Low cost carrier easyJet is set to return to the Macedonian market next year with the introduction of flights between Paris Orly and Skopje. According to the French financial newspaper “Les Echos”, flights are expected to be scheduled soon. The new service will see the budget airline return to Skopje after discontinuing operations from Geneva last month. Furthermore, it will expand connectivity between Macedonia and France, which will grow alongside Wizz Air’s planned new flights to Lyon, also launching in 2025. easyJet entered the Macedonian market in November 2021 buoyed by the quick recovery of the Visiting Friends and Relatives sector during the coronavirus pandemic.
easyJet will face indirect competition on the route. Wizz Air maintains services between Skopje and Beauvais, advertised as Paris, however, the airport is almost ninety kilometres from the city centre. On the other hand, Orly is located some twenty kilometres from downtown Paris. Last year, Wizz Air handled 39.918 passengers between Skopje and Beauvais for an average cabin load factor of 91.5% across the duration of 2023. The airline utilised the Airbus A321 aircraft on 61% of its flights, while the A320 was deployed on the rest. easyJet has a base at Orly and is the airport’s fourth-largest airline by available capacity this year behind Transavia France, Vueling and Air France.
easyJet had previously said it is unfazed by Wizz Air’s presence on the Macedonian market. It noted, “easyJet is focused on its successful strategy to expand across Europe and operates in the best interests of the company and its customers ensuring the attractiveness of its network. This means the airline concentrates its efforts on maintaining and developing routes which prove popular with passengers. We consider competition only in regards of tactic opportunities that can be complementary to our strategy”. Skopje Airport had previously said one of its main goals is to secure nonstop connectivity to major European cities and large hubs.
We need Air France.
ReplyDeleteWe want Air France.
Apart from Ljubljana and Croatia, AF does not fly anywhere else in ex-YU, so it is not realistic.
DeleteEven in Ljubljana and Zagreb, it's HOP! that flies.
DeleteOnly Dubrovnik and Split have Air France.
And LJU has been decreased quite a bit in recent years.
DeleteHOP! is Air France.
DeleteIf HOP! is Air France then Eurowings is Lufthansa.
DeleteBiggest difference between Hop and mainline is that in business class Hop does not block seat next to you. Otherwise they are more or less the same which is not the case between LH and EW.
DeleteEurowings is to Lufthansa what Transavia is to Air France. Hop! is just a brand for regional aircraft with no difference in service, so the comparison is nonsense.
DeleteExactly EW and LH are low cost and legacy. Air France and HOP are the same. They even recently changed HOP to Air France HOP so people would not think it's different.
DeleteThe history of brand is going like this: HOP! - HOP for Air France - Air France Hop - Air France (operated by Hop). On 1 September 2019, all Hop flights moved to operate under the Air France brand and flight code. All aircraft will be gradually repainted into the Air France livery.
DeleteWizz won’t be happy
ReplyDeleteHealthy competition will benefit market
DeleteThey won't even compete. Wizz flies just 2 weekly. This will be complimentary. There is enough demand for Paris for 4 weekly flights.
Deletejust like with Oslo
DeleteGreat news :)
ReplyDeleteIt's great that easyJet is returning, but I wonder if they will consider other key destinations from Skopje in the future. Routes to places like Amsterdam, Berlin, or Madrid would also be great additions.
ReplyDeleteHopefully they resume Geneva too.
DeleteThey will add some more hubs from SKP , I have that feeling :)))
DeleteAmsterdam is a perfect for them - I still can't understand why are they not establishing this one.
Deleteyou are not the only one believe me
Delete@Viktor,
DeleteEasyjet serves AMS from PRN. Won't compromise its own route.
Wizz to Eindhoven covers enough for SKP market anyways.
SKP should push for Madrid/Barcelona/Lisbon instead. Would be great.
Barcelona is served by Wizz.
DeleteEasyjet doesnt care about Wizz (as you could read in the article) otherwise they wouldnt consider Orly at all
@16.16 if EIN covers the market completely why is AMS every year in the top transfer markets... its quiet the opposite
DeleteAMS is definitely in big demand for SKP , we need that route with Easyjet or any other airline!
DeleteThe huge problem with AMS is slots. With the Dutch trying to constrict slots at AMS, I doubt SKP-AMS happens.
DeleteThose are great loads for SKP-BVA.
ReplyDeleteAlso to add, Eurowings once scheduled flights from Munich to Skopje, but unfortunately cancelled them before they began flying the route. So it would be a good comeback.
DeleteNice addition!
ReplyDeleteNow let's get Eurowings (MUC & DUS) and Transavia (AMS) flying to Skopje and seasonal to Ohrid.
why Eurowings? rather LH to MUC
DeleteLH might be too expensive to operate, while Eurowings offers more affordable tickets and still allowing transfers to LH flights.
DeleteSurprised they didn't apply for the state subsidies.
ReplyDeleteThey will do it retroactively like Lufthansa did.
DeleteBoggles my mind they discontinued Geneva, but are going to start Orly.
DeleteIn theory, there should be much more demand to Geneva, than to Paris (which is already served).
Good news, nonetheless.
They didn't apply for GVA either. Interesting
DeleteGVA-PRN is doing well and there's no need to weaken that market by flying to SKP.
DeleteYet it is no issue doubling up other routes.
Delete@9.18 it is most likely that they could launch a route which made more money than the SKP one did. I have a feeling they will resume GVA too.
DeleteAlso think they will come back with GVA. Maybe even this summer.
DeleteThe GVA route was very full every flight during all year round , I dont see real reason why they cutted..
DeleteWhile BVA has performed well for Wizz, it’s undeniable that Orly’s convenience will attract passengers, especially those traveling for business or short trips. Curious to see how the passenger split will pan out between these two services.
ReplyDeleteHow many business trips are there from Paris to Skopje??
DeleteEnough
DeleteLeisure as well, most Caribbean destinations depart from Orly.
DeleteOrly has great international flights which needs SKP , you cannot compare with BVA , you cannot connect to nowhere from BVA ...
DeleteOMG you think people will fly from Skopje to Orly to connect to the Caribbean??
DeleteNot only carribean I speak for all other connection that Orly offers like an airport , as you can see it has a plenty connection flights for Europe,Carribean,North america ..
DeleteSkopje-Orly will connect onto ZERO flights. Zero.
DeleteAnon 15:59, what is your problem exactly?
DeleteIf there is not a big demand sofar for the Caribbean, one of the reasons is the horrible connection oportunities from SKP. Caribbean is not an expensive destination, getting there is the problem.
This will push Wizz Air to possibly rethink its strategy or pricing for the Beauvais route.
ReplyDeleteAre they expensive?
DeleteThey are not expensive at all , I have been flying the route once and it is always full plane.
Deletewin-win for passengers, especially with the high demand as seen from Wizz Air’s 91.5% load factor last year.
ReplyDeleteOf course SKP need Orly or CDG , we are using Belgrade od Zagreb now for connection ....
Deletebecause you can fly to Orly via BEG&ZAG... svasta
DeleteYou can transfer to Charles de Gaulle. Next summer Transavia launches Orly-Belgrade.
Deletewhat has that Transavia flight to do with SKP
DeleteI said now when we connect through CDG we use Belgrade or Zagreb , we need that airport , but also Orly is a good option for now , hopefully to see the other one in near future
Deletewho is we again? as if VIE and FRA doesnt exist ....lol
DeleteI'm guessing 2 weekly?
ReplyDeleteVery interested to see the prices.
DeleteFantastic!
ReplyDeleteUnexpected
ReplyDeleteNobody expected they wll come back after not even a month , and with Orly 🤗
DeleteParis Orly is a smart choice. It’ll attract a mix of leisure, business, and VFR pax
ReplyDeleteOrly is a much better option than Beauvais for Paris-bound passengers.
ReplyDeleteI will say ot again
DeleteHealthy competition will benefit market
Or it may saturate it.
Deleteit doesnt (look at Oslo)
DeleteWelcome back easyJet!
ReplyDeleteFinger crossed for more routes from this airline! We need them at SKP!
DeleteBest LCC
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteSeasonal or year round?
ReplyDeleteI would assume year round
DeleteIt is year round
DeleteHow do you know?
DeleteYou will see the schedule when it comes up , it is all year planned route.
DeleteThe more airlines the better
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWould be nice to see more legacies though.
DeleteWell if they diceded to launch Orly I dont see reason why they will not add some other European hubs
DeleteGlad to see it's not Wizz and we are getting a bit more variety.
ReplyDeleteAnd its not subsidies right :)) I hope and I think they will add some more routes from SKP in the future.
DeleteWe need CDG.
ReplyDeleteOrly is fine but hopefully we get Munich, Amsterdam and Barcelona in near future.
DeleteCDG is good for sure , but Orly is also great airport with many connections and also better location if you visiting Paris.I hope Easyjet will not stop here and add more European hubs!
DeletePeople used to say that easyJet did not fly to SKP because the chairman of the board and their founder is Greek. After it started flying to SKP they said it was the reason it left. So much for that.
ReplyDeleteSo why easyjet cut route from SKP which was always full with LD 90% ?? No explanation on that decision , is not about the chairman its something else.
DeleteYields. They could use the plane somewhere else and with 90% LF make more money. Just because someone cuts a route does not mean it's empty.
DeleteI think that is bs. Probably there were some other routes were they can earn more money. They resumed Tel Aviv and start new routes to Rovaniemi, Tromso and Tblissi. And they serve Pristina which is close to Skopje.
DeleteSo how they will make more money in other airport then SKP , when the lf is 90+ ? I dont understand that ?
Deletewith more expensive tickets
DeleteCome to Bosnia please!
ReplyDeleteHow many weekly flights does Wizz Air have to Beauvais?
ReplyDeleteJust 2 weekly. And it will be the same next summer.
DeleteIt has always been 2 weekly and 3 weekly for 2-3 weeks during Christmas period. Even before engine issues and even pre-Covid in 2019 it was 2 weekly.
DeleteGood news for SKP finally , and without subsidies , which means companies are still seeing our airport as potential and giwe chance :))
ReplyDeleteGreat news! Nobody expected this and it’s a true surprise - both because of the destination and the airline.
ReplyDeleteHopefully we will get another round of new destinations from SKP.
Will the government launch a new subsidy tender for new routes? They said they would in December
ReplyDeleteThats what they said but until today they didnt launched the new tender.
Deleteno they will not, after that meeting in Budapest
DeleteThey also applied for slots in S23 (dont know for S24) but didnt receive
ReplyDeletewow didnt know the diffrence in the distances BVA-Paris and ORY-Paris thats some 70km shorter travel
ReplyDeleteslots are one thing, lets see if it materiliazes in launching flights. fingers crossed, ORY is an important airport!
ReplyDeleteNice, happy to hear. As someone who has flown with almost all LCC, I find Easyjet as my favourite
ReplyDeleteEasy jet to launch new routes from PRN, too. In addition to Amsterdam, it will launch direct flights with Paris and Madrid
ReplyDeleteEasyjet will launch more flights from SKP too ...
DeleteFinally direct competition on one of Wizz's routes
ReplyDeleteHope we see more flights by Easyjet and hopefully Ryanair to come to Skopje at last.
ReplyDelete