Private jet to North Macedonia

North Macedonia has two airports for business jets, and they serve two different trips. Skopje, next to the capital, is open around the clock and receives meetings, delegations and investors in every month. Ohrid, on the shore of a lake listed by UNESCO for both its nature and its culture, fills up in summer with families and guests of the festivals. From Vienna a light jet reaches Skopje in 1:36 h, from London in 3:16 h.

North Macedonia is outside the EU and Schengen, so the operator needs approval from the Civil Aviation Agency and there is passport control on arrival and departure. Both airports are run by the same company, and a ground handler is mandatory at each. As a broker, we compare aircraft from operators across Europe, choose the airport that matches your plans and arrange the approval, the handler and the car. The clock is the same as in Paris or Rome, and the currency is the denar.

Tell us whether your trip to North Macedonia is to Skopje, the lake or several countries in the region, with dates and passengers, and we reply with aircraft and prices.

Reasons to fly privately

Flight times to Skopje and Ohrid

• Sofia - Skopje 0:44 h, Thessaloniki - Skopje 0:46 h, Belgrade - Skopje 0:58 h
• Athens - Ohrid 1:08 h, Istanbul - Skopje 1:24 h, Rome - Ohrid 1:27 h
• Vienna - Skopje 1:36 h, Vienna - Ohrid 1:40 h, Munich - Skopje 1:57 h, Milan Linate - Skopje 1:59 h
• Zurich - Ohrid 2:09 h, Geneva - Skopje 2:20 h, Frankfurt - Skopje 2:22 h
• Paris Le Bourget - Skopje 2:50 h, London Farnborough - Skopje or Ohrid 3:16 h, Madrid - Skopje 3:25 h

The times are for a Citation CJ3, taxi included; the regional table shows the slightly longer turboprop times. Seen from western Europe, the two airports of North Macedonia lie at almost the same distance, so the flight time hardly changes with the airport. From London, Madrid or Amsterdam the sector is close to three hours or more, and many clients choose a larger cabin for it.

Private jet prices to North Macedonia

Prices are for the whole aircraft, one way, assuming an aircraft available near the departure airport. Handling, airport charges, the approval and passenger taxes are added in the quote. The flight time column refers to the first aircraft in each row.

From the European hubs

London to Skopje and London to Ohrid cost the same in a light jet: EUR 15,500, and from Munich and Vienna the two airports are also priced alike. For a week by the lake in North Macedonia there is no reason to land in the capital and drive three hours. Vienna is the cheapest hub at EUR 10,500, Madrid the most expensive at EUR 16,500.

From the neighbours and the region

A Pilatus PC-12 from Sofia, Thessaloniki or Tirana costs EUR 6,500 for less than an hour in the air. Sofia and Thessaloniki are in Schengen, so passport control applies when you land there from Skopje, and a following leg within Schengen needs none. From Rome to Ohrid the Italian passenger tax is EUR 100 per person, the rate for flights from and to Italy up to 1,500 km.

Long-haul

The Skopje runway of about 2,950 m takes any long-range business jet, and all three classes fly these routes non-stop. Price follows flight time, plus a share for bringing the aircraft and crew to the departure airport. Passenger taxes depend on the country of departure: about EUR 1,015 per passenger on a jet from France and EUR 675 on a turboprop, the French rate for this distance outside the EU (about EUR 420 within it); Austria charges EUR 12; Germany charges a departure tax, and the Netherlands taxes aircraft of 5.7 t or more. UK Air Passenger Duty does not apply under 5.7 t, follows the standard rate on most jets and the higher rate only on jets of 20 t or more with fewer than 19 seats.

Business jet price per flight hour

Heavy Jets from EUR 8,300 / hour

Light Jets from EUR 3,200 / hour

Ultra Long Range Jets from EUR 12,000 / hour

Super Midsize Jets from EUR 6,300 / hour

Very Light Jets from EUR 2,500 / hour

Long Range Jets from EUR 9,800 / hour

Midsize Jets from EUR 4,500 / hour

Turboprops from EUR 2,000 / hour

What a trip really costs

Price per passenger

The whole aircraft is chartered, so the price per seat drops as the group grows; passenger taxes are added per person:

Calculator

For a return, a regional tour or a different aircraft, the calculator sends an estimate by e-mail in seconds:

Skopje and Ohrid: the two airports

Both airports are ports of entry with customs and border police, both are operated by TAV Airports, and both require a ground handler. Skopje needs a slot; Ohrid does not, but it keeps daytime opening hours.

The approval comes from the Civil Aviation Agency. For a commercial charter the operator applies at least two to three working days ahead, depending on the type of operation, with the air operator certificate, registration, insurance and noise papers; weekends and holidays do not count. A flight between Skopje and Ohrid is a domestic leg that a foreign operator may not fly without separate permission, so the usual choice is the car, about three hours, or a helicopter in about 40 minutes.

Which aircraft to choose

Both runways take every business jet. At Ohrid in high summer the limit is the apron, not the runway, so a large aircraft that has to stay several nights is confirmed before booking. For a short hop from a neighbouring capital a turboprop costs less than a jet and loses only a few minutes; from western Europe a light jet is the usual choice.

Not sure whether Skopje or Ohrid suits your plan better? Leave your number and a consultant will call back.

The year in North Macedonia

The best months are May, June and September: warm, with space in the hotels by the lake and aircraft easier to find. July and August are the peak at Ohrid, with the summer festival and the busiest weeks of the year; Skopje has business traffic in every month. Empty Legs are most frequent in early July and at the end of August, when aircraft that brought summer guests to the lake fly back north.

From the runway to the city, the lake and the mountains

The hotels of the eastern shore lie south of Ohrid town towards Galičica National Park; we book the car with the flight so it waits at the terminal. Between Skopje and the lake the road takes about three hours, the helicopter about 40 minutes.

Empty Legs to and from North Macedonia

An Empty Leg is a flight without passengers, back to base or on to the next client, sold below the normal price. Summer trips to the lake are often one way, so the return sector of the aircraft is free:

The operator fixes the date and time, and the leg can disappear if the original booking changes, so Empty Legs suit flexible plans. Write to empty-legs@jets.flights with the direction and dates.

Pets on the flight

The country applies rules for dogs, cats and ferrets close to the EU model and is on the EU list of countries exempt from the rabies antibody test. The pet travels in the cabin beside you, with the operator's approval in advance:

• ISO microchip, implanted before or with the rabies vaccination.
• Rabies vaccination given at 12 weeks of age or later, at least 21 days before entry for a first vaccination.
• EU pet passport signed by an authorised vet; any prior approval of the animal by the Food and Veterinary Agency is arranged before the date.
• At most five animals per owner on a non-commercial trip, entering through a crossing designated for travellers with pets.
• Back to the EU: no blood test, the chip, passport and valid vaccination are checked at the point of entry.

Hotels around Lake Ohrid have different rules for dogs, so we check with the hotel when we book the trip.

Entry, customs and taxes

Before departure

• Passport or EU ID card for every passenger, children included.
• Names and document numbers at least three working days before the flight, for the approval.
• Arrival and departure times at Ohrid checked against the opening hours.
• Hotel or meeting address, so the car waits at the right terminal.
• Pet passport with chip and vaccination; tapeworm treatment for dogs flying home to the UK.
• Company name and VAT number for the invoice.

Booking step by step

1. Send the departure airport, dates, passengers and luggage, and tell us if you are heading for Skopje, the lake or a tour of the region.
2. We choose between Skopje and Ohrid and send two or three aircraft options with operator, model, cabin photos, flight time and price.
3. The operator files the application with the Civil Aviation Agency; for Ohrid we agree any arrival outside the opening hours.
4. You sign the contract and pay; we pass the passenger list to the handler and book the car or helicopter.
5. On the day, arrive 20-30 minutes before take-off; after landing the handler takes you through control to the car.

Questions about private flights to North Macedonia

• • How much does a private jet to North Macedonia cost?

  • A turboprop from Sofia, Thessaloniki or Tirana costs EUR 6,500. From Vienna a light jet to Skopje or Ohrid costs EUR 10,500 and from London EUR 15,500, one way for the whole aircraft, plus handling, approval and taxes.

• • Skopje or Ohrid?

  • Skopje for the capital, the wine country and the western mountains; Ohrid for the lake, Struga and Bitola. From most hubs the price is the same, so land where you are going.

• • Can we land in Ohrid in the evening?

  • Yes, with prior notice. The airport keeps daytime hours, Monday to Saturday 08:00-16:00 and Sunday 07:00-15:00, and we arrange an arrival or departure outside them with the booking.

• • Is Skopje airport open at night?

  • Yes, the airport and the tower work around the clock, so a late departure after a day of meetings is possible.

• • How long is the flight from London?

  • About 3:16 h to Skopje or Ohrid in a Citation CJ3 from Farnborough. North Macedonia is one hour ahead of London.

• • How early must we book?

  • The Civil Aviation Agency needs the application two to three working days ahead. For July and August at Ohrid, book the aircraft, stand and hotel several weeks in advance.

• • Can we fly from Skopje to Ohrid?

  • A domestic leg needs separate permission for a foreign operator, so we check it case by case. The alternatives are a car, about three hours, or a helicopter, about 40 minutes.

• • Do we need a visa?

  • No visa for EU, UK or US citizens on a short stay. There is passport control on arrival and departure, and the hotel registers you with the police.

• • Can our dog come along?

  • Yes, in the cabin, with a microchip, EU pet passport and rabies vaccination. The return to the EU needs no blood test, as the country is on the exempt list.

• • When are Empty Legs most frequent?

  • In early July and at the end of August, when aircraft that brought guests to the lake return north. Send your dates to empty-legs@jets.flights.

• • Is the country called Macedonia or North Macedonia?

  • Its name is North Macedonia. Macedonia is still heard in everyday speech, and both names refer to the same country with its capital in Skopje.