Skopje to get new flights

New flights to Milan, Dublin, Basel, Paris, Barcelona and Dubai

The Macedonian Civil Aviation Agency has announced that Skopje will soon get direct flights to Milan, Dublin, Basel, Paris, Barcelona and Dubai but did not reveal the airlines which would operate the services. The Agency adds that several low cost airlines have expressed interest to fly to Skopje. Only a few days ago, Wizz Air launched flights from Venice (Treviso) to Skopje, their second destination to the Macedonian capital after inaugurating flights from London over the summer. German Sky Airlines, a subsidiary of Sky Airlines from Turkey will commence flights from Zurich to Skopje this winter.

The Civil Aviation Agency says that it is trying to attract as much airlines as possible which will in turn lead to a reduction in ticket prices, making flying more accessible to the general population. “We would like to point out that some thirty airlines are operating flights to Macedonia this year, an increase of 50% compared to last year. For the first time, Macedonia has direct air links to Moscow, Amsterdam, Rome, Ancona and Helsinki”, the Agency said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Skopje based MAT Airways has been grounded for over a month. Its single Boeing 737-500 has been parked at Skopje Airport and the airline has halted ticket sales. Although there is no official confirmation as to why it has ceased operations, it is believed that poor ticket sales have forced the airline to suspend services for a second time this summer. MAT Airways has an operational license from the Macedonian Civil Aviation Agency until mid 2012. It is unlikely that it will be extended.