Macedonian start-up Air Vardar has received its first Boeing MD-82 and aims to have four aircraft in service by the end of August.
The airline - a joint venture between Mergimi travel agent owner Sabri Aliji and Swiss and German investors - has been formed to fill the gap left by the shrinking of Macedonian carrier Avioimpex. "After the fall of Avioimpex, we decided to form our own airline," says Aliji, who is also Air Vardar general manager.
The start-up has acquired two MD-82s and two Fokker 50s on four-year leases, and holds purchase options on the aircraft. Aliji says the new airline will be backed by the network of Mergimi sales offices in Germany, Kosovo, Macedonia and Switzerland, and most of the flightcrew will be former Avioimpex personnel.
Air Vardar will target Macedonian emigrants in central and northern Europe, as well as local travellers. Planned destinations include Albania, Austria, Croatia, Germany, Italy, Serbia and Montenegro, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK.
Future links to Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates are also being considered, with the UAE providing a potential tie-up with Malaysia Airlines, a long-time Mergimi partner, to serve the estimated 300,000 Macedonians living in Australia.
Source: Flight International
