North Macedonia adds five European flight routes and expands road‑rail infrastructure

North Macedonia will launch five new airline routes from Skopje and Ohrid airports in the coming weeks. One route will connect Vienna and Ohrid operated by Austrian Airlines, while Austrian low‑cost carrier Wizz Air will add flights from the Polish cities of Kraków and Wrocław to Ohrid. Direct services will also begin from Skopje to Palermo in Sicily and Alghero in Sardinia, with the new flights scheduled beyond the summer season. The transport minister said the connections are expected to draw more tourists, especially from Poland, and raise Ohrid’s profile as a holiday destination.

At the same time, the government is intensifying work on road and rail projects. The eastern part of the Pan‑European Corridor 8 is almost finished, and new highways are being built on the western branch. An express road between Stracin and Kriva Palanka has been completed, along with a bypass and upgraded border crossing with Bulgaria. Additional works include the Kumano‑Strazin stretch with EU cooperation, the Tetovo‑Gostivar corridor, and the Gostivar‑Bukojcani–Straza routes. The authorities are evaluating a further road from Bukojcani to Kičevo and the Kičevo‑Ohrid highway, of which 37 km are finished and the remaining 20 km are slated for completion by year‑end. A feasibility study for the Skopje‑Blace highway is also under way. These investments aim to give Macedonia the best road network in the region and to support economic growth and tourism.