The Macedonian government has rejected Ryanair’s conditions for market entry, deeming demands for exclusive airport services at Skopje and Ohrid as unfeasible.
Ryanair requested a 35-minute turnaround time, necessitating hundreds of additional airport staff, which the government found impractical.
The airline sought subsidies of €20 per passenger at Skopje and €25 at Ohrid, compared to current rates of €9 and €12, respectively.
Ryanair’s demands were seen as market-distorting, as equal terms for all carriers would risk financial strain on the state.
Wizz Air, holding over 50pc of Macedonia’s passenger share, responded to Ryanair’s earlier interest by adding a sixth aircraft and seven new routes at Skopje.
Aleksandar Nikoloski shared: “In practice, they want both Skopje and Ohrid airports to serve only Ryanair, which would mean the state spending huge amounts of money just on them. They are asking for twenty euros at Skopje and 25 at Ohrid. With conditions like that, cooperation simply isn’t possible.”
