Skopje Airport
Encyclopedia
Skopje Airport or Skopje "Alexander the Great" Airport (Macedonian: Аеродром Скопје „Aлександар Вeлики“, Aerodrom Skopje, "Aleksandar Veliki") is the larger and busier of the two international airport
s in the Republic of Macedonia
. Located 17 km (10.6 mi) southeast of the national capital, Skopje
.
signed a contract with the Turkish company Tepe Akfen Ventures (TAV) for a twenty year long concession during which this company would manage Macedonia's two existing airports - the Skopje Alexander the Great Airport and the St. Paul the Apostle Airport in Ohrid
. In September 2011, the new terminal building, extension of the runway, new administrative building, cargo building and new access road with parking facilities were opened. The goal of the project is to increase the capacity of Skopje Airport to four million passengers per year with plans to turn Skopje Airport into a major transit and cargo hub for Southeast Europe
. Renovations of the Ohrid airport terminal
building and VIP sections were completed in the Spring of 2011. The concession contract also includes the construction of a third airport intended for cargo
transport near the eastern Macedonian town of Štip
which eventually would be transformed into Macedonia’s main airport. The total amount of the foreseen investment is 200 million Euros with 30 to 40 million Euros total concession payments to the Macedonian Government over the 20-year concession period. Tepe Akfen Ventures Airport Holding is one of the world's fastest expanding airport operators currently managing the Turkish airports of Atatürk
, Esenboğa
, Adnan Menderes
and Gazipaşa
along with Tbilisi
and Batumi
in Georgia, Monastir
and Enfidha in Tunisia. TAV is also bidding to take over the management of Ruzyně International Airport
and Riga International Airport
. Also the construction of a luxurious hotel next to the airport is planned.
, where both countries consider Alexander the Great as part of their own heritage (see Macedonia naming dispute
). The new name is argued to create confusion with the already existing Kavala International Airport
named Alexander the Great ("Megas Alexandros"), which lies in the neighboring Greek region of Macedonia
.
Buses operate services to various destinations from the airport.
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
s in the Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
. Located 17 km (10.6 mi) southeast of the national capital, Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
.
Airport development
In 2008 the Macedonian GovernmentPolitics of the Republic of Macedonia
Politics of the Republic of Macedonia occurs within the framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the...
signed a contract with the Turkish company Tepe Akfen Ventures (TAV) for a twenty year long concession during which this company would manage Macedonia's two existing airports - the Skopje Alexander the Great Airport and the St. Paul the Apostle Airport in Ohrid
Ohrid
Ohrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
. In September 2011, the new terminal building, extension of the runway, new administrative building, cargo building and new access road with parking facilities were opened. The goal of the project is to increase the capacity of Skopje Airport to four million passengers per year with plans to turn Skopje Airport into a major transit and cargo hub for Southeast Europe
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. Renovations of the Ohrid airport terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
building and VIP sections were completed in the Spring of 2011. The concession contract also includes the construction of a third airport intended for cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
transport near the eastern Macedonian town of Štip
Štip
Štip is the largest urban agglomeration in the eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia, serving as the economic, industrial, entertainment and educational focal point for the surrounding municipalities. As of the 2002 census, the Štip municipality alone had a population of about 47,796...
which eventually would be transformed into Macedonia’s main airport. The total amount of the foreseen investment is 200 million Euros with 30 to 40 million Euros total concession payments to the Macedonian Government over the 20-year concession period. Tepe Akfen Ventures Airport Holding is one of the world's fastest expanding airport operators currently managing the Turkish airports of Atatürk
Atatürk International Airport
Atatürk International Airport is the major international airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Opened in 1924 and located in Yeşilköy, on the European side of the city, it is west of the city centre. In 1980, the airport was renamed to Atatürk International Airport in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the...
, Esenboğa
Esenboga International Airport
Esenboğa International Airport , is an airport located northeast of Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It has been operating since 1955. The name of the airport comes from the village of Esenboğa , which literally means "flying bull"....
, Adnan Menderes
Adnan Menderes Airport
İzmir Adnan Menderes International Airport is an airport serving İzmir and is named after former Turkish prime minister Adnan Menderes. It is located in the Gaziemir area of İzmir....
and Gazipaşa
Antalya Gazipasa Airport
Gazipaşa Airport is an airport currently in service in the Gazipaşa area of the Antalya province in Turkey. The Airport opened for domestic flights in July 2010 with daily flights from Istanbul with Bora Jet. International flights began in the 2011 holiday season, with flights from Amsterdam...
along with Tbilisi
Tbilisi International Airport
Tbilisi International Airport is the main international airport in Georgia, located southeast of the capital Tbilisi.-Overview:In February 2007, the reconstruction project was finished...
and Batumi
Batumi International Airport
Batumi International Airport is an airport located south of Batumi, a city on the Black Sea coast and capital of Adjara, an autonomous republic in southwest Georgia. The airport is also northeast of Hopa, Turkey, and serves as a domestic and international airport for northeastern Turkey.Batumi...
in Georgia, Monastir
Monastir International Airport
Monastir – Habib Bourguiba International Airport is an airport serving Monastir in Tunisia. The airport is operated by Tepe Akfen Ventures.Beginning on 1 January 2008, a private company is managing the airport on behalf of the Tunisian Civil Aviation and Airports Authority .The airport serves as...
and Enfidha in Tunisia. TAV is also bidding to take over the management of Ruzyně International Airport
Ruzyne International Airport
-Ruzyně today:Most flights depart Ruzyně Airport from the North Terminals . The South Terminals handle a few irregular flights, as well as VIP flights, special flights and small aircraft....
and Riga International Airport
Riga International Airport
-Cargo airlines:*DHL Express*Inversija*RAF-Avia*Sprintair*TNT NV*Transavibaltika*UPS-Traffic statistics:Riga International Airport is one of three notable airports in Latvia. The other two are Liepāja International Airport and Ventspils Airport. Riga International Airport's biggest air carrier is...
. Also the construction of a luxurious hotel next to the airport is planned.
Airline changes
- Austrian AirlinesAustrian AirlinesAustrian Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Austria, headquartered in Office Park 2 on the grounds of Vienna International Airport in Schwechat, Wien-Umgebung and a subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. Together with regional subsidiary Tyrolean Airways and charter arm Lauda Air, it operates...
has updated its routes to Skopje for the summer season. Austrian will serve Skopje daily with Airbus A319 and Fokker 100 aircraft and 4 times weekly by Fokker 70 as of April 10, 2010 - Jat AirwaysJat AirwaysJat Airways is the national airline of Serbia and the former national airline of Yugoslavia, and has its head office in the Jat Airways Business Center in Belgrade. It was established in 1927 as Aeroput, making it currently one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation...
announced it will be upgrading frequencies from BelgradeBelgradeBelgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
to Macedonia, with flights to Skopje increasing to double daily and the resumption of services to OhridOhridOhrid is a city on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid in the Republic of Macedonia. It has about 42,000 inhabitants, making it the seventh largest city in the country. The city is the seat of Ohrid Municipality. Ohrid is notable for having once had 365 churches, one for each day of the year and has...
. The flights to Ohrid will operated via Skopje to secure domestic yields between the two cities. - Swiss International Air LinesSwiss International Air LinesSwiss International Air Lines AG is the principal airline of Switzerland operating scheduled services in Europe and to North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Its main hub is Zurich Airport...
has announced it will also be serving Skopje from March 28 twice per week and once per week to Ohrid. The flights will be operated by Edelweiss AirEdelweiss AirEdelweiss Air AG is a charter airline with its head office in the Edwelweiss Air Operations Center on the property of Zurich Airport and in Kloten, Switzerland, operating mainly out of Zurich Airport, with a smaller base at Geneva International Airport...
Name controversy
In December 2006 the government of the Republic of Macedonia announced plans to rename the airport after Alexander the Great, sparking a renewed diplomatic spat with GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, where both countries consider Alexander the Great as part of their own heritage (see Macedonia naming dispute
Macedonia naming dispute
A diplomatic dispute over the use of the name Macedonia has been an ongoing issue in the bilateral relations between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia since the latter became independent from former Yugoslavia in 1991...
). The new name is argued to create confusion with the already existing Kavala International Airport
Kavala International Airport
Kavala International Airport "Alexander the Great" is located in the municipality of Nestos, in Greece....
named Alexander the Great ("Megas Alexandros"), which lies in the neighboring Greek region of Macedonia
Macedonia (Greece)
Macedonia is a geographical and historical region of Greece in Southern Europe. Macedonia is the largest and second most populous Greek region...
.
Passenger numbers
- 2009 Traffic in Republic of Macedonia increased by 0.8% during the summer 2009 (May to October), when compared to summer 2008.
- 2008 the airport handled a total of 652,815 passengers, an increase by 4.1% from the previous year.
Airlines and destinations
Charter
Transport
Taxis go regularly to and from the airport to Skopje. The costs can vary depending on how far you travel. Taxis will drive to other cities in Macedonia.Buses operate services to various destinations from the airport.
Incidents and accidents
- On 5 March 1993, a Palair Macedonian AirlinesPalairPalair Macedonian Airlines was the national flag carrier of Republic of Macedonia operating from Skopje and Ohrid Airports.-History:During the fall of Yugoslavia, and the establishment of an Independent Macedonian republic in the early nineties, Palair Macedonian airlines was created.Their fleet...
Fokker F-100 PH-KXL bound for ZurichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
crashed seconds after takeoff from runway 34. Investigation into the accident determined the cause of the accident to be the failure of the flight crew to have the aircraft deicedDeicingFor snow and ice control on roadways and similar facilities, see Snow removalDe-icing is defined as removal of snow, ice or frost from a surface...
before departure. Of the 97 people on board, 83 died. - On 13 (Friday) February 2009, Austrian Airlines Flight OS780, Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 scheduled flight from Skopje to ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
failed to retract landing gear after take-off and performed an emergency landing on Skopje Airport. - On 13 (Friday) February 2009, MALÉV Flight 440 a scheduled MALÉV flight Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 from BudapestBudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
to Skopje made an emergency landing at Skopje Airport. At 16:05 CETCentral European TimeCentral European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...
the pilot reported right engine failure on its final approach to Skopje LWSK. The pilot safely landed the airplane and there were no injuries reported among the 64 passengers in the aircraft. http://derstandard.at/?url=/?id=1234507062719 http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2009&mm=02&dd=13&nav_category=167&nav_id=344891