Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski said that the terms proposed by budget airline Ryanair to enter the Macedonian market were unrealistic.
According to Nikoloski, the company requested a 25 euro subsidy per seat, twice the amount currently provided by the state.
“I don’t think it’s a good solution for the Macedonian market because the conditions they are setting are impossible. We are currently providing subsidies of 9 euros for the Skopje airport and 12 euros for the Ohrid airport, which are some of the higher subsidies you could find on the market and it’s no coincidence that 28 new destinations have opened in less than two years since this government was elected,” Nikoloski said.
Ryanair’s request is a 25 euro subsidy per seat, which is more than 2.5 times for the Skopje airport, to serve their airports as a priority, not to use any services at the Skopje and Ohrid airports, and the company even has its own stairs on the planes.
“The request is to cancel some of the destinations we have,” said Nikoloski while attending an event for Vinica’s new Farmers’ market.
