Wizz Air posts record Macedonia results
Low cost carrier Wizz Air has reaffirmed its dominance on the Macedonian market by handling just over 1.4 million passengers on flights to and from the country in 2018, representing year-on-year growth of 14.4%. As a result, the airline held a market share of 62%, while it accounted for 85% of all passengers travelling on low cost carriers to Macedonia in 2018. Despite introducing just one new route to the country in 2018, between Vienna and Ohrid in mid-November, the airline increased its capacity by 18.8% to 1.6 million seats, as it had four aircraft based in Skopje for the entire year and replaced two Airbus A320 jets with the larger A321 model. Since introducing operations to Macedonia in 2011, Wizz Air carried over 5.5 million passengers to and from the country.
Wizz Air will continue to expand in Macedonia in 2019. On Monday the carrier revealed it would base a fifth aircraft in Skopje and launch eight new routes from the country's two international airports. The new services will bring an additional capacity of 200.000 seats to the airline’s Macedonian network, totalling over 1.9 million seats on sale in 2019, up 18% on last year. "Wizz’s fast-growing operation in the country will further stimulate the local economy, by increasing employment in Macedonia’s aviation and tourism sectors and supporting more than 1.400 jobs in associated industries in 2019. We stay committed to our Macedonian customers and their visitors and keep on bringing opportunities through affordable travel to the country", the company said in a statement.
The Macedonian market has emerged as having the largest share of passengers handled by low cost carriers in Europe. Some 65.6% of those travelling to and from the country are carried by no frills airlines. Macedonia ranks ahead of countries such as Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Lithuania. The top three airlines in Macedonia based on seat capacity are Wizz Air followed by Turkish Airlines and Austrian. Despite having the largest share of passengers handled by low cost carriers, neither of the three busiest LCCs in Europe - Ryanair, easyJet and Norwegian Air Shuttle - maintain services to the country, with the bulk of passengers flying with Wizz Air.
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