Ohrid AirportEurope underserved

Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport is the second international airport in Macedonia. Although the area mainly benefits from tourism it is drastically underserved compared to its counterpart - Skopje.

With only 7 international destinations the airport could benefit from 2 to 3 weekly flights to European cities. With no existing direct flights to many destinations, passengers are currently mostly transferring via Vienna, Ljubljana, Amsterdam and Zurich.

Frankfurt, Munich and Cologne in Germany could all be proved as viable from Ohrid Airport. 62.295 Macedonian citizens were living in Germany in 2006, with the number expected to be similar this year, although Macedonian sources claim the true number of Macedonians to range from 75.000 to 85.000. With no direct lines to their homeland, Macedonians must transfer through other cities. The recent ban on flights towards Germany operated by the national carrier MAT has further made it difficult for the Macedonian diaspora to return home. Lufthansa could, if all necessary licenses are gained, have a complete monopoly over the Frankfurt, Munich or Cologne to Ohrid line that could also be operated via Skopje. Flights to Belgrade have also been proven popular in the past, particularly seasonal flights during the summer although MAT is also not allowed to commence flights to Serbia due to the debt it has. With perfect connections to Dubai, Jat Airways was able to transport the Macedonian diaspora from Australia. However Jat may not return in 2009 as the airline faces a fleet shortage and as its deal with Emirates, for the transportation of passengers to Australia from Dubai, ends. Flights to Istanbul could also be proven popular. 4% of Turks make up the ethnic composition of the Ohrid Municipality. Furthermore investment from Turkey in the Municipality shows a need for business travel.

Due to the small size of the Macedonian aviation market there is currently no need for transatlantic flights. Most transatlantic passengers from Macedonia travel through Vienna.