Skywings to join EX-YU alliance

Skywings joining Jat and Montenegro Airlines

Macedonia’s largest charter airline, Skywings International, operating under the name Air Lift Service, has said it is joining Jat Airways and Montenegro Airlines in a regional EX-YU alliance. “This project plans to reduce ticket prices and establish new destinations to Western Europe”, a spokesperson from Skywings said. “We face the problem of high kerosene prices and taxes at both Skopje and Ohrid airports”. Skywings operates flights from Skopje to Dusseldorf, Zurich, Istanbul, Vienna, Rome, Brussels, Berlin and Hamburg. From Ohrid, the airline flies to Zurich and Skopje.

Last week there was confusion when the CEO of Montenegro Airlines, Zoran Djurišić, said there would be no unification of airlines or alliances. However, a few days later Montenegro’s Minister for Transportation, Andrija Lompar, told the media that Djurišić meant that there would be no takeover of airlines like some media suggested, rather, Jat and Montenegro Airlines would cooperate in order to decrease prices and jointly participate on certain routes.

The new EX-YU alliance will come into operation from October 31. Slovenia’s Adria Airways has also shown interest in joining the alliance while Croatia Airlines rejected its invitation.