Maribor Airport operator threatens to pull out

Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport's operator, SHS Aviation, has threatened to pull out of its fifteen-year concession just two years in and has not paid its fees to the state since late September. Despite not delivering on most of what it promised, including transforming Maribor Airport into a hub for Chinese tourists, the operator is unhappy with delays by the central government in adopting a zoning plan, which would allow it to begin its massive 660 million euro redevelopment of the airport. SHS Aviation purchased the "Aerodrom Maribor" operator for seven million euros in December 2016 and won a concession to run the airport for a period of fifteen years. It is also obliged to pay an additional 100.000 euro concession fee each month.

Edvard Rusjan Airport has been without any commercial flights since VLM Airlines went into liquidation this September. The carrier initially planned to link Maribor with Belgrade, Berlin, Hamburg, London, Podgorica, Zurich, Xi'an, Chongqing and Nanchang, however, none of the routes materialised. Last year, SHS outlined plans to invest hundreds of millions of euros into Maribor Airport by extending its runway and overhauling its facilities, after which, it said, services to China would commence. However, the government, which was to adopt a new zoning plan for the area by March is yet to do so. SHS has also demanded for its concession to be extended to fifty years but the government has not responded to the request. The concessionaire was due to officially present its expansion plans to the public in late July but cancelled its presentation just half an hour before it was due to begin. Maribor Airport recorded a loss of 1.7 million euros last year, up from the 35.000 euro loss in 2016.

Locals living near the airport have responded angrily to the planned expansion and voiced their concerns about the effects such development could have on the area. The Miklavž Civil Initiative said, "This area already suffers extreme negative environmental effects. Some days schools and kindergartens are advised to keep children indoors. This is alarming and we need to make it clear that we will not stand for it". The initiative has urged the government not to issue zoning and construction permits to the airport's operator. The government has the right to unilaterally terminate the concession agreement with SHS if it fails to make its fee payments two months in a row, which is likely to occur on November 26.