30.01.2019

The Director General of the Civil Aviation Agency, Mr. Tomislav Tuntev, Ph.D. had a working meeting with the members of the AOC-Airlines Operators Committee -association of scheduled airlines operating at Skopje Airport. The delegation was led by Mr. Metin Emin, station manager, the representative of Turkish Airlines who is chairing the Committee.

The guests informed the Director General Tuntev about the activities of the Committee, the objectives for its establishing, the common interests of its members, the mutual coordination of their joint representation in front of the other segments in the aviation industry in our state, as well as about the expected results from their common activities. At the meeting the interlocutors expressed full willingness for continuing the cooperation between the aviation regulator and the air operators for the purpose of raising the level of aviation safety in the national air transport system.

In addition, they informed about their mutual endeavors for reliable adequate protection of air passenger rights, continuous improvement of the conditions for passengers and airlines at the airports, as well as the need for continuous improving the quality of the services by all involved segments.

Tuntev informed the guests about the current activities at the Agency, which will provide for harmonization of the Macedonian aviation legislation with the latest international aviation standards and recommended practices as responsibilities deriving from the Multilateral European Common Aviation Area Agreement and the ICAO Chicago Convention.

At the meeting, the participants, among other issues, addressed the possibilities for improving the cooperation at all levels among aviation entities involved in air transport at the airports, the mutual efforts for creating conditions for continuous growth of the physical scope of transport, as well as the necessity to meet all undertaken responsibilities towards the relevant international organizations and institutions in the field of air transport. All interlocutors expressed their intentions for creating a friendly business environment within the frames of the established competencies which should ensure the provision of modern, safe, reliable, orderly and regular airport services.

Moreover, the guests highlighted the need for improvement of the capacities and performance of the Ohrid Airport in technical, technological, personnel, transport and infrastructure terms, which would create realistic opportunities to use this airport as a first alternate airport for all air carriers operating at the Skopje Airport. The Airlines Operators Committee at the moment has 7 representatives of the business interests of a total of 10 foreign scheduled airlines operating scheduled air services at the international Skopje Airport. Most of them are national air carriers, i.e. “flag carriers” of the states of their origin.