Flying to North Macedonia
Update: 24 August 2024
Flying to North Macedonia from Western Europe may seem tricky, not for the flight itself but for the bureaucratic steps to be done before entering the country and landing.
I will list what I had to do. That said, may be someone found/will find easier procedures, but this is what, apparently, is mandatory.
First of all, you must contact customer.mk@tav.aero, slotcoordinationskp@tav.aero (if you plan to land in Skopje International), dutyohd@tav.aero (if you plan to land in Ohrid) and copy to: DONChO.MACKOSKI@tav.aero, ops@tav.aero, Lazo.Avramoski@tav.aero, agramatikov@caa.gov.mk, rco.rco@mnavigation.mk, nmpiu@moi.gov.mk and describe your plan with a text like:
I plan to enter North Macedonia on xx/xx/xxxx at yyyy (IFR intersection on the FIR boundary), and land in LWxx. Leave LWxx on xx/xx/xxxx at xx:xx and fly to ….. I will leave North Macedonia on xx/xx/xxxx at yyyy departing from LWxx and through yyyy(IFR intersection on the FIR boundary).
Please note this is a VFR flight so dates, times and airports may change due to weather conditions. I will keep you informed as much as I can of any changes.
Aircraft Registration: x-xxxx
Pilot1: Akdskl Sdqsdg
Pilot2: Bkfkfds Hsfjfjff
Documents attached.
Attach all these documents:
-Registration Certificate
-Airworthiness Certificate
-Airworthiness Review Certificate
-Insurance Certificate
-Noise Certificate
-Radio Station Certificate
And the following documenst for each pilot:
-License
-Medical
-Passport (or European ID card)
-Attach also a PDF, named AOL.pdf with something like this inside:
X-XXXX and its pilots do not own an "Air
Operating Licence" while this is not a
commercial flight but a leisure flight. All the
documents we have have been attached. If
something is missing, please advise
yyyyyyyyy@yyyy.yyy
Not all the documents are required by all offices, but sending all you save a lot of time avoiding they ask for something missing. Without knowing this in advance, it took me 11 days to send requests, wait for an answer that, always, asked me something else and to contact someone else!
nmpiu@moi.gov.mk (Ministry of Interior office?) will probably ask you something unbelievable:
For receiving API data from airlines on arrival and departure, we use the ARINC provider.
We need to receive API data from all types of airlines, passengers and crew members.
The method of receiving the data is specified in the Implementation Guide that I am sending you as an attachment to the e-mail.
If you cannot send the API data to the Arinc provider, then you should send the API data directly to our PIU, but it should be in UN Edifact format.
If they are not in this format, we cannot insert them into our system and we will not be able to process them.
Useless to try to explain I was not an airliner, they say this is always required. Finally, after half a dozen emails, they accepted the above mentioned email and documents. Be prepared!
Finally you can really organize you fly!
First of all NM AIP, today, lists only two airports: Skopje International-LWSK and Ohrid-LWOH but, actually, there are some other interesting airports in the country.
For instance, during high season, Skopje International refuses overnight parking for small airplanes, but the friendly Stenkovec-LWSN (NW of the city), less the 10 minutes fly from LWSK, is generally available for long term parking. Often an hangar is also available at reasonable price.
I suggest to fly to LWSK, clear customs, refuel and possibly buy a NM SIM card for your phone and then fly to Stenkovec.
Send the usual email to Stenkovec too: Aeroklub Skopje aeroklubsk@gmail.com and Jane Stefanov vozdushen@gmail.com. Ask them: I know they are organizing to clear customs directly in Stenkovec in the near future, this allows to save more than 100€!
The website of the aero club is: https://aeroklubskopje.mk/en/home/
Here you can find useful info, runway layout, etc.
I strongly suggest to visit Ohird too, but be careful LWOH is open only few hours: some days in the morning, some days in the afternoon: read carefully the NOTAMs. AVGAS is available at a higher price than Skopje. I suggest, coming from North, to overfly the field, take a picture tour on the lake and land from south.
Navigation in NM is very easy: basically, due to non existent VFR traffic, you are allowed to fly wherever you like at the altitude you like. For a 50 minutes fly from Stenkovec to Ohrid, ATC asked me to call 5 minutes before landing to switch to Ohrid! No route/altitude restrictions.
By the way, there are few VFR reporting points but they are reported only on a locally available map. I know Skydemon is working on this, not sure when they will be present. No problem if you don't know them: just ask to ATC the location. They are very friendly.
If you have to cross Albania, consider Tirana-LATI is available as alternate but AVGAS is apparently priced 5.99€/l while Kukes-LAKU is not usable as alternate (reportd in AIP) and is basically a closed airport. Even if not reported in any NOTAM, as soon as you request the mandatory PPR you are requested to change destination to LATI: Tirana! By the way, Albanian authorities are very friendly, even via email when asking a PPR or to cross the country as well as ATC is very collaborative with VFR traffic.
For Albania, contact only Info-trafficrights@acaa.gov.al and they will give you all the informations abd clearances you need. I got an inconditioned permint to cross Albania and to land in Tirana for a 10 days period.
If you have to cross Kosovo… forget it! It is not impossible, but it requires a huge bunch of documents/requests and takes several days. That said, in case of bad, uncrossable, weather you can cross [part of] Kosovo just contacting ATC. For more info, contact GAT@caa-ks.org.
This is the answer I got:
If a VFR flight encounters adverse meteorological conditions it will be handled by ATC as required. It appears as a state of emergency, therefore if the flight is in need to deviate and overfly in airspace above Kosovo, it could be done with no prior approval.
Otherwise, If you plan to overfly the airspace above Kosovo for other reasons, prior approval from CAA is needed, and in order to process your flight request please complete the Application Form (AAC-DSF-GAT-FRM 22 - Application form for GAT VFR) that has to e-mailed back to us together with necessary documents in appendix 7. Since the lower airspace of Kosovo is controlled by NATO Forces (KFOR), attached you may find the „Annex A“ that has to be filled (name, surname, date of filed and signed by etch pilot in command). Also the latest version of NATO Spins is included for your information and become familiar with their rules. The flight plan needs to be submitted at least three working days (72 hours) in advance, before flight activity, since the activity has to be coordinated with military forces.
This is what I can say in August 2024 - Check with Skydemon and Aeroklub Skopje if there are any changes!