Anticipation builds

New look for Skopje and Ohrid soon

Macedonians have waited for a long time for their two main airports, Ohrid and Skopje, to be upgraded. The wait is nearly over after the airport operator TAV announced that work will begin by the end of May. The project will include the construction of a completely new modern terminal at Skopje Alexander the Great Airport with the existing runway being enlarged while communal infrastructure, a car park and a cargo building would be built together with the main project. Meanwhile, Ohrid’s St. Paul the Apostle Airport would go under complete reconstruction and modernization with a new car park, cargo building and VIP section to be built. The project in Ohrid would take a year to be completed while the Skopje project would take 20 months, according to TAV.

The Macedonian International News Agency reports that Macedonian companies will participate in the construction of Skopje’s new terminal with TAV deciding which companies will conduct the construction work. “This is important because Macedonian workers will build the airport, while Turkish experts will supervise the construction”, Macedonia’s Minister for Transportation, Mile Janakieski, said.

Meanwhile, for a second consecutive month, Skopje and Ohrid airports reported improved passengers figures compared to last year. A total of 36.153 passengers were served at Macedonia’s 2 airports in February, which is an increase of 3.3% in comparison with the same period last year, the Macedonian “Makfax” news agency reports. Alexander the Great Airport in Skopje served 34.481 passengers, an increase of 1.7% compared with the same month last year. The number of charter flights increased as well. In February 2010 there were a total 76 charters, or 61.7% more than in February 2009. On the other hand, 1.672 passed through Saint Paul the Apostle Airport in Ohrid in February, an increase of 70.6% compared to last year. From June 20, Bulgaria Air will launch 2 weekly flights from Sofia to Skopje. Flight details will soon be available in the new route launches section.