Greece’s Aegean Airlines will end its fifth-freedom flights between Skopje and Sarajevo from November 29, just over a year after introducing operations between the two cities. The carrier initially planned to operate the service three times per week in November and December, and twice weekly from January. It then scheduled flights until December 7, with a limited operation during the holiday period from late December until early January but has now removed all flights past the end of November. Ticket sales on the route for the 2025 summer season have also been suspended. The airline has not commented on its decision to end the flights.

This summer, Aegean Airlines maintained operations between the two capital cities primarily with the 46-seat ATR42 aircraft, through its regional subsidiary Olympic Air, even though it initially scheduled the slightly larger 72-seat ATR72 turboprop. The service marked the first time Skopje and Sarajevo had been linked with a scheduled air service in thirteen years when the now-defunct B&H Airlines maintained flights between the two. Aegean Airlines had applied for the Macedonian government’s subsidy program for the introduction of new routes from Skopje last year but pulled out after the tender was declared void. It did not take part in the subsequent public call organised by the government.

The Greek flag carrier also plans to further reduce frequencies on its Athens – Skopje terminator service. From December, the carrier will maintain three weekly flights between the two cities, down from six weekly last winter. Furthermore, it will reduce capacity between the two capitals, as it has currently scheduled the ATR42 aircraft on the route for all flights from December onwards, compared to the ATR72 which was primarily used between the two cities last winter. As previously reported, elsewhere in the region, Aegean Airlines will suspend flights between Athens and Podgorica for the majority of the winter season, from November 17 until December 18 and then against from January 5 onwards.