The Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport, Aleksandar Nikoloski, has said his office is actively negotiating with low cost carrier Air Arabia over the introduction of two new routes to the country. Both services are expected to originate in the United Arab Emirates, with Air Arabia boasting bases in both Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. During an official visit to the United Arab Emirates, Mr Nikoloski said, “We are in talks with Air Arabia to establish at least two new routes, one of which we hope will serve the Ohrid region to further boost tourism”. Macedonia has been lacking nonstop connectivity with the Gulf region since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, when both Flydubai and Qatar Airways suspended operations to Skopje.
Flydubai, which was due to restore flights from its hub to Skopje this summer, recently pushed back its launch plans. Mr Nikoloski noted, “A nonstop Flydubai service between Dubai and Skopje is expected to launch soon. Flights have been temporarily postponed, though the airline remains committed to launching the route in the near future”. Under a state subsidy programme to attract airlines and boost the country’s connectivity, six new international routes from Skopje and Ohrid have so far been negotiated for 2025, one of which is the Flydubai service. “Through targeted support and a revised subsidy model, we’ve managed to attract new airlines, and the results speak for themselves. Under the government’s 2025 – 2027 financial support programme, a total of 5.9 million euros have been allocated to subsidise new air routes. The programme is designed to boost air traffic, make travel more accessible for citizens, and support the development of civil aviation in the country”, the Minister said.
Air Arabia has had a mixed track record in the former Yugoslavia. It served Sarajevo from both Sharjah and Abu Dhabi for several years but has not scheduled any flights to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2025. In 2011, the budget airline introduced a two weekly service from Dubai to Tuzla, which was cancelled a month later due to extremely poor loads. In 2012, the airline launched two weekly flights between Sharjah and Pristina. The service was also discontinued within a month. In 2019, the airline scheduled four weekly flights between Sharjah and Belgrade, which were to launch in June of that year. However, ticket sales were discontinued after four months, and the route was never launched.
