Passenger traffic at the Skopje and Ohrid Airports has reached the highest level ever recorded, with more than 2 million passengers in the first six months of 2026 and a rise of 32% this year over last year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport AleksandarNikoloski told reporters after his working visit to the national air navigation service provider M-NAV earlier Friday.
According to Nikoloski, the results are due to the new policy for attracting and subsidizing direct airlines, which has introduced 28 new air destinations in the past year and a half, and with the winter flight schedule, new destinations are also expected, which means that by the end of the year we can reach 4 million passengers.
“From both airports, we have 28 new destinations in the past year and a half. Serious growth in air traffic, last year there was a large growth, this year there is a historic growth. This year, both airports together in the first six months have a growth of 32 percent,” said Nikoloski.
Viewed in absolute numbers, Nikoloskinoted, last year we reached 3 million passengers, and this year we are already over 2 million passengers, which means that by the end of the year we can reach 4 million passengers.
“If that does not happen in 2026, then certainly in 2027 we will reach four million passengers, which is a huge number, considering that the total population in the country is 1.8 million,”Nikoloskipointed out.
The airports in Skopje and Ohridare the fastest growing in their categories and achieved absolute records in July, added the Macedonian Deputy PM.
“In a single day in July, there were 101 air operations at Skopje Airport – landings and takeoffs, and at Ohrid Airport there were 21. This is an absolute record, which has not been previously recorded and in the next period we will continue with this growth,” stressedNikoloski.
The Deputy PM also reminded that the Wizz Air companyhas its third largest base in Europe precisely in Skopje with seven aircraft and announced that one aircraft is expected to be stationed in Ohrid, and with the winter flight schedule and new destinations.
