View source for MAT Macedonian Airlines

{{For|the Greek airline, subsidiary of Olympic Air |Macedonian Airlines}}
{{Infobox Airline |
airline=MAT Macedonian Airlines| 
logo=MAT Macedonian Airlines logo.png| 
logo_size=211| 
IATA=IN|
ICAO=MAK|
callsign=MAKAVIO|
parent=|
founded=1994|
ceased=1 September 2009|
headquarters=[[Skopje]], [[North Macedonia]]|
key_people=Zlatko Petrovski (President)|
bases=[[Ohrid Airport]]<br>[[Skopje Airport]]|
frequent_flyer=|
lounge=|
fleet_size= 1|
destinations= 7|
website= [http://www.mat.com.mk/ www.mat.com.mk]|
}}

'''MAT Macedonian Airlines''' ({{langx|mk|Македонски Авиотранспорт (МАТ)}}, [[Transliteration of Macedonian|tr]]: ''Makedonski Aviotransport (MAT)'') was the national [[flag carrier]] [[airline]] of the [[Republic of Macedonia]] (now North Macedonia). It operated scheduled services between Skopje and [[Ohrid]] and several destinations in Europe. It was based in [[Skopje]] with its main base at [[Skopje International Airport]].<ref name="FI">{{cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= [[Flight International]] | page= 46 | date= 2007-04-10}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:McDonnell Douglas DC-9-32 Macedonian Airlines YU-AJJ, DUS Dusseldorf (Duesseldorf International), Germany PP1167472423.jpg|thumb|MAT Macedonian Airlines [[McDonnell Douglas DC-9]] leased from [[JAT Airways|JAT]] at [[Düsseldorf Airport]] in May 1997.]]
[[File:MAT Boeing 737-300 Gilliand-1.jpg|thumb|MAT Macedonian Airlines [[Boeing 737]]-300 leased from [[JAT Airways|JAT]] in 1997.]]
Macedonian Air Transport was established on 16 January 1994 and started operations on 23 June 1994 flying from Skopje to [[Zürich]] using a [[Boeing 737|Boeing 737-200]].

In 2000, the Government of the Republic of Macedonia signed an agreement with MAT that gave MAT the status of national flag carrier for the following 10 years.
MAT Macedonian Air Transport is a share holding private Company, owned by two major stockholders.<ref name="FI"/>

In 2007, MAT introduced electronic tickets available for purchase over the internet.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=http://mat.com.mk/ohrid-lake-pearl-macedonia/|title=Pearl destination - Ohrid lake|date=4 January 2019|website=Airline Tribute to Macedonia|accessdate=8 January 2019}}</ref>

===Final years (2008-2009)===
[[File:MATMacedonianSkopjeAirport.JPG|thumb|MAT Macedonian Airlines [[Bombardier CRJ-900]] at [[Skopje Airport]], [[Republic of Macedonia]]. (2008)]]
On 31 October 2008, MAT received its first [[Boeing 737 Classic|Boeing 737-500]]. The aircraft had 126 seats divided in two cabin classes (business and economy) and 4 tons capacity for baggage and cargo. The registration of the aircraft was Z3-AAH and it carried MAT traditional colors.<ref name="auto"/>

In December 2008, the airline was forced to give up its services from Skopje to [[Berlin]], [[Düsseldorf]], [[Hamburg]] and [[Rome]] after [[Eurocontrol]] banned the carrier from entering German and Italian airspace because of unpaid air traffic control fees from the period 1999 to 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.balkantravellers.com/en/read/article/927|title=MAT Macedonian Airlines banned from German and Italian airspace|website=Balkantravellers.com|accessdate=8 January 2019}}</ref>

MAT Airlines was also banned from [[Greece|Greek]] airspace, because of the [[Macedonia naming dispute]]. In 2009, the Greek and Macedonian states agreed on their aircraft entering each other's airspace, but Macedonian registered aircraft could not land in any Greek airports.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.exyuaviation.com/2009/05/greece-partially-lifts-flight-ban.html|title=Greece partially lifts flight ban|website=Exyuaviation.com|date=May 2009 |accessdate=8 January 2019}}</ref>

In 2009, MAT dismissed 70 of 180 employees and changed its airplanes to reduce costs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vest.com.mk/default.asp?id=163455&idg=9&idb=2597&rubrika=Makedonija|title=Vest newspaper|website=Vest.com.mk|accessdate=8 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928130757/http://www.vest.com.mk/default.asp?id=163455&idg=9&idb=2597&rubrika=Makedonija|archive-date=28 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 20 March 2009, [[Jat Airways]], the national flag carrier airline of [[Serbia]], announced its intentions of taking over a majority of shares in MAT Macedonian Airlines.

On 14 May 2009, a Boeing 737-500 was grounded by Macedonian CAA and stored at [[Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport]] until 4 July 2009.

On 1 September 2009, MAT Macedonian Airlines lost its Air Operators Certificate (AOC).

==Planned takeover by Jat==
MAT Macedonian Airlines and Jat Airways signed the Intention agreement on finding the best business solution for the future cooperation between the two national carriers of Macedonia and Serbia. Both companies stated that the interest is shown for establishing various forms of cooperation, from technical to commercial.

In the year 2008 Alexander The Great Airport provided service to more than 660.000 passengers while MAT served 37 per cent on the flights to Zurich, Vienna, Düsseldorf, Rome, Istanbul, Hamburg, Berlin and Amsterdam and Jat served 10 per cent. By improving the companies’ partnership, services for the Macedonian passengers will gain additional possibilities.

The agreement was signed in Belgrade by Jat Acting Director General Sasa Vlaisavljevic and the president of MAT's Board of Directors, Zlatko Petrovski.<ref name="auto"/>

Despite MAT recently being grounded by aviation authorities in Macedonia, Jat's CEO has confirmed that the Serbian carrier will take over shares and revive the national Macedonian carrier. Jat's team of legal experts are currently in Skopje where they are checking MAT's legal and financial documentation. These checks should be complete within a week. The findings will be presented to Jat's management board, after which, the Serbian carrier will send MAT a proposal whether it will take over a majority of shares (over 50%) or less than 50% of shares. The documentation checks have taken longer than expected because MAT did not immediately provide all the necessary paperwork. Also, Jat's legal team requested more information regarding MAT's financial reports. Jat's CEO confirmed that MAT has extreme debt but declined to comment further. He stated that Jat is primarily interested in the Macedonian aviation market which is covered 35% by MAT, while Jat has a share of 10% in the market. “We are also interested in commencing flights from Belgrade and Skopje to Priština through MAT”, Saša Vlaisavljević, the airline's CEO says. Jat is currently banned from flying to Priština due to the unresolved status of Kosovo in which Priština is located.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.exyuaviation.com/2009/05/jat-mat-takeover-imminent.html|title=Jat: MAT takeover imminent|website=Exyuaviation.com|date=7 May 2009 |accessdate=8 January 2019}}</ref>

In October 2009, [[Jat Airways]] does not have any intentions with MAT Macedonian Airlines, instead they have planned an airline for [[Republic of Macedonia]] called [[Aeromak]].

== Destinations ==
MAT Macedonian Airlines operated the following service (at May 2009):

===Europe===
*'''{{flag|Austria}}'''
** [[Vienna]] - [[Vienna International Airport]]
*'''{{flag|North Macedonia}}'''
**[[Ohrid]] - [[Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport]] '''Base'''
**[[Skopje]] - [[Skopje Alexander the Great Airport]] '''Base'''
*'''{{flag|Netherlands}}'''
** [[Amsterdam]] - [[Amsterdam Airport Schiphol]]
** [[Maastricht]] - [[Maastricht Airport]]
*'''{{flag|Serbia}}'''
** [[Belgrade]] - [[Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport]]
*'''{{flag|Switzerland}}'''
** [[Zürich]] - [[Zürich Airport]]

===Terminated destinations===
MAT Macedonian Airlines also operated flights to [[Czech Republic]], [[Denmark]], [[Germany]], [[Hungary]] [[Italy]], [[Luxembourg]], [[Spain]], [[Sweden]], [[Switzerland]], and [[Turkey]] until December 2008:

*'''{{flag|Czech Republic}}''' -Prague
*'''{{flag|Denmark}}''' -Copenhagen
*'''{{flag|Germany}}''' - Berlin-Tegel, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Karlsruhe
*'''{{flag|Hungary}}''' -Budapest
*'''{{flag|Italy}}''' - Rome-Fiumicino, Milan,
*'''{{flag|Luxembourg}}''' - Luxembourg
*'''{{flag|Spain}}''' - Madrid, Palma de Mallorca
*'''{{flag|Sweden}}''' - Gothenburg. Stockholm
*'''{{flag|Switzerland}}''' -Geneva
*'''{{flag|Turkey}}''' -Istanbul

==Fleet==
The MAT Macedonian Airlines fleet included the following aircraft (at 1 September 2009):<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=IN&al_op=1|title=MAT MAcedonian Airlines Fleet|website=Ch-aviation.ch|accessdate=8 January 2019}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ MAT Macedonian Airlines Fleet
|- 
!Aircraft
!Total
!Seats
!Notes
|-
|[[Boeing 737 Classic|Boeing 737-500]]
| 1
| 126
| Sold to [[MAT Airways]] in 2010
|-
|}

The average age of the MAT Macedonian Airlines fleet was 17.8 years (at 1 September 2009).{{Cn|date=April 2025}}{{Needs update|date=April 2025}}

===Historic===
*[[Boeing 737-200]] (3)<ref name="rzjets">{{cite web|url=http://rzjets.net/operators/?show=822 |title=MAT Macedonian Airlines|website=Rzjets.com|accessdate=13 December 2014}}</ref>
*[[Boeing 737 Classic|Boeing 737-300]] (4)<ref name="rzjets"/>
*[[Boeing 737 Classic|Boeing 737-400]]
*[[Boeing 737 Classic|Boeing 737-500]]
*[[McDonnell Douglas DC-9]] (3)<ref name="rzjets"/>
*[[Yakovlev Yak-42]]
*[[CRJ-900]] (1)<ref name="rzjets"/>
*[[Tupolev Tu-154]] (1)<ref name="rzjets"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|MAT Macedonian Airlines}}
*[http://www.mat.com.mk/ MAT Macedonian Airlines] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117031832/http://mat.com.mk/ |date=2019-11-17 }}

{{Air Serbia}}
{{Airlines of North Macedonia}}
{{Portalbar|North Macedonia|Companies|Aviation}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mat Macedonian Airlines}}
[[Category:Defunct airlines of North Macedonia]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1994]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 2009]]
[[Category:European Regions Airline Association]]
[[Category:2009 disestablishments in the Republic of Macedonia]]
[[Category:Macedonian companies established in 1994]]