AT OHRID AIRPORT: TAV WELCOMED THE FIRST CHARTER-FLIGHT FROM POLAND
The first charter-flight with 220 Polish tourists from Katowice arrived this morning at Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport marking the start of the cooperation between TAV Macedonia and one of the biggest Polish tour-operators, Rego-Bis
With a water canon salute as an international aviation welcoming gesture, with the traditional Macedonian snacks from bread and salt, and with a cake-cutting ceremony, TAV Macedonia welcomed the 1st charter-flight from Poland at Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport, marking the start of the cooperation between TAV Airports and one of the biggest Polish tour operators Rego-Bis.
The first charter-flight operated by Polish Small Planet Airlines, arrived this morning from Katowice, bringing 220 Polish tourists for travel and leisure at the beautiful city, Ohrid.
-When we concluded the Agreement with one of the biggest Polish tour-operator Rego Bis in 2016 after the long-lasting negotiations our Marketing Department at TAV Airports in Istanbul had, we were very happy that we will open a completely new source market for incoming passengers at Ohrid Airport, and for Ohrid. From that moment, until today, we looked forward to welcome the first flight with Polish tourists at Ohrid. This morning we are witnessing that moment, and we are very happy to welcome the arrival of the first group of 220 passengers from Katowice at Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport, marking the operational start of the cooperation with Rego-Bis. As a result of cooperation, we will have 1 charter-flight each week on Thursdays from Katowice, operated by Small Planet Airlines during 2017 summer. From today until end of September, we will have total 14 arriving seasonal flights, at Ohrid Airport. I’d like to thank to all involved parties – firstly to Rego Bis as our partner, Small Planet Airlines, Macedonian tour-operator Fibula Air Travel Agency, Ministry of Transport, Tourism Agency, Municipalities, Polish Embassy and all competent aviation and tourism institutions, stated Alper Ersoy, TAV Macedonia General Manager.
As explained by TAV Macedonia and according to the announcements from the Polish tour-operator, the route Katowice-Ohrid is just the first route on which the seasonal charter-flights will be operated. The next destination from which Polish tourists are expected to arrive at Ohrid Lake is Warsaw.
- Our cooperation with Macedonia is a big success for us. We are the very first Polish Tour-operator which offers flights and bus transport from Katowice (Poland) to Ohrid and thanks to this cooperation, to Macedonia will come more than 5000 Polish tourists in this season. More than 3000 of them will come in 14 flights with AirBus 321 – and with every flight come 220 passengers. Other tourists will come with comfortable buses every tenth day. It is not just a possibility to help Polish tourists to travel, but it is the possibility to help to discover world and Macedonian culture and history, stated Gabriela Mańka-Sokullu, Rego-Bis owner.
Besides the charter-flights from Poland, at Ohrid Airport during the summer season operate seasonal flights from different destinations, including the traditional flights with Dutch tourists from Amsterdam by Corendon and TUIFly, as well as the flights from Brussels that started in 2016 and are operated by one of the biggest European tour-operators Thomas Cook; the charter-flights from Tel Aviv, also opened in 2016 and operated by the Israeli Airline Arkia; the seasonal flights on the route Belgrade-Ohrid, operated by Air Serbia and the regular routes from London, Basel and Zurich, operated by Wizz Air and Germania Flug.
TAV Macedonia continues to mark growth in passenger’s traffic at both Macedonian airports – Skopje Alexander the Great and Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle. In the first 5 months of 2017, through both airports travelled a total of 690.083 passengers, which is an annual increase of 6% in passenger’s traffic.
With the four new routes to be opened in July from Skopje Airport, to Rome, Malta, Vaxjo (Sweden), by Wizz Air, and to Doha by Qatar Airways, TAV Macedonia expects the passenger’s growth to continue.