TAV: 2.4 million passengers traveled through Skopje and Ohrid airports in 2022
TAV Macedonia, the airport operator of both Macedonian airports, Skopje International Airport and Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport, notes a 70% increase in passenger traffic for 2022, compared to 2021, while compared to the referent year in aviation, 2019, the passenger traffic is -11%, or 89% recovery rate of the passenger air traffic statistics for 2019
Skopje International Airport and Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport, both Macedonian airports, ended 2022 with a significant recovery of passenger air traffic thus reaching approximately 2.4 million passengers or a total of 2.371.423 passengers, and 19.448 flights handled.
After two extremely difficult years for the aviation industry worldwide and following the beginning of the post-pandemic recovery period that especially started in the middle of 2022 with the summer season, the strong increase in passenger air traffic volume means that people are confident and willing to travel by air and that air traffic is about to reach the pre-crisis levels.
“We as TAV are really satisfied with the 2022 recovery and air traffic results for both Skopje and Ohrid airports. According to the numbers and statistics, TAV Macedonia airports’ results and recovery dynamics follow the European and global recovery rates. We are especially proud and glad that the recovery of the Macedonian air traffic market, moves even beyond the ACI’s forecast for the global air traffic movement, whose optimistic scenario projected that 2022 global air traffic would be at the level of -23%, and Skopje airport and Ohrid airport finished 2022 with -11%, or with 89% of the 2019 passenger volume. Therefore, it can be concluded that TAV Macedonia, as an airport operator, is effectively and successfully mastering and overcoming the crisis and its consequences, and strong growth in air traffic and flight movements would be the characteristics of the past year, 2022.” – stated Metin Batak, TAV Macedonia General Manager.
The airport operator officials believe that this positive trend in passenger air traffic recovery will also continue during the course of 2023 and that ACI’s European airport passenger traffic forecasts of -9% for 2023, compared to 2019, would be again exceeded.
“We are certain that the level of effort invested in the day-to-day airport operations and the quality of the airport services provided to our customers and clients by our experienced and professional, committed staff, as well as the great cooperation with all stakeholders and authorities in aviation, would further be the reason for the airports in Skopje and Ohrid to achieve at least the 2019 air traffic levels and celebrate new successes and excellent results.” – stated Metin Batak, TAV Macedonia General Manager.
The most frequent destinations from Skopje International Airport according to TAV Macedonia passenger traffic statistics, for 2022, January – December, were Istanbul (both airports IGA and Sabiha Gokcen with 13,1% market share), Basel Mulhouse (6,3%), Vienna (6,2%), Zurich (6,2%), Antalya (4,2%), Dortmund (4%), Munich Memmingen (4%); and Cologne (3,1%).
The top 5 countries with direct flights for 2022 were Germany (24% market share); Turkey (19,1%); Switzerland (14,2%); Sweden (6,9%); and Austria (6,2%).
Regarding airlines’ share in passenger traffic in 2022 at Skopje Airport, Wizz Air transported the largest number of passengers in 2022 (59,3% market share), followed by Turkish Airlines (11%), Pegasus Airlines (6,7%), Austrian Airlines (6,2%), Chair Airlines (4,9%).
The most frequent travel destination in 2022 from Ohrid Airport, was Vienna (18% market share), followed by Basel (15,9%), Zurich (11,9%), Memmingen (11%), Malmo (10,8%), Friedrichshafen (8,7%), Dortmund (8,6%), Amsterdam (8,3%), and the other destinations have 1,2%.
Currently and according to the winter flights schedule, there are 11 airlines operating from Skopje International Airport (Air Serbia, Austrian Airlines, Croatia Airlines, Edelweiss, Chair Airlines, Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Airlines, LOT, Aegean, Wizz Air, Easyjet) and flying to 36 destinations, whereas, at Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport, 2 airlines (Wizz Air, Chair Airlines) operate to 4 destinations.