Skopje, 2 April 2025 (MIA) - Low-budget airline "easyJet" has officially launched its new direct Skopje – Paris Orly route as the inaugural flight landed at the International Airport Skopje on Wednesday. 

"EasyJet" will operate on this route twice a week, every Wednesday and Saturday. 

The new route was launched as a result of financial support from the Government through the Ministry of Transport. Orly Airport is located about twenty kilometres south of Paris city centre, and in addition to "easyJet", service between Skopje and the French capital is maintained by the "Wizz Air" airline to "Beauvais" airport, which is located about ninety kilometres from the city centre.

"This morning we welcomed the "easyJet" flight from Paris Orly Airport, marking the launch of the new low-cost Paris-Skopje route. Today, April 2, Skopje International Airport connects with the French capital, which is also the base of "easyJet", the largest company in Europe in terms of flights," said TAV Macedonia Deputy General Manager, Pero Lupevski.

He noted that "easyJet", with its twice-weekly flights, will provide not only a direct flight to Paris, but also connections to 160 other airports in 35 countries.

In line with the agreement, "easyJet" will operate this route until December 31, 2027. 
 
According to Deputy PM and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski, this is yet another opportunity for better communication and connection with European countries and European capitals.

"Paris is an attractive travel destination, but more importantly, we will bring tourists to Macedonia. As a Government, we are creating conditions that have attracted new airlines to Macedonia and the results are already visible. Eight new destinations from Skopje Airport and two from Ohrid Airport have been launched in a very short period of time. We have completely changed the subsidy model and instead of for departures, we are providing financial support for arriving passengers because the goal is for as many people as possible to visit Macedonia, which means that they will also use other services in the country, and this is a strategy that we have been implementing since the very beginning and which is giving us concrete results. We are already negotiating with other airlines and I think we are on the right track to reach an agreement for new destinations," Nikoloski said in a statement. 

The Skopje-Paris route is part of the agreement on financial support for introducing new airlines, which is being implemented by the Ministry of Transport through a public call for subsidies. 
 
According to the 2025-2027 financial support program adopted by the Government, Mden 360 million have been allocated for subsidies for the introduction of new airlines. The goal is to improve air traffic, provide new destinations through favourable travel conditions for citizens, and develop civil aviation.

Sixteen airlines are operating 47 destinations, while three are operating ten charter flights during the Skopje airport summer schedule.

Photo: Ministry of Transport / MIA