Aegean Airlines (A3, Athens) is expected to resume its service connecting Athens and Skopje by the end of 2018 after the Macedonian gateway has changed its name, Greek Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs Georgias Kautrogalos has said.

As reported by Republika, Katrougalos has explained that the exact timeline depends on the carrier which is already preparing to relaunch the route connecting the Greek and the FYROM capitals.

In 2017, Aegean Airlines announced it would restart Skopje operations in June 2018, although it is not clear whether this timeline is still in force.

The route was first launched in 2003 but was later discontinued in 2007 due to political disagreements. Greece objects to its northern neighbour using the name "Macedonia", which is also the name of Greece's northernmost region. For this reason, the country is currently using the name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia or the FYROM.

The dispute also affected the airport in Skopje, which used to be named after Alexander the Great, a historical hero whom both Greece and the FYROM claim as their national. In February 2018, the government in Skopje decided to drop the name.

No other carrier is currently serving direct flights between Greece and the FYROM.