MAT in major trouble

The national carrier of Macedonia, MAT Macedonian Airlines, is no longer allowed to operate flights to Germany and Italy because of its debt to the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation - EUROCONTROL. MAT’s last flight to Rome was last Sunday, according to the Vest newspapers, and the flights to Italy’s capital were turned down on Wednesday and Thursday. About ten days ago, the airline was forbidden from flying to Düsseldorf, Berlin and Hamburg. EUROCONTROL’s press service confirmed that MAT indeed owed money to the air traffic control organisation and that it has the right, granted by a Belgian court to collect what it is owed by MAT, although the amount of the debt was not made public. MAT is a joint stock company established in 1994. Despite the reported halt in service to Germany and Italy, MAT continues to advertise early booking deals on flights to Düsseldorf, Berlin, Hamburg and Rome. MAT is now left with only 4 scheduled international destinations. Meanwhile Serbia’s national carrier Jat Airways is preparing a lawsuit against MAT as the Macedonian carrier owes Jat over USD 10 million.

MAT has also been denied landing rights in Greece due to the ongoing name dispute between the two countries.