On 27.01.2022, in the premises of M-NAV, Air Navigation Services Provider (the building of Air Traffic Control), the Management Board of M-NAV led by Mr. Fahrudin Hamidi, President of the Management Board and ANS Executive Director, Mr. Vladko Krstevski – CNS Executive Director and Mr. Migjen Salmani – Executive Director of the Division for Financial and Legal Affairs, Development and Investments had the honor of welcoming Mr. Blagoj Bochvarski, the Minister of Transport and Communications and Mr. Bekim Rexhepi, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications.

During the visit, the Minister had an opportunity to look in on our operating premises and to become familiar with our work.

Mr. Hamidi, the President of the Management Board informed about the start of the preliminary activities for the construction commencement of the new building with a total area of 1.200 square metres where the new ATM system will be housed, thus ensuring an increase of our capacities and modernizing our Organization.

As two years of Covid -19 pandemic crisis has had a major negative impact on the overall air traffic, M-NAV being an Air Navigation Services Provider has seen a drastic revenue decrease, but the Company team with joint efforts has managed to overcome it and to improve our financial indicators.

M-NAV continues with modernization of the air navigation system  which will enable handling of a higher air traffic volume and provision of the most professional and safe air navigation services.

M-NAV GOJSC and Albcontrol participated in a bilateral meeting which was held on the 07th of December 2021 in M-NAV`s premises located at Bosfor,Mralino. The Members of the Management Board of M-NAV expressed their welcome and support to the Albcontrol delegation and gave strategic directions in terms of the expected level and the areas of cooperation between both ANSPs. Afterwards the meeting proceeded with the working group led by the CNS Department Directors and the Head of Systems from both parties present

The areas expected to be improved, improving the quality of services and the data exchange between both ANSP`s were issues discussed at the meeting. The status of the currently used infrastructure as well, possible technical solutions were discussed with an aim of improving the quality of the required communication connectivity, the possible formats of radar data which would be exchanged , as well as the possibility of integration of the OLDI data exchange into the new communication solution.

It was also agreed that a draft LoA for exchange of Data between Ohrid Radar and Porto Romano would be prepared

On November 4, 2021, a bilateral meeting was held with SMATSA colleagues in order to exchange experiences in the field of technologies for operational work, investments and modernization of our systems.

Regarding the Covid Impact, discussions took place about the current situation of our air traffic during this year 2021 and the financial situation, our plans and expectations for the next 2022 season, inclusion and implementation of the SECSI FRA initiative and changes in the LoA .

Air Traffic Controllers led by the President of the Management Board of “M-NAV” GOJSC, at the invitation of SECSI FRA Group of countries and of Albcontrol attended the regional meeting held in Tirana from 18th to 20th of October. The topic of the meeting was the South East Common Sky Initiative Free Route Airspace (SECSI FRA). The regional meeting was attended by representatives from Air Navigation Services Providers from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Albania.

The above-mentioned meeting was of immense importance for M-NAV because it formalized the accession of the Republic of North Macedonia and of Albania to this Initiative. What gave additional importance to this meeting is that it was a good opportunity to discuss operational issues related to this Initiative which offers airspace users significant benefits along the South East Axis by delivering the shortest route options, and its benefits were subject of discussion at the meeting. Also, it was discussed about the constraining moment in the functioning of our system which does not process FPL, so there are three points for outbound traffic towards Tirana.

Further, at the said meeting, another meeting with Mr. Hantin Bonati, General Manager of Albcontrol, took place with whom it was discussed about reaching final, formal solution for delegating a part of the Airspace over Lake Ohrid for meeting M-NAV`s needs in providing air navigation services by ATC Ohrid, also establishing a direct telecommunication link between ATC Ohrid and Albcontrol was considered.

M-NAV continues to attend regional meetings throughout the region with an aim of efficient implementation of this Initiative.

The aviation industry has been one of the worst hit sectors due to the outbreak of the SARS-CoV 2 virus. Since the beginning of the crisis, all stakeholders are committed to air traffic recovery and return the number of flights and passengers to a pre-crisis level, i.e. to the 2019 level, a year which in these conditions is taken as a reference year.

It is apparent that the vaccination of the population and the relaxed travel restrictions imposed by the States very successfully mitigate the Covid-19 effects which last year significantly hit the aviation sector which suffered enormous financial losses.

Throughout this period, Eurocontrol has been striving to assist with its resources, including preparation of short-term scenarios and long-term forecasts for the expected air traffic levels in order to assist Service Providers optimize their operations and contribute adequately to air traffic recovery. According to its new forecast issued in the month of October 2021 for the period 2021-2027, there are three possible scenarios: the “High” scenario which is optimistic one and envisages its realization with further massive vaccination within Europe and globally, with a coordinated interregional approach, relaxed travel restrictions with most inter-regional flows restarting by the middle of 2022. The “Baseline” scenario is similar but with flows outside Europe recovering rather more slowly and with business travel only recovering to a pre-COVID levels in 2023. According to the most pessimistic “Low” scenario, this is delayed until 2027.

M-NAV is especially proud that during the month of August 2021 it almost reached the “High” scenario and it has seen an air traffic drop of -7.8% when compared to the same month in the year of 2019, followed by a slight decline of the curve and in the month of September it was recorded air traffic drop of -11.9% when compared to the same month in the year of 2019, so that in October, finally after more than а year and a half, M-NAV records an air traffic increase of 1.3% compared to the month October in 2019. Thus, the Republic of North Macedonia for the month of October 2021 is a country with the highest volume of overflights growth when compared to the year of 2019, at level of ECAC Member States.

M-NAV hopes that this trend of increasing air traffic will continue and we remain committed to safe provision of air navigation services to our Clients.

Source: Eurocontrol

On 18.05.2021, the President of the Management Board of M-NAV and ANS Executive Director, Mr. Fahrudin Hamidi and the Executive Director for Financial and Legal Affairs, Development and Investments – Mr. Migjen Salmani, visited the working premises of ANSA in Prishtina, Kosova, where they had a meeting with the members of ANSA`s Management, led by the General Director, Mr. Bahri Nuredini.

During the meeting, the said adjacent Air Navigation Service Providers discussed about the current air traffic situation and the crisis which occurred due to the enormous air traffic drop caused by Covid 19 pandemic, likewise they tackled the issues about the measures and activities undertaken in order to solve the crisis and thus enabling smooth and regular air traffic flow. At the same time, they discussed about the forthcoming strategic views of both ANSPs in the area of providing safe air navigation services aiming optimal use of the existing mutual resources (human, technical and procedural resources), while reducing the costs.