was 10. Just like last summer.
DeleteGo for TIA
DeleteCan we stop with these dumb comments? Macedonians are poor, if it wasn't for wizzair, most wouldn't be flying. Wizzair is the greatest thing to happen to Skopje. And it's gonna even better the next few years, after the engine problems are fixed. New routes and expansion on old routes.
DeleteI don't know what people expect, not everyone wants to fly from Skopje and yet it's doing amazing. Might still crack 3 million passengers this year or at least match last year's success.
I wish it wasn't so.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest problem is the prices of airline tickets, we know what our standard is and that we are not able to pay for airline tickets at current prices. When the tickets were cheaper, I had 16 flights, this year I didn't fly once, and I know I'm not the only one.
ReplyDeletethats your problems but i doesnt seem other peoples problem.
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2024/05/ex-yu-airports-see-mixed-june-prospects.html 265.983 pax from 295.103 capacity is not bad
I just wanted to say that the number of passengers would be much higher if it wasn't for these prices then the load factor would be 99%
DeleteCan you please mention what airlines and price examples, because I already flew a few times from Skopje this year and have upcoming flights which I bought for reasonable prices.
DeleteI don't know what you are saying. I have bought 10 tickets from and to Skopje this year and it was never more than 50 euros for a flight.
DeleteLOT has great potential for transatlantic flights (many people are using WAW for transfer to USA, even some Kosovars) and Scandinavia/Baltics which are limited from SKP.
DeleteWhen LOT has more capacity than Edelweiss ...
ReplyDeleteYes and i hope it will continue like that.
DeleteIt will LOT is doing great especially with transfers from Usa and Canada ....not only summer during all the year...
DeleteI’m curious how is Air Baltic doing. I was flying them in July and both flights to and from Skopje were around 80% LF.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAir baltic for now is doing pretty good , the LF on almost every flight is good. I also cant wait for offcial results too.
DeleteBecause tens of thousands of albanians from north macedonia even macedonians start gojng to tirana to fly to europe and usa
DeleteWizz air expensive from ohrid and even skopje
They need to lower the taxes or next year once direct flight starts betwen tirana and jfk will be even 100-200k less people
@20.05 wrong thread mate
DeleteThe subside Albania does on flights is ridicules. It cannot last forever for sure, but we and Montenegro need to do something similar fpr some period, as in other everybody fly from Tirana, i had so many people use the airport and rent a car to go to macedonia or montenegro, it was more logical in price then flying directly
Deletewhat has this to do with Air Baltic
Deletenorwegian flights SKP-OSL are sold out on 2.8 & 5.8 , 9.8 is 529€
ReplyDeleteReturn flight is 529 Eur or single ?
Deleteone way
Deletei find it bit funny that TAV is silent about the monthly decline in their social media, they are only mentioning the combined plus compared to last year. Its not a shame really!
ReplyDeleteIt is not their fault. They are doing the best job possible. Many outside factors are unfavorable. SKP is still having more pax than Ljubljana, besides Slovenians much higher income. Many factors contribute.
Deletese razbira deka ne e niven fault pa zatoa i rekov deka ne e sramota da objavat
DeleteHow is that not their fault? They did nothing to bring back flights to Spain, Doha, Dubai.
DeleteThey didn't have flights to doha, dubai or spain in january but had 50% passenger growth.
DeleteTAV se golemi nerabotnici. Nisto ne pravat za privlekuvanje na novi prevoznici i novi linii. Treba da im se raskini dogovorot i da se izbrkaat. Ubeden sum deka državata podobro ke raboti i so dvata aerodrom, Skopje i Ohrid.
DeleteNe? Ne daj bozhe drzhavata da treba da raboti so aerodromite. Kje bide isto kako so kontrolata na letanje. Skraja da e od toa.
Delete14:31 Decision of opening or finishing a route is airline right , the airport doesnt have nothing with that. What airport should do is just promote the airport , renovating etc ... and promoting the country thats it. Everytning else is airline decision.
Delete@14.37 preteruvas, aerodromot funkcionira bezprekorno no prilicno se nefleksibilni koga se raboti za privlekuvanje na novi aviokompanii @15.17 imas pravo
DeleteIt is not just Wizz Air engine problem...a significant percentage of Macedonian citizens were suddenly left without valid passport since Feb 12th this year, due to a colossal government fuck-up. Even the landline border crossings were dreadfully empty. That kind of thing can only happen in Macedonia, with its puppet governments desperately trying to please its foreign masters even beyond the demands of those masters.
ReplyDeletehave been away of this blog for few months only to come for the very same comment. Lol
DeleteStop with this stupidity please.
DeleteI agree. The lack of valid passports for traveling was the biggest reason for this slump in traveling. High prices are also one of the biggest issues that makes flying out of Skopje a non starter. Needless to say, those customs officers attitude towards citizens is just awful.
Delete+1
Deletelol
Deletethe passport is the issue but Wizz reducing the capacity by 15% is not the reason. Boze gospode!
DeleteWow, so thats only 60,000 more than SJJ. Last year they used to have more than double if I am not mistaken.
ReplyDeleteYes and that is because SJJ has more traffic this year nor because SKP has less.
Deletethey never had more then double in summer
DeleteTirana and Pristina growths certainly hurted Skopje due to the Albanian diaspora. It is not all about Wizz Air. Ohrid also is not really performing well. The failure to resume Gulf destinations, lack of more charters. SKP being a gasto airport may try and retrieve the Swedish or German villages to improve its numbers.
ReplyDeletedeja vu comment
DeleteYes and Tirana and Pristina are heavily luxurious airports with business people who are coming every day to invest billions .... what a comment dude ,
DeleteWhat are you in mate ?
DeleteOur new minister for Transport couple days ago said that they are in talks with low cost airlines to start operations from SKP and OHR , I think they recognize the reality that country cannot be handled only with one airline
ReplyDeletewhen the transport minister goes public .... you know the results
DeleteCitizens of Macedonia still have problem to obtain new passport , I have a friend who apply in June , and in the police station they tell him to come for it in middle of August , and he supposed to go on seasonal job in Italy , is it nornal to wait for passport for 2.5 months ? And he is just one example. The other issue is Wizz engine problems , thats why our new goverment need to find and bring new airlines so not to have this issue again , not only one in this case Wizz.I hope in near future that will happend ,and from next year also Wizz will growe up SKP and OHR operations , and of course to see new airlines and routes. This year will finish bad for SKP and I know that since January , and to be honest could be worst then this thanks to god !!!
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteIt's time for Ryanair to step in...
ReplyDeleteRyanair should launch flights and Macedonia needs to have its own airline too. Grab two E190 and launch main cities (CDG, LHR, FRA, MUC, PRG, AMS, BRU, ARN, FCO, MAD, LCA,…)
ReplyDeleteAnd name it Air Macedonia or whatever and connect Skopje to main European hubs. Join interlines, allow customers to transfer via CDG by an AF/KL interline and so on, we had enough of LCC.
DeleteBeing a young country it did and never had a good experience in aviation to have its own airline. MAT, Palair, Avioimpex and so on.
DeleteI think that the main cause for this root of SKP is TIA, it has taken all travelers from western Macedonia but also from Kosovo.
ReplyDeleteYes, thats right all macedonian use TIA airport for two reasons cheaper price and more destinations to choose.
Delete1.Wizzair fleet issues
ReplyDelete2.Lack of "valid" passport for Schengen travel
3.Prices of LCC
4.TIA impact
Need Istanbul Ohrid
ReplyDelete