ВЛАДАТА ГО ПОНИШТИ ТЕНДЕРОТ ЗА СУБВЕНЦИИ ЗА АВИОНСКИ ТРАНСПОРТ НА ПАТНИЦИ, ЕДИНСТВЕНИОТ КОЈ СЕ ЈАВИЛ БИЛ ВИЗЕР, ПОРАДИ ТОА СЕ УКИНУВААТ ТРИ ЛИНИИ НО СЕ ВОВЕДУВА ЕДНА НОВА

Wizz Air has suspended tickets sales for two of its services out of Macedonia, just a week after the government annulled a tender for the allocation of financial support for the launch of new routes. Only one airline, believed to be Wizz Air, applied. The no frills carrier has abruptly ceased sales for its Skopje – Barcelona service, from October 26. Furthermore, it has discontinued sales for its Ohrid – London Luton flights from October 24. The route was upgraded from seasonal to year-round operations several months ago. At the same time, the airline has boosted frequencies on its London Luton – Pristina service from three to five per week as of October 29. It follows an announcement by the carrier last week that it would be launching three new routes to the Kosovan city this winter.

As previously reported, Wizz Air will also suspend flights between Skopje to Vaxjo in southern Sweden from mid-September due to poor demand. The last service between the two cities is scheduled to operate on September 16, after which ticket sales have been discontinued. Flights between the two were introduced just a year ago on July 14. Wizz Air will continue serving Stockholm, Malmo and Gothenburg within Sweden from the Macedonian capital. This year, Wizz Air boosted capacity on its flights from Macedonia by upgrading two out of its four aircraft stationed in Skopje from the Airbus A320 to the larger A321. In addition, it improved its offering between Skopje and Milan, with services now running to Malpensa International Airport instead of Bergamo, while new flights from Vienna to Ohrid will be introduced this November.

The previous three-year state sponsored contract providing Wizz Air with financial support for the launch of new routes expired in June. As a result, the low cost carrier is no longer contractually obligated to maitain destinations it launched over the past three years, nor is it receiving subsidies for the flights anymore. The Macedonian Ministry for Transport and Communications recently annulled a tender for a fresh round of subsidies. Only one airline applied, however, the Ministry noted that the sealed envelopes did not contain the carrier’s name and address as outlined in the tender documentation. “The Ministry would like to inform that it will announce a public call for the granting of financial support to air carriers in the shortest possible period, in order to enable the development of air traffic in Macedonia”, the Ministry said in a statement.