19.05.2013

 

This air route is expected to be established by the commencement of the summer holidays when the Diaspora usually travels home 

 

Canadian air carriers are interested in

establishing air services to Macedonia

 OUR FIRST INTERCONTINENTAL FLIGHTS

 

The Macedonian Diaspora will soon have the possibility to connect with the homeland by an intercontinental air services operated on route Canada-USA-Macedonia and v.v. Namely, the Civil Aviation Agency has worked on the establishment of scheduled air services since the early 2013 and it is expected that this would be realized by the summer vacations time. For this purpose, the Macedonian civil aviation authority conducts extensive talks and contacts with its counterparts in the said countries, for the purpose of preparing the necessary legal framework. Furthermore, the Macedonian infrastructural (airport) facilities are being promoted in front of the potential low-cost and other carriers.

– One of the primary strategies established by the CAA is the possibility for launching inter-continental air services. – says Mr. Dejan Mojsoski, Director General of the CAA.

He adds that the Agency has concluded Air Services Agreements with the USA, Australia and Singapore i.e. with all the countries that are in favor of open skies policies.

We are currently working on concluding an Air Services Agreement with Canada, and we plan to have direct flights between these countries and the Republic of Macedonia. In this regard, we are considering several options, like establishment of a route comprising Canada-America and Macedonia and v.v., or a route that would include a connection as well, considering that there is no capacity or potential of the aviation market for a single route that would be with the same intensity throughout the entire year.  However, we are working on covering the peak periods within the summer and the winter seasons, the time when the Diaspora could travel home in the simplest and most economical way.-says Mr. Mojsoski.

 The air carriers are interested

 

The Agency says that they are developing analyses, working together with the civil aviation authorities and are engaged in the promotion of the Republic of Macedonia before the airlines in order to encourage them with our renewed infrastructure, i.e. the new Skopje airport constructed by TAV.

– It requires full dedication in regard to the safety and commercial aspects of air services. We have completed our work, and we are now expecting the respond from the Canadian side.  The Air Services Agreements will also have to get the approval of the respective Governments and be ratified by the Parliaments. For this purpose, we recently travelled to Canada, Montreal to be exact, where we campaigned in favor of our airport facilities and the overall tourist, business and other potential. The respond of their air carriers was favorable, but I wouldn’t mention the names of these companies at the moment, before the process is finalized. – points out Mr. Mojsoski.

The activities for establishment of scheduled air services with distant destinations include signature of an Air Services Agreement with Australia which would be implemented by use of an air route going through Dubai, with their low-cost carrier Fly Dubai, but the sources at the CAA say that it could be also done by using Singapore as a point between.

Looking for a concept for air services to Brazil

 

Efforts are underway in regard to the air services agreements with Brazil and Thailand, while the ones with Slovakia and Sweden are already completed. Brazil is an attractive tourist destination and it could become available for the Macedonian travelling public.  Next year Brazil will host the World Football Cup and the Olympic Games will take place there in 2016. The CAA considers the option of direct flights to Brazil or use of Dubai as a connection for this destination.

In regard to the said new destinations, it is worth mentioning that the air services to be concluded will be of liberal concept, with no limitations in regard to the operating air carriers or the frequencies, and without imposing of control over the tickets pricing. The entire services will be operated in accordance with the market considerations.

– Due to these efforts of ours, the statistics for April this year show that the number of passengers at our airports has increased by 12.3 percent against the same moth last year. This increase has grown from the liberalized air service market i.e. more air carriers have obtained permissions to operate air services to and from Macedonia thus providing greater competition and lowering of air tickets’ prices. In order to achieve this quality, we have modified all the Air Services Agreements and Memoranda in accordance with the current international standards all for the purpose of providing a liberalized air services regime with minimum involvement of the state – says Mojsoski.