North Macedonia airports see rapid passenger growth

Air traffic in the former Yugoslavia region has seen significant growth, with 21 airports serving over 29 million passengers from January to August. North Macedonia has emerged as the fastest-growing market in the region. Skopje Airport recorded a 29.7% increase, serving 2,687,002 passengers, while Ohrid Airport saw a 26.5% rise with 232,423 passengers. This growth is largely attributed to the expansion of Wizz Air operations.

In North Macedonia, Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski stated that combined passenger numbers for Skopje and Ohrid are expected to reach approximately 4 million by the end of the year. He attributed this surge to a unique subsidy policy implemented by the government, which provides subsidies per arriving passenger. This policy has helped increase the total passenger count from 2.4 million two years ago to the current projected levels.

Other regional highlights include Belgrade Airport remaining the busiest with over 6.3 million passengers, followed by Zagreb and Pristina. Podgorica also reported strong growth of 30.1%, serving 1,584,195 passengers during the same eight-month period.