Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport expects for a slow return to business as usual from the spring of 2021, as its passenger numbers declined for a twelfth consecutive month this August. “We all hope that things will start to normalise in the spring, followed by additional flights. For the 2021 summer season, tickets are already on sale by the majority of airlines that would have flown to our airport this summer season were it not for the virus. This is a good sign”, airport operator Fraport Slovenija said. Currently, only seven airlines maintain scheduled flights to the Slovenian capital. “Travel restrictions imposed by individual countries change on a weekly basis, based on which carriers adapt to the best of their ability. Due to the general rationalisation of operations, they are very careful and selective in re-establishing routes. They simply cannot afford to fly to money losing destinations. Winter will be tough, and some airlines definitely won’t survive”, the operator added.
Ljubljana Airport is preparing for a difficult winter ahead during which several airlines are unlikely to resume their operations, or plan to completely cancel their flights. "Airlines plan to fly somewhere based on demand. If they estimate there won’t be enough passengers to make it a cost-effective flight, they cancel such routes", Ljubljana Airport’s Head of Airline Management, Janez Krašnja, said. However, he added, “As far as spring is concerned, we are a little bit more optimistic than for winter, as we expect flights to Zurich (Swiss), Munich (Lufthansa), London Heathrow (British Airways) and Helsinki (Finnair) to be resumed”. With appropriate promotion, the airport also hopes to lure back Iberia and Israir which were supposed to launch new flights to Ljubljana from Madrid and Tel Aviv respectively this summer.
During the first eight months of the year, Ljubljana Airport handled 246.094 passengers, down 80.8% on the same period in 2019. In August alone it welcomed 20.024 travellers, representing a decrease of 86.7%. The airport is unlikely to handle more than half a million passengers this year. “Once the epidemiological situation improves across the world and there are no more daily changes to entry conditions made by individual countries, then air traffic flow will begin to improve. The world is anticipating an imminent vaccine. Air traffic will not stop, however, we do not have a precise timeline of when it will improve”, the operator concluded.
LJU and most airports in Europe would benefit if the EU brought in a unified system for entry regulations. These changes each week is what putting off most people from flying.
ReplyDelete+1 this needs to happen ASAP.
DeleteIsn't EU already talking about that ? :)
DeleteI wouldn't hold my breath
DeleteThe numbers are really dire. I'm not so certain numbers will even reach 400,000 in 2020 :(
ReplyDeleteI really hope Iberia launches those flights in 2021
ReplyDeleteWhyv is LJU so affected?
ReplyDeleteNo Adria.
DeleteI would like LJU to be much more proactive. They were aware a year ago that JP would go bankrupt. They said how they have everything ready when that happens but what have they done?
DeleteLJU is recovering from the loss of Adria and Corona.
DeleteLJU was a bubble, sold successfuly to Fraport and now going back to its normal.
Deletewith 90% decline in August I'm afraid what you mean with going back to normal..
DeleteI really hope things do improve in spring.
ReplyDeleteDoes LJU get any ski charters in the winter usually? Like from the UK
ReplyDeleteNo, unfortunately.
Deletecharters no, there are groups though ... could get some with smart advertising
DeleteAt least today there is some life with two charters to Paris for the Tour de France
ReplyDeleteOne operated by Trade Air, the other by Croatia Airlines.
DeleteBrings the grand total of flights today to 7. 3 charters and 4 scheduled flights.
Delete@10.41 yes, two A320s.
DeleteJust PR by Skobir and Krašnja. Liars. Most if not all airline companies are struggling. A lot of them will not make it through the winter. Easyjet, for example, just announced to their employees they will be forced to close the company should the summer season 2021 not return to normal (which is impossible to predict at this point). LH will be retiring most of their wide body fleet (B747-400, A340, A380 all to go). And the list goes on. Who in their right mind would care about a small village, called LJU.
ReplyDeleteSolinair is still ready to proceed with Air Slovenia, should the government wish to do so. And that is the only way to recovery.
If there was a national airline things would be easier.
ReplyDeletePeople on here said that getting rid of JP was the best thing to happen to the airport
DeleteI bet the airlines that currently fly at least pay for the airport’s services in cash, not in hangars, IOUs etc.
Delete@anon 12:56
DeleteDo you mean airlines that currently fly to LJU or airlines that were scheduled to fly to LJU?
All airports are in the same problem. It isn't unique to LJU.
ReplyDeleteWill LH resume Munich?
ReplyDeleteNot this year.
DeleteDidn't they say just a month ago that they are close to a deal with a major airline to base the aircraft at LJU?? What happened with that?
ReplyDeleteThat was the story they had when there was interest from Solinair to start flights. But they don't want a local airline to have a base.
DeleteLJU airport is always "negotiating".
Delete+100 last anon
DeleteThey have been singing the same tune for years.
DeleteAnd what about OUs base in LJU? Is it still in plans?
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's happening. If it were they would have done something by now. Or at least put tickets on sale.
DeleteWhat happened to the Banana King? Will he launch the new Adria? He bought their AOC.
DeleteAnon 10:57
DeleteWell they might leased one more Q400 few days ago according to Avioradar.hr. i tought they decided to not do that.
Who operates the most flights at LJU now?
ReplyDeleteLufthansa
DeleteHow many flights does Air France have?
Delete10 pw
DeleteAnd Lufthansa has Frankfurt double daily?
DeleteTwelve weekly. There is no morning flight on Saturday and Sunday.
DeleteThat's quite good. From LH and AF.
DeleteI hope LJU will be able to find some sort of solution.
ReplyDeleteyup, when they change management and put in charge those who can actually handle a crisis
DeleteGood luck. Hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel and the new terminal will be put into good use.
ReplyDeleteI hope that this light in tunnel is not a train :)
DeleteIt will be more difficult to attract new airlines in the covid era, especially to smaller markets such as LJU where it was never easy to attract airlines in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they are talking here about attracting new airlines, but retaining the ones that are left.
DeleteIs it me or their tower reassembles the Belgrade one?
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit surprised that TK it's only flying 1-3 flights per week to Ljubljana.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that TK still flies to LJU.
Delete"With appropriate promotion, the airport also hopes to lure back Iberia and Israir ..." hahahahhahahahahahahahahha I hope they get creative hahhaha
ReplyDeleteAirports will have to give a lot of incentives and stimulus to attract airlines.
DeleteGovernments too
Deleteits like this - Fraport is hoping, that state will intervene and that STO will promote Slovenia as destination, and then flights will just start to happen. It is obvious that they have no idea how to run an airport. They know how to operate it, but not how to run it. Preferably with at least marginal profit. Lufthansa also told them, that in case they rise the handling fees, that they will turn around and not come back. Fraport, and before that LJU Airport always hoped and waited for somebody else to do their part of job, i.e. to "lure some airliners". You lure them either by incentives (like Ryanair) or by fact, that airport represents entry point for airplane tourists. Currently the only income they have comes from selling the plots around airport, which is increasingly looking like industrial zone, not airport. I still believe, Fraport will sell the airport back to state or threaten to close it down. It will come sooner or later to the point, where money leak will have to be stopped by one mean or other.
ReplyDeleteWhich airlines still have to return that haven't?
ReplyDeleteLOT and Transavia are supposed to come back at the start of winter.
DeleteAeroflot, Swiss, Brussels Airlines are still not back.
Also some airline haven't resumed some routes. Air Serbia from Nis and Lufthansa from Frankfurt,
Sorry I meant Lufthansa from Munich
DeleteAlmost 90% decline in August :(
ReplyDeleteThat's the way it is in life ... even it you're useless you can have hope. Thanks god there is Covid, so they can extend bullshitting themnselfs.
ReplyDeleteWithout Covid they would not have any excuse for low figures in LJU.
ReplyDelete