The primary radar system at Skopje’s international airport has been out of service since Wednesday night due to an electronic malfunction, forcing air traffic controllers to rely on backup procedures and reduce the number of landings, North Macedonia’s state air navigation company M-NAV said on Monday.
“The malfunction is electronic in nature and has no impact on flight safety,” Vladimir Risteski, chairman of M-NAV’s management board and head of air navigation, told reporters. He said the company was working with the Italian manufacturer of the system to fix the problem.
Until faulty memory units are replaced, aircraft must land one by one with longer time intervals. If several flights arrive simultaneously, some will have to circle above the airport until cleared to land, M-NAV said.
The radar system, installed in 2000 at a cost of around 2 million euros, has long been flagged as outdated. A replacement system, also from an Italian supplier and costing the same amount, was purchased earlier this year but has not yet been put into operation.
“As agreed with the union, the new equipment will be installed in winter when traffic is lighter. It is a complex process that takes time,” Risteski said, adding that the supplier had delayed delivery and was penalised.
The union of air traffic controllers has repeatedly warned that outdated technology was putting pressure on operations. “All regional control centres have replaced their systems several times, while we are still using one from 2000,” union head Aleksandar Tasevski said.
Controllers threatened to strike earlier this summer, citing concerns not only about the radar but also about software and other equipment nearing the end of their service life. The strike was postponed after management pledged to speed up installation of the new system.
Skopje’s area control centre handles about 150,000 overflights annually, with more than 600 flights a day during the summer peak. Officials said safety was not compromised as radar signals are also received from Ohrid airport and neighbouring countries Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia.
The opposition Social Democrats (SDSM) accused the ruling VMRO-DPMNE party of politicising the state-owned company and failing to prioritise safety. “This is not just a technical malfunction but the result of political appointments. North Macedonia looks unprofessional before the world and passengers are being put at risk,” party spokesperson Bogdanka Kuzevska said.
The radar failure is the first major test for M-NAV’s new leadership, which faces pressure to restore normal operations quickly and accelerate installation of the long-delayed replacement system.