The New Skopje Alexander the Great Airport

“The New Skopje Alexander the Great Airport is ready to take the stage Having seen Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and Yugoslav rule, Macedonia’s 2,500-year-old Skopje city is abundant with historical, natural and cultural attractions worth exploring. The city of Skopje is now ready to welcome more visitors thanks to its newly designed and constructed airport, Skopje Alexander the Great Airport (SKP).

TAV Airports, among the leading airport operators in the world, started construction of a new terminal building in SKP immediately upon taking over the management of the Skopje and Ohrid (OHD) Airports in March 2010. TAV Airports currently have the operation rights of Alexander the Great Airport in Skopje, the largest city and the capital of the country, as well as Ohrid Airport for a period of 20 years. The new terminal building will have a grand opening on September 6, 2011.

SKP’s new terminal building can handle around 4 million passengers annually within a total area of 40,000 m2 with 23 check-in counters and 6 boarding bridges. Improvements at the airport also include a new car park, an administration building, a cargo facility, access roads and a 25,000m2 apron area. The runway has been extended to 2,950m to accommodate larger aircraft.

Equipped with the latest technology, SKP will offer smooth operations for airlines and passengers. As the major gateway of the country, the new Skopje Airport will play a key role in meeting the ever increasing travel demand within the area.

Ongoing negotiations for Macedonia to join the EU’s Open Skies program are expected to be concluded soon. Putting an end to the restrictive bilateral agreement schemes, the prospective Open Skies agreement with the EU would boost passenger traffic in Skopje. The populous Macedonian Diaspora throughout Europe is another significant factor in driving potential traffic growth, enabling year-round VFR traffic.

Recent developments in Macedonian aviation are promising. In 2010, the airport handled more than 685,000 passengers, recording a growth of 14% over 2009. Strong growth continued into the first half of 2011, totaling an 8% increase in passenger traffic.

Operating 10 airports worldwide, TAV Airports’ new airline incentive program has been crucial in attracting new airlines and establishing new routes.”