How to get cheap flights to MK?

[Coolski]

I'm looking for flights to MK, and it I was just reminded how grossly disproportionate flight costs are to MK compared to the rest of europe.

Is there a particular administrative boundary that Macedonia is not in that's stopping us from being a cheap flight destination, or is it purely a business thing, that MK isn't a popular tourist destination and running cheap flights makes no sense.

Ive seen a few companies that have cheap flights to Pristina for god's sake!

[Blagojce]

I'm looking for flights to MK, and it I was just reminded how grossly disproportionate flight costs are to MK compared to the rest of europe.

Is there a particular administrative boundary that Macedonia is not in that's stopping us from being a cheap flight destination, or is it purely a business thing, that MK isn't a popular tourist destination and running cheap flights makes no sense.

Ive seen a few companies that have cheap flights to Pristina for god's sake!

Now its purely business.

Previously MAT, which is now defunct, had a monopoly on the Macedonian market.

Pristina Airport sees over 1.3 million passengers per year, double what Skopje gets.

Skopje will attract a lot more airlines once the new terminal is completed in October. Wizz Air have been early to begin flights from London Luton.

Another issue Macedonia faces is that it does not have secondary airports or dedicated low cost carrier terminals, which most major cities of the world have. Sofia and Belgrade airports are catching onto this idea too.

When do you plan on flying there?

[Risto the Great]

Go round the world and include Skopkje in the itinerary.
PM me if you are looking at options.

[Coolski]

Now its purely business.

Previously MAT, which is now defunct, had a monopoly on the Macedonian market.

Pristina Airport sees over 1.3 million passengers per year, double what Skopje gets.

Skopje will attract a lot more airlines once the new terminal is completed in October. Wizz Air have been early to begin flights from London Luton.

Another issue Macedonia faces is that it does not have secondary airports or dedicated low cost carrier terminals, which most major cities of the world have. Sofia and Belgrade airports are catching onto this idea too.

When do you plan on flying there?

wow.. why is Pristina so busy and Skopje not? Albanian emigres in europe perhaps?

I'm looking to go in late June for a few weeks only.. still haven't got approval to go yet though.

I just saw the wizzair site.. that looks great thanks!!

Oh and if Macedonia wants cheap flights using a smaller airport, I think Ohrid is a potential winner. It's exactly at the most popular tourist destination too!

[Blagojce]

have a look at www.byojet.com.au

if you're going from australia have a look at airasiaX into London Stansted, then take the bus to London Luton. Or if its cheaper fly into Heathrow and bus into Luton.

Qatar also fly Sofia, Bucharest and Budapest.

When i mean secondary or smaller airports i mean like how Melbourne has Avalon or Frankfurk has their main airport called Main Rhein and then another smaller outside the city called Hahn.

[Coolski]

yeah i understand that, but i'm sure that Macedonia could employ a similar tactic given that Ohrid is only a couple of hrs away from Skopje..

Thanks for the additional links Blagojče

[Prolet]

Pristina because of the American Soldiers there, Bondsteel is a massive military base so its mainly for the army staff that go there. They have a direct flight from Pristina to New York i think it was.

TAV said recently that the Skopje Airport Aleksandar Veliki will get around 6 to 7 million passengers a year, i do believe thats a possible figure in the next 5 to 10 years down the track.

[Blagojce]

Pristina because of the American Soldiers there, Bondsteel is a massive military base so its mainly for the army staff that go there. They have a direct flight from Pristina to New York i think it was.

TAV said recently that the Skopje Airport Aleksandar Veliki will get around 6 to 7 million passengers a year, i do believe thats a possible figure in the next 5 to 10 years down the track.

The figure of 1.3 million excludes military personnel, it is solely civilian passengers.

The flight was NY to Tirana via Pristina with a fuel stop in either Ireland or Belgium, can't remember exactly.

It was a siptar travel agency which basically hired a Boeing 767-200 aircraft, and had one or twice weekly flights operate on their behalf. No connection with the Vujko Sam's tent.

[Jankovska]

Fly to the UK and get on one of the low cost airlines? Get a return to London and you'll buy seperate return from London to skopje. It's cheap to travel from here

[Risto the Great]

Out of curiosity Jankovska, if I was willing to endure the stiff upper lips in London, how much would it cost to fly to Skopje from London?

[Jankovska]

If you book in advance you can get a return for around £70. Wizzair starts in the summer with very cheap tickets

[Blagojce]

If you book in advance you can get a return for around £70. Wizzair starts in the summer with very cheap tickets

I'm excited. The time has finally come when we from Australia can fly into Skopje for around $1000 return, if booked in advance of course. I just hope Air AsiaX have sales into London.

[Prolet]

Blagojce, Did you hear about a MonteNegran company wanting to do cheap flights like Whizz Air, if that happens its going to be awesome.

Wizz Air fly from Skopje-London (Luton) for 35 Euros one way, i would rather fly less now then to go to the end of Europe for a cheaper flight. Melbourne-Dubai/Doha-Istanbul-Skopje is the best way to fly geographically and it takes around 17 hours in the air and usually there is not a long waiting period between connecting flights. Its much different for somebody who is living in the UK or the other Western EU Countries.

Air Asia have a direct flight from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur and fly to London (Stanstead) aswell as Paris (Orly) they used to fly to Abu Dabi but not anymore i dont think.

[Blagojce]

Blagojce, Did you hear about a MonteNegran company wanting to do cheap flights like Whizz Air, if that happens its going to be awesome.

Wizz Air fly from Skopje-London (Luton) for 35 Euros one way, i would rather fly less now then to go to the end of Europe for a cheaper flight. Melbourne-Dubai/Doha-Istanbul-Skopje is the best way to fly geographically and it takes around 17 hours in the air and usually there is not a long waiting period between connecting flights. Its much different for somebody who is living in the UK or the other Western EU Countries.

Air Asia have a direct flight from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur and fly to London (Stanstead) aswell as Paris (Orly) they used to fly to Abu Dabi but not anymore i dont think.

I have never heard about that from Montenegro, you must be getting another airline mixed up. There are no planned Montenegrin based low cost carriers.

I'd say its closer to 19 hours, Melbourne-Dubai direct is 13 hours alone. Either way, i doubt there are many people who fly into MK looking for the least flight time, $$ would be first priority.

Istanbul is in the perfect location to feed passenegers into the smaller Balkan airports, i think there are plans for an Istanbul-Sydney service next year.

Thats true, Abu Dhabi flights no longer operate.

[Bij]

I am looking for a flight this year that has the least waiting time in airports from Sydney.

Any ideas??? Everything i've seen has massive waiting times.

Maybe I'll go Sydney-Phuket, stay a few days-London (is this even possible? stay a few days) skopje

but then going home????// errr sooo difficult.