TAV Airports begin constructing Skopje Airport Aleksandar Makedonski

[Prolet]

Phoenix, 10 years ago the Istanbul Airport had 2-3 Million passengers now its got 20 million. They are looking at making new freeway exists, bridges,roads and so forth.

Here are a few facts about the Istanbul Airport


Facts & Figures

Terminal Design Capacity: 20,000,000 passengers per year
Total Construction Site Area: 500,000 mē
Terminal Building Area: 264,000 mē
Auxiliary Structures Area: 135,000 mē
Car Park Area: 179,000 mē
Car Park Capacity: 7,076 vehicles
Airport Hotel Capacity: 85 rooms
Passenger Boarding Bridges: 23 units
Remote Boarding Gates: 12 units
Check-in Islands: 7 units
Check-in Counters: 224 units
Elevators: 57 units
Escalators: 29 units
Travelators: 2,060 linear meters (35 units)
Baggage Screening X-Ray Machines: 40 units
Baggage Claim Carousels: 11 units
Total Construction Period: 22 months

http://www.tavconstruction.com/tav/Projects/Aviation---Airports/Completed-Projects/istnbul-ataturk-international-airport.aspx

[fyrOM]

Reconstruction of Skopje Airport to be completed on time - PM Gruevski

http://www.mia.com.mk/default.aspx?vId=80001125&lId=2&pmId=501

Skopje, 3 January 2011 (MIA) - The reconstruction of Skopje Airport 'Alexander the Great' has been progressing as agreed with the Turkey's TAV Airports Holding, and will be completed on time, Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski told reporters on Monday.

Touring the construction site, along with TAV representatives, Vice-Premiers Zoran Stavreski, Vladimir Pesevski and Transport, Defense Ministers Mile Janakieski and Zoran Konjanovski, Gruevski visited the runaway, new terminal, cargo, administration building...

"The construction works should be completed in the period of June-September. Some buildings will be ready for operation earlier, in May and June, and others in September and October this year, which means that everything has been going as planned. Over EUR 120 million will be invested only in Skopje, Ohrid airports in addition to the funds necessary for the new cargo airport in Stip," Gruevski said.

Under a 20-year concession contract, TAV is in charge of the development, financing, use and maintenance of the two airports: "Alexander the Great" in Skopje and "St. Paul the Apostle" in Ohrid, and construction of a Cargo Airport in Stip.

The project for the Skopje airport includes construction of a terminal building, runaway extension, new apron area, access road and roundabouts, car park area, passenger boarding bridges, administration and cargo buildings.

The improvement works and construction of the new terminal building of the Skopje airport is planned to be completed this November.

[Onur]

Turkish initiative starts to show off it`s use for the Skopje airport. One of Turkey`s airline companies, Pegasus announced that they will have new flights to Skopje from Izmir and Istanbul from 15th august and best of all, it will only be 29.99 Euros, all inclusive price!!!

Macedonia's Capital Skopje Is Our 28th International Destination!
Pegasus Airlines Has Expanded Its Flight Network Into The Balkans With Its New Flights To Macedonia's Capital Skopje. Flights From Izmir Start On 15 August And Flights From Istanbul On 16 August 2011.

Adding more and more domestic and international destinations to its list with every passing day, Pegasus' latest addition is a foray into the Balkans with Macedonia's capital Skopje.

Flights to Macedonia's largest and capital city, founded on the banks of the Vardar river and with many remains still from the Ottoman period, go on sale on 4 July 2011.

Tickets to Skopje start from € 29.99

Flights for Pegasus' newest destination Skopje go on sale on 4 July from € 29.99 including taxes. Pegasus guests can fly from Izmir every Monday and Friday as from 15 August and from Istanbul every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday as from 16 August 2011.

With a history that dates from the 4th century BC Skopje, which was under Ottoman rule for 520 years, has now become Pegasus' 28th international destination from a total 47. As Mother Teresa's birthplace Skopje is renowned for its hospitality and friendliness. Having been inhabited over thousands years by many different cultures it is home to a great diversity of traditions, cuisine and arts. This year it hosts the 30th Skopje International Jazz Festival between 20 and 24 October as the city's traditional way to round off the hot days of summer.

With the addition of this new destination on 15 August 2011, Pegasus increases its number of destinations to 47 in 21 different countries giving even more choice for those looking for somewhere different for a holiday.

http://www.flypgs.com/en/about-pegas...stination.aspx

29 Euro is ridiculously low, about same price as our domestic flights inside Turkey. So, i think i will be in Skopje in August!!! Expect an influx of Turkish tourists after that cuz it`s even cheaper for us than going to a Greek island 4 miles away to our coasts.

And if Macedonians still goes to the Greece for their holidays instead of going to İzmir, Bodrum, Antalya for only 29 Euro, that would be completely mad

[vojnik]

That sounds great Onur!!! Anyone got ay pictures of the plans for the airport or what the finished product is meant to look like?

[julie]

Awesome , will be flying to turkey in avgust instead of bus from macedonia

[The LION will ROAR]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PxZmSAZhFJM

Skopje Alexander the Great Airport opens the doors to its brand new terminal 06-09-2011 Today...

[Vangelovski]

Only the first 30 of the clip is working for me, but that first plackard, if I'm not mistaken, has the 16 ray sonce and says Aleksandar III Makedonski - Alexander the Great. I think that's great! There's a real good news story for you Bill77, not just a pretend one.

But I doubt Gruevski had anything to do with it, more likely the Turks felt sorry for us.

Still yet to see the remainder of the clip.

[Pelister]

This is a good project, and it is something that is surely needed. I would like to see the government spend more on nation building projects that will secure the territorial integrity of the State. What I mean is that the government is spending all this money on upgrading an airport facility, which is needed, while the entire northwest region has been almost "handed over" to a rampant Albanian colonization. It is a simple game of numbers. We need more Macedonians in the Macedonian areas of the west and north west of the country, which means they have to sit down and do some urban planning, lay out some large subdivisions and begin planting more Macedonians in these areas if they ever hope to hold onto it. Anyone who knows anything about the demographics in and around Tetovo will know that its is precariously balanced demographically, between Albanians and Macedonians. The Albanians don't mix, so the Macedonian areas have to br built up. I want to see Macedonia upgrade its infrastructure, but if it wants to raise the living standard of its people it is not going to happen directly, by spending hundreds of millions on an airport (although that is important for different reasons). It should start by providing basic services, such as power and water, in its Macedonian villages are building them up, I believe. I think it needs to invest in its community so much more and that a countries real wealth starts from the ground up, by getting the smallest communities up to a high standard, not from the top down. Otherwise it is going to become a schizophrenic nation of iconic opulence, while much of the rural population is being neglected. Why are Macedonians so obsessed about aspiring to some bullshit Western ideal that doesn't really exist? Why not foster and be proud of the things that make us Macedonians, and celebrate and export our cultural traits? You never saw the top Japanese business men giving up sushi just to "please" their Western counterparts?

[julie]

This is a good project, and it is something that is surely needed. I would like to see the government spend more on nation building projects that will secure the territorial integrity of the State. What I mean is that the government is spending all this money on upgrading an airport facility, which is needed, while the entire northwest region has been almost "handed over" to a rampant Albanian colonization. It is a simple game of numbers. We need more Macedonians in the Macedonian areas of the west and north west of the country, which means they have to sit down and do some urban planning, lay out some large subdivisions and begin planting more Macedonians in these areas if they ever hope to hold onto it. Anyone who knows anything about the demographics in and around Tetovo will know that its is precariously balanced demographically, between Albanians and Macedonians. The Albanians don't mix, so the Macedonian areas have to br built up. I want to see Macedonia upgrade its infrastructure, but if it wants to raise the living standard of its people it is not going to happen directly, by spending hundreds of millions on an airport (although that is important for different reasons). It should start by providing basic services, such as power and water, in its Macedonian villages are building them up, I believe. I think it needs to invest in its community so much more and that a countries real wealth starts from the ground up, by getting the smallest communities up to a high standard, not from the top down. Otherwise it is going to become a schizophrenic nation of iconic opulence, while much of the rural population is being neglected. Why are Macedonians so obsessed about aspiring to some bullshit Western ideal that doesn't really exist? Why not foster and be proud of the things that make us Macedonians, and celebrate and export our cultural traits? You never saw the top Japanese business men giving up sushi just to "please" their Western counterparts?

Pelister, spot on.
There are large areas of Macedonia that can have Christian villages built, there is no foresight when it comes to urban planning.
The demographics must change or territory will be lost to the Albanians

[George S.]

you are right pelister if they don't concentrate on nation building the albanians would think they desrve more attention than the macedonians.I hope they do that as it is better that they do so for the security of our nation.

[Pelister]

I am glad to see the 16 ray sun on a plaque at the new Airport. I think that if the government can get behind something like this then it could spend a few dollars improving life in Christian villages in Western Macedonia, even enlarging them. They have let the Albanians walk in. Its been an aggressive colonization over the last fifty years, and something needs to be done about it. This is probably not the place for me to harp on about it anyway. What do you guys think of the airport? It will help local industry I think.

[George S.]

The airport has been a good thing as you got the capital city of a nation.You are right pelister they need to be doing something & stop the pandering to other things & work for all citizens of macedonia not just a few who simply want to weaken macedonia's stance so that they can take over.THe albanians must realise sooner or later that macedonia is a predominantly macedonian & they need to wake up & contribute & act like a true citizen.You can still have your roots.I'm saying you are with us or agains't us.

[makedonche]

The new airport looks fantastic and the sign with the Kutlesh Sonce looks great, my guess is that the Turkish company who built it didn't give 2 shits for what Greece thought about it, on the other hand Gruevski and company wouldn't have put it up there for fear of upsetting the Grks and albo's!

[George S.]

well i did hear of stories that the albanians control the airport & they make unreasonable demands like to speak in albanian & they hassle old people.The govt is to blame for letting shiptars run the aiport & they are rude & arrogant to macedonians.

[Phoenix]

ATG Airport is now one of the most modern airports in the Balkans, it has a passenger capacity that puts it amongst the top airports in the Balkans, this is a huge opportunity for Macedonia to attract both tourists and transit passengers.
The government has to attract more airlines to ATG to position it as a regional hub but the point of difference between ATG and other airports in the Balkans must be a genuine focus on excellent customer service.

Regarding Pelisters comments about improving NW Macedonia, I think the government has to focus on relocating or establishing high profile government offices in the region, things like military colleges, large military baracks or police headquarters.
The government has to create a sense of 'control' in these regions...build it and they will come...