Ljubljana Airport hopes for spring recovery


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.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:02

    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
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:13

      +1 this needs to happen ASAP.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous16:38

      Isn't EU already talking about that ? :)

      Delete
    3. Anonymous20:55

      I wouldn't hold my breath

      Delete
  2. Anonymous09:02

    The numbers are really dire. I'm not so certain numbers will even reach 400,000 in 2020 :(

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous09:14

    I really hope Iberia launches those flights in 2021

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anonymous09:15

    Whyv is LJU so affected?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:24

      No Adria.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:12

      I 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?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:13

      LJU is recovering from the loss of Adria and Corona.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:35

      LJU was a bubble, sold successfuly to Fraport and now going back to its normal.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:48

      with 90% decline in August I'm afraid what you mean with going back to normal..

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:24

    I really hope things do improve in spring.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous09:40

    Does LJU get any ski charters in the winter usually? Like from the UK

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:53

      No, unfortunately.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous16:40

      charters no, there are groups though ... could get some with smart advertising

      Delete
  7. Anonymous09:53

    At least today there is some life with two charters to Paris for the Tour de France

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:41

      One operated by Trade Air, the other by Croatia Airlines.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:42

      Brings the grand total of flights today to 7. 3 charters and 4 scheduled flights.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous12:30

      @10.41 yes, two A320s.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous09:55

    Just 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.

    Solinair is still ready to proceed with Air Slovenia, should the government wish to do so. And that is the only way to recovery.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous10:12

    If there was a national airline things would be easier.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:40

      People on here said that getting rid of JP was the best thing to happen to the airport

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:56

      I bet the airlines that currently fly at least pay for the airport’s services in cash, not in hangars, IOUs etc.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous16:45

      @anon 12:56
      Do you mean airlines that currently fly to LJU or airlines that were scheduled to fly to LJU?

      Delete
  10. Anonymous10:41

    All airports are in the same problem. It isn't unique to LJU.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous10:42

    Will LH resume Munich?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous10:43

    Didn'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?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:45

      That 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.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:13

      LJU airport is always "negotiating".

      Delete
    3. Anonymous20:25

      +100 last anon

      Delete
    4. Anonymous20:47

      They have been singing the same tune for years.

      Delete
  13. Anonymous10:48

    And what about OUs base in LJU? Is it still in plans?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:57

      I don't think it's happening. If it were they would have done something by now. Or at least put tickets on sale.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:13

      What happened to the Banana King? Will he launch the new Adria? He bought their AOC.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:16

      Anon 10:57
      Well they might leased one more Q400 few days ago according to Avioradar.hr. i tought they decided to not do that.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous10:56

    Who operates the most flights at LJU now?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:44

      Lufthansa

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:29

      How many flights does Air France have?

      Delete
    3. Anonymous13:29

      10 pw

      Delete
    4. Anonymous14:49

      And Lufthansa has Frankfurt double daily?

      Delete
    5. Anonymous20:38

      Twelve weekly. There is no morning flight on Saturday and Sunday.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous20:47

      That's quite good. From LH and AF.

      Delete
  15. Anonymous11:13

    I hope LJU will be able to find some sort of solution.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous16:53

      yup, when they change management and put in charge those who can actually handle a crisis

      Delete
  16. Anonymous11:14

    Good luck. Hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel and the new terminal will be put into good use.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:43

      I hope that this light in tunnel is not a train :)

      Delete
  17. Anonymous11:14

    It 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.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:20

      I don't think they are talking here about attracting new airlines, but retaining the ones that are left.

      Delete
  18. Anonymous11:43

    Is it me or their tower reassembles the Belgrade one?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous14:50

    I'm a bit surprised that TK it's only flying 1-3 flights per week to Ljubljana.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:36

      I'm surprised that TK still flies to LJU.

      Delete
  20. Anonymous16:37

    "With appropriate promotion, the airport also hopes to lure back Iberia and Israir ..." hahahahhahahahahahahahahha I hope they get creative hahhaha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous20:25

      Airports will have to give a lot of incentives and stimulus to attract airlines.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous20:27

      Governments too

      Delete
  21. notLufthansa18:13

    its 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.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous20:27

    Which airlines still have to return that haven't?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous20:29

      LOT and Transavia are supposed to come back at the start of winter.

      Aeroflot, Swiss, Brussels Airlines are still not back.

      Also some airline haven't resumed some routes. Air Serbia from Nis and Lufthansa from Frankfurt,

      Delete
    2. Anonymous20:37

      Sorry I meant Lufthansa from Munich

      Delete
  23. Anonymous20:38

    Almost 90% decline in August :(

    ReplyDelete
  24. Anonymous12:15

    That'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.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous13:15

    Without Covid they would not have any excuse for low figures in LJU.

    ReplyDelete

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