There’s an alarming story coming out of North Macedonia, whereby an air traffic controller was beaten up while on the job, as dozens of aircraft were under his control (thanks to Nicholas for flagging this). This seems to be a huge story in North Macedonia, but hasn’t yet been picked up globally…
In this post:
Air traffic controller gets attacked in Skopje
This incident involves a controller working for North Macedonia’s M-NAV air traffic control service, specifically at Skopje International Airport (SKP). On Thursday, January 4, 2024, several people entered the air traffic controller center unauthorized, and beat up an air traffic controller while he was on his shift. At the time of the incident, there were 36 aircraft in this airspace.
The vehicles with the attackers weren’t stopped by the security agency that’s hired to protect the perimeter of the center, and also weren’t stopped by M-NAV security in the building itself. There were reportedly up to eight people involved in this incident, and the Skopje Public Prosecutor’s Office has now initiated an investigation.
These people could face charges for forcibly entering the M-NAV premises with the intent to commit violence against an individual, and disrupting air traffic services.
Why would someone attack an air traffic controller while on duty? As you’d expect, there’s some background to this story, and this wasn’t a random attack…
The political backstory to this incident…
The people behind this attack are believed to be members of North Macedonia’s Democratic Union for Integration (DUI), one of the major political parties in the country. There has been tension in recent days between M-NAV and DUI.
M-NAV officials claim that the DUI’s appointed managers have been trying to manipulate the hiring process for air traffic controllers, by hiring unqualified party activists as air traffic controllers, as a political favor, given that it’s a good paying job in the country.
The union representing M-NAV employees has raised public concerns about this, claiming that the DUI’s attempts are putting the safety of the air traffic system at risk. Tensions have increased in recent days, with ruling members of the DUI having claimed that M-NAV’s union president threatened them, leading to him being interrogated by the police.
On Thursday, the union president held a press conference where he stated that M-NAV would stop flights to and from the country if the DUI didn’t back down with its hiring plans. Then hours later, the eight people entered the facility unauthorized, and beat up one of the controllers who wasn’t onboard with the DUI’s plans.
As the union president now explains:
“The flight control facility itself is a strict space for a security facility that is of national interest to enter there, there are special security protocols. We believe that with international norms, this act in any normal country in Europe or the world would be treated as an act of terrorism. Just entering those spaces poses a risk because I don’t come to the attack, if the person was conveying those positions that at the moment had to separate two or more flight lines, then there is a risk of potential matches of those planes.”
Bottom line
An air traffic controller was beat up in North Macedonia on Thursday, by a group of eight people who stormed the building where the controllers work. The claim is that members of North Macedonia’s DUI party have been trying to appoint unqualified people as air traffic controllers, and the union has tried to stop that. Hours after a press conference took place making this more public, members of the DUI party stormed the air traffic control center.
There are obviously alarming safety claims here, both including the air traffic control center being stormed, plus the claim that a political party is trying to appoint unqualified air traffic controllers. I imagine if this continues, some other governments may start restricting flights to and from the country on safety grounds.
What do you make of this ATC situation in North Macedonia?
As a former Minister in the (North) Macedonian government with oversight for Aviation, I completely agree with what Witness wrote earlier.
I'd think there'd be secure access to these places... locked doors, gates/fences. Even without security, you can't usually just waltz in... unless someone was opening the doors for you.
As an ATCO in M-NAV and a witness to the events I must say that
there are one word that critically changes the context of the text. instead of M-NAV officials claim that... it should be Union officials claim that,... before the paragraph:
DUI's appointed managers have been trying to manipulate the hiring process for aviation personnel, by hiring unqualified party activists as aviation personnel, as a political favor
It is a mistake to admit them to NATO. Do you want to die defending countries like this and Bulgaria? No.
Are you okay?
We are OK now. Thank you. As an ATCO in M-NAV and a witness to the events I must say that
there are one word that critically changes the context of the text. instead of M-NAV officials claim that... it should be Union officials claim that,... before the paragraph:
DUI's appointed managers have been trying to manipulate the hiring process for aviation personnel, by hiring unqualified party activists as aviation personnel, as a political favor
Defend from what? Macedonia had (maybe still has) more active soldiers on Nato fronts than Greece (per capita) even before the country was admitted to Nato. Now, it’s bleeding money it doesn’t have for weapons it doesn’t need.
You do realize that this gruesome event was caused by Albanians (political party DUI) (mainly from Kosovo) who enforce totalitarism in Macedonia, and their main supporter is USA and Nato. They literally hold the strings and govern...
Defend from what? Macedonia had (maybe still has) more active soldiers on Nato fronts than Greece (per capita) even before the country was admitted to Nato. Now, it’s bleeding money it doesn’t have for weapons it doesn’t need.
You do realize that this gruesome event was caused by Albanians (political party DUI) (mainly from Kosovo) who enforce totalitarism in Macedonia, and their main supporter is USA and Nato. They literally hold the strings and govern with almost everything, while Macedonian politicians are cheap traitors with 0 integrity nor love for their people and submit to money and DUI. I cannot understand how normal, hard-working Albanians still support DUI, as their decisions are mostly bad for everyone (always bad for ethnic Macedonians).
The story I heard is that Albanian controller(s) who supported the strike were the target of this attack. So if this is true, it means that if you’re Albanian, then you have to submit, otherwise - you’re gone.
I moved to another country because I felt like I was a member of a minority group in my own country. Kosovarians recently got pensions from Macedonia + free access to healthcare. And after all this, Albanians will claim that it’s super hard for them in Macedonia (while all of them are publicly employed without approved education, just because they are members of the leading political party).
I’m sad but it is what it is. Bulgaria and Greece: congratulations, in 50-100 years from now, Albania will be your neighbor, don’t worry about Macedonia, you can pretend all your lies are the truth while you try to cleanse from the newly acquired cancer ❤️
You must be another American who isn't aware that the only NATO member to ever trigger article 5 is (drum roll) the US. So far, NATO soldiers only died for the US. Should we want to die for a country like that?
Um.....North Macedonia has not only been an active contributing and full member of NATO for many years already, but our troops win medal after medal for excellence in every NATO mission for over 15 years now.
I’m not sure there are many people on here dying for any country. This blog is mostly about sipping Champagne and eating fine caviar while flying across the world in F, without actually paying for it.
The truth is, the country was renamed under pressure and pushed into NATO.
A normal day in the Balkans