TAV Macedonia has withdrawn the rule under which a vehicle could enter the "Hug & Fly" zone at Skopje airport free of charge only once in any 24-hour period. The ten minutes of free waiting stay, and multiple entries are allowed again.

The zone is meant for brief stops to drop off or pick up passengers. For someone who is at the airport for five minutes, that strip of tarmac is effectively the first and last point of the journey. The restriction meant that if the same car needed to enter twice in one day - dropping off one passenger in the morning, collecting another in the evening - the second entry was no longer free.

What changed the decision

Not pressure from passengers, but a letter from the Commission for Protection of Competition. Its infringement decision-making body asked TAV Macedonia for further clarification on the terms and manner of using the zone.

On receiving the request, TAV informed the Commission it was withdrawing the disputed rule. That is the entire chronology - what came from the Commission was a request for an explanation, not a ruling, a fine or court proceedings. The explanation turned out to be enough.

The Commission said it welcomed TAV Macedonia's decision to withdraw the measure and that it would keep monitoring the conditions of access to airport infrastructure, paying particular attention to keeping them equal and non-discriminatory for all market participants.

What is worth remembering

The concession holder of the capital's only international airport took a decision affecting everyone who drives to it. The regulator asked for a justification. The decision fell within days.

That is no small thing in a country where institutions more often move after the damage is done. It is also worth noting that TAV said the zone will operate unchanged until the necessary supporting infrastructure is up and running - meaning the question is not closed, only postponed.