The Slovenian Ministry of Infrastructure has issued a fresh tender to boost the country’s air connectivity, providing financial incentives for airlines to introduce new scheduled services from the country’s airports. The state will provide subsidies covering up to 50% of airport charges for a maximum of two years from the start of operations. Eligible costs include landing, take-off, parking, passenger processing and ground handling charges at Slovenian airports. Unlike a direct discount, carriers must first pay the full airport fees and will then be reimbursed upon submitting invoices.
Only airlines registered and based in the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) are eligible for the subsidies. The ECAA is made up of states that are part of the European Union, as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Iceland, Macedonia, Norway, Kosovo and Montenegro. The Slovenian government is primarily targeting the introduction of flights to Vienna, Copenhagen, Madrid, Prague, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm, Oslo, Barcelona, and Lisbon, although all destinations within the ECAA are eligible. Applications must include a detailed business plan showing that the route can become profitable beyond the subsidy period. This plan should include projected passenger numbers, profitability forecasts, and marketing strategies. If no business plan is submitted, carriers must provide a binding written declaration committing to operate the route for at least as long as the period of aid.
Airlines may operate supported routes seasonally rather than year-round, provided they comply with the submitted business plan. Applicants must also set the maximum one-way economy fare (excluding taxes and baggage fees), which will be assessed if multiple carriers apply for the same route. The ministry has clarified that aid cannot be combined with subsidies from other states for the same route, and if an airline ceases operations without fulfilling obligations, the financial support must be repaid in full. In case of multiple applicants for the same route, those offering stronger connectivity at the destination airport or operating within the preferred time blocks will gain additional points.
Airlines must submit applications by October 25, 2025. The government hopes this round of tenders will help Slovenia close its connectivity gap and strengthen links with priority markets. The previous public calls garnered mixed results. Luxair, airBaltic, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Iberia, Eurowings, Cyprus Airways and Air Albania applied over the eight previous tenders., although not all qualified for the subsidies.
That's better than the last one for sure, but it's still not a PSO, the difference is big tho.
ReplyDeleteLet's see if anyone applies
PSO can't go into effect until 5 October. It was said before that they will have another tender before these changes happen.
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2025/07/slovenia-prepares-ninth-route-subsidy.html
So this is the refurbished tender that should be more attractive or?
ReplyDeleteYeah, these are just very unappealing
DeleteYou only get subsidies at the end of the season and only if the flights weren't profitable. Why do that when markets like Skopje, Sarajevo, and Zagreb are paying you 5-10€ per flight in subisidies from the get-go without any strings attached
It's much better than the last one tho
Delete@9.11 no, you get subsid. in any case
DeleteDid they change that part? Big news, in that case, imo that was the glaring issue with the previous one
DeleteNow this could bring a LLC or two... Easyjet surely has to apply the discount is quite significant
ReplyDeleteBravo Fraport!
ReplyDeleteDo I dare to say... Bravo ministry? This is much better than covering 50% of landing fees
ReplyDeleteThere is no difference from the previous calls. They cover 50% of airport fees from the beginning, which in case of Fraport pricelist is a significant amount.
DeleteWhat does Vinci's pricelist look like by comparison?
DeleteLooks like LJU fantastic 2024 and 2025 performance will continue ion 2026!
ReplyDeleteI thik the word fantastic is a bit too much
Delete+1
DeleteFantastic would be 4 mio annual pax. Probably around 2050 😉
DeleteThis is the first time I can see Wizzair entering LJU to battle Ryanair in Zagreb. Practically no risk, at worse case they operate flgihts at net zero if they are smart, quite a difference that they can operate flights seasonally too. Maybe (most probably) I'm wrong, but I hope I'm not...good luck Ljubljana
ReplyDelete+100
DeleteCould this maybe attract Easyjet or Wizz? There was a report on here in the last months about Easyjet being interested if I am not mistaken and that would be fantastic. But there are nearly two months until the tender closes so we will have a lot of time till we find out.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I can see the new tender allows ministry to open the airline's offer in 7 days after recieving it, so they don't have to wait for tender to close. EasyJet apparently has another UK route to announce for the summer season, and I'm sure they are looking for a few European ones too, let's see if they announce them too, Berlin and LTN should be a good possibility in either case
DeleteAnyone dare to say if we are getting Vienna flights?
ReplyDeleteThey have set a longer deadline than usual. Let's see if anyone applies.
ReplyDeleteDuring the last tender airBaltic with Las Palmas and Air Albania applied rihgt?
ReplyDeleteYes, both airlines won the tenders, although Air Albania has difficulties adding and continuing these routs and keeping them. They're so close on their bankruptcy
DeleteWould be interesting to see if Cyprus Airways applies again (this time with proper documentation). I think Larnaca remains an unserved market and I've read here several times that the operator of Larnaca airport said they are trying to get flights to LJU.
ReplyDeleteIf Tuzla can get Cyprus flights then so can LJU.
DeleteBut can W6 be eligible for this subsidy scheme?
Why wouldn't W6 be eligible?
Delete"carriers must provide a binding written declaration committing to operate the route for at least as long as the period of aid."
ReplyDeletethis will not go down well by most airlines
That is why so few airlines have applied and why we will never see Wizz or Ryanair apply.
DeleteThis is only an alternative option. The first one is to provide a business plan showing than the route will be profitable after the end of the subsidies. But in that case no obligation to continue the flights. In reality those are very SOFT conditions, the softest possible to comply to EU rules.
DeleteThese terms are very non LCC friendly
ReplyDeleteYou should also know that Fraport is very LCC unfriendly operator.
Deleteah yeah the Fraport myth about being LCC unfriendly, yeah sure
Deletego see Varna (lcc base), Burgas, Lima (lcc base) ...
am not even from Slovenia
You should go and have a look at LJU instead.
DeleteFraport Slovenija is LCC unfriendly and they have openly said LCCs don't fit their business model. Fraport has different business goals at its airports and Slovenia is unique as it is not a concession.
DeleteFraport is very LCC friendly in the 14 airports it operates in Greece.
DeleteIt is only unfriendly in the comment section of this blog.
You need to learn to read. I know you can but what you read does not suit you so you ignore it. Enjoy the outstanding ULCC offer from Fraport Slovenia. Must be because LJU is such a premium destination. That's why so many people drive to Trieste instead.
Deletesome here cant be for real: Wizzair, Easyjet, Norwegian, Transavia, Vueling they are all present at the airport
DeleteWizz Air has one route and has half the flights to LJU than 10 years ago. Easyjet has half the flights than 10 years ago, Transavia is leaving in a month and a half.
DeleteNot to mention Norwegian and Wizz are paid to fly.
Delete"paid to fly" - most stupid comment ever
DeleteTruth hurts I see?
DeleteIs there a chance that AirSerbia apply?
ReplyDeletefor which route, Boże?
DeleteMaribor?
Definitely MBX.
DeleteIs there any Ex Yu airport without all these sketchy schemes to attract airlines?
ReplyDeleteI mean...seriously, it looks like painting lipstick on a pig!
When will we see Memmingen - Ljubljana?? The demand is huge originating from the large portion of slovenian families in the region.
ReplyDelete^ I am half Slovenian living in Munich.
DeleteIn my whole life i have only met two other Slovenians in Germany.
And thats Munich not some small town as Memmingen.
A Slovenian gasto population is practically nonexistent in Germany. Maybe there was one in the 1970ies. These people came obviously back after retirement. Btw Croats are the biggest population group after Germans in Munich. Even before Turks.
Delete@21:02 what are you smoking?
Delete