Ljubljana Airport is expected to handle under 300.000 passengers this year, with fewer than 5.000 travellers welcomed in November. Mr Skobir believes recovery will begin in May or June of next year, with the airport to process up to 800.000 passengers by the end of 2021. Prior to the pandemic, the airport expected to handle 1.5 million traveller this year. “Under normal circumstances, we would be served by seventeen carriers. At the same time, it is crucial that none of them give up on flying to Slovenia. Due to the situation, airlines are delaying their resumption of flights”, the General Manager noted. He added the airport welcomed the government’s subsidy program for airlines to maintain flights to the country.
The airport operator has been hit by steep financial losses as a result of Covid-19, with the government recently pledging five million euros in non-refundable aid. "Immediately in March we started reducing costs and postponing investments. This excludes the construction of the new terminal. The owner had left at our disposal accumulated profits from previous years. These funds, which are also intended for the construction of the terminal, amount to 25 million euros. However, expenses are high and funds will soon run out. The state aid will greatly help us so the company will not be forced to further severely reduce costs and can prepare for the larger-scale resumption of flights in good financial state”, Mr Skobir explained. State aid will provide the company with liquidity for the next three months, as the airport spends between 1.5 and two million euros a month on existing operations.
airBaltic with their Q400 fleet?
ReplyDeleteNordica is a possibility too
DeleteIt's also possible that it is Croatia Airlines or Trade Air. Who knows
DeleteWhoever they are, they would be a lifesaver for Ljubljana at this moment.
DeleteairBaltic don't operate Q400 anymore, they only have A220s now.
DeleteThey always say the same thing and nothing comes out of it.
ReplyDeleteExactly! They've been talking about this for ages. Time to seal the deal.
DeleteI can assume airlines are very hard negotiators now. They can basically ask for anything in this situation
DeleteLJU airport is always "negotiating". Nothing comes of it, ever.
DeleteI don't know, I think no one is really a hard negotiator here. It's not like there is a lack of reputable airlines with excess capacity in the EU at the moment
DeleteWho could it be?
ReplyDeleteIt could be LOT Polish Airlines. Something like they have in Budapest.
DeleteDoes LOT hire Hungarian crew for Budapest base?
DeleteYes.
DeleteThanks. Then I think LOT could be a very possible option.
DeleteMaybe Air Serbia?
DeleteIt can only be EU carrier. Non-EU carriers can't fly inter-EU routes unless they get special permission from BOTH countries they are flying to. So no, it won't be Air Serbia.
DeleteThank you.
DeleteI remember we had some experts here explaining that any country that has permission to fly in European open sky (not necessarily EU member) can fly between any two destinations located in the countries that signed open sky agreement.
Anon 10:31.
DeleteThat is correct. JU may fly for example LJU-MUC.
It is not correct. You need permission from both sides in the EU to run revenue flights if you are a non-EU airline.
DeleteYou don't need a permission, if you come from country that is also a member of the european common aviation area (which is different from the UE).
DeleteAnd by the way this membership comes at a cost: you agree not to subsidise your airline other than in line with the EU rules on state aid.
DeleteAnd which open sky member flies two EU routes? None. Neither has any non EU ex-Yu country fully implemented open skies which is a phased process that takes years. Only in the last phase can they fly EU to EU routes and that won't happen before they join the EU.
DeleteThose numbers are really worrying. TUZLA Airport had more passengers than Ljubljana in November!
ReplyDeleteThat is tragic
DeleteClassic example what happens to the airport when national carrier is gone.
ReplyDeleteThings will remain bleak for a very long time if they don't manage to strike a deal with someone soon.
ReplyDeleteThis is good news
ReplyDeleteTaxpayers get ready
ReplyDeleteIt's either that or no flights at all.
DeleteI would rather taxpayers pay for a new national airlines then these quick fix solutions offered by foreigners.
Delete*airline
DeleteShutting down Adria has proven to be the worst decision for Slovenia's aviation industry.
DeleteAdria's death wasn't a decision, it was a consequence of decades of mismanagement.
DeleteVlad, so you are saying that by same consequences should bankrupt 90% of airlines? All on ex-yu area?
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 and what have they done? Few LH group flights, even without pandemic.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the Banana King? Will he launch the new Adria? He bought their AOC.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wasted investment.
DeleteThey gave him more time to fix AOC issues. I think till March next year.
DeleteNothing will come from it.
DeleteHere we go again. Will they ask the government to subsidize this airline?
ReplyDeleteI hope LJU will be able to find some sort of solution.
ReplyDeleteI've been hoping that for the last year...
DeleteLJU is now recovering from the loss of Adria and Corona. Even if there were no corona, LJU would have had a 40% decline in passenger numbers and a big decline in revenue this year. Something has to be done.
ReplyDeleteThis couldn't come at a worse time for LJU as it was trying to recover from Adria's collapse.
DeleteI wouldn't call this a recovery.
DeleteI'm assuming this deal will be sealed right after they finish negotiations with that Gulf airline.
ReplyDeleteHaha +1000
DeleteActually, it is THAT Gulf carrier. They're negotiating about the fleet, either A380 or B777. The latter seems a bit small for LJU.
DeleteGood luck
ReplyDeleteIt 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.
ReplyDeleteAirports will have to give a lot of incentives and stimulus to attract airlines.
DeleteAnd governments too...
DeletePlease let it be an LCC!
ReplyDeleteForget about LCC, there is not a single airline which would place 180+ seater in LJU.
DeleteAnyone with plane capacity of +150 pax will only make loss in LJU airport.
DeleteLCC fanboys are here again...
DeleteWell Trade Air based an A320 in LJU.
DeleteWell that is for charters.
DeleteAnon 9:41, 9:46
DeleteWhy do you think so? Skoplje as example and Zagreb near without LCC as a chance!? My observation as maybe?
I like those guys who are comparing SKP and LJU. There are millions of residents from Macedonia and Kosovo living around the world. Why do you think that Wizz is not flying to BCN from SKP? They are only flying on destinations where diaspora is. And those flights are mainly fulfilled by people from Kosovo..
DeleteI dont see why LCC base couldnt work, maybe EasyJet with one or two A319, as they already fly to LJU. With flights to UK, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia. With cheap tickets and Slovenia really popular between tourists it could work.
Delete@11.50 you got it all wrong! Nor do you know something about SKP nor hav you catched a single Wizz flight from there
Deleteuhm since when do they have BCN flights? 2015? earlier?
Ok apparently they are operating to BCN but my point was that they are mostly operating to destinations where diaspora is. That's why out of more than 30 destinations they are only operating to 3 "Summer" destination (Cyprus, Spain and Malta).
DeleteDo you really think that Wizz is flying from SKP because there are more Macedonians living in EU? Not really but they are operating because they get better conditions in SKP. And people from Kosovo needs less than one hour from PRN to SKP by car (if they are living near the border then it's even less).
LCC can only fly to Slovenia but it will never be a base even for 1 aircraft. Unless we pay them huge amount of money (much much more than in SKP).
absurd claim that they fly from SKP only because of "better conditions". They fly from SKP because thy can fill their flights, because of AVAILABLE passengers regardless diaspora or travellers. Their nr of pax in SKP is the same as LJU has in total !?! The "better conditions" if you look in details are not that spectacular and after 3 years one route is flown under "normal conditions" which is the case for 90% of their SKP network.
DeleteIt's not absurd, it's fact that they receive millions from Macedonian government which would not get in Kosovo. At the same time they attract passengers from Kosovo with their pricing policy so it's good move from them. But I am 100% if Wizz would receive same amount of money to fly from Kosovo that would be their choice.
Deleteyou really know very little about Wizz and this south east region in general. They do fly from Kosovo too
DeleteOf course they do, but not even 10% of what they are flying from SKP. Is that because demand is bigger in SKP? NO! Is that because they are receiving millions in SKP? Of course it is! What I'm saying that current given conditions to Wizz are not equal at SKP or PRN. If same incentives would be given from Kosovo then wizz would have base of their aircrafts at PRN airport.
DeleteJust promises and talk from LJU, as usual.
ReplyDelete+1
Deletewon't believe it till the plane is on tarmac
@anon 09:44
DeleteEven if it's on tarmac it could only be because they will park plane at LJU during the winter...
Yeah, there are currently 20 planes parked in LJU. At least they get some money from it.
DeleteActually they should focus on their main activity - to attract new airlines which will actually have flights and not to park them at our airport.
DeleteLOT and OU would be great results as Star Alliance carriers and could allow some sort of hub activity again code sharing with eg LH from Frankfurt. Their regional aircraft are perfect for covering some former Adria routes.
ReplyDeleteHow many times we heard that and nothing happened. Just like with their Gulf flights, LH flights and more. Someone should replace Skobir
ReplyDeleteAnd Krasnja...
DeleteFraport's PR publishing "good" news again so it's obvious that in next few days we will read about new cancelations/suspensions.
ReplyDeletejust realized Easyjet stopped selling Ljubljana - Berlin :/
DeleteThey launch this info every time there is some movement in setting up a new local commercial airlines.
ReplyDeleteInstead of this BS they announce every 3 months, they should try and help the government with establishing a new national airline.
ReplyDelete+1000
DeleteWhy is Solinair being blocked from establishing a national airline? They said they would do it if there was some investment from the government.
ReplyDeleteIt's not blocked but first our government has to send investments plan for funds which we will receive from EU. In this plan 70 m is provided for National carrier. If EU commission approve that investment plan, tender for participation in establishing of national carrier will be published and that's how Solinair can get money (or any other potential private company).
DeleteThey aren't blocked, but it's the government who controls the government funds.
DeleteThey are free to do it with their own money.
@anon 11:12
DeleteGovernment still did not get approval from EU commission to give fund for new national carrier. After that Solinair will receive money and we can't wait for that, Slovenia need decent connectivity!
We will see how Solinair will handle this, if they get the money, given their lack of experience with passenger transport or dealing with individual customers for that matter.
DeleteThere are plenty of other people in Slovenia who has many experience with passenger transport. It's still better to have someone behind the wheel who is from this business and not some politically appointed "manager".
DeleteName a Slovenian manager that has a track record of running a profitable pax airline.
DeleteName one from Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia etc...We are all the same, airline in ex-yu area will never be profitable but we see from Slovenia's case why we need them. I hope they manage to save Montenegro airlines, I wish them good luck!
DeleteYep, Slovenia is a poster child for stupid decisions. Make sure you don't repeat our mistakes.
Deletei expect next news will be yearly financial report and we can expect a bad one. They always push some good news before this. They have become predictable.
ReplyDeleteYes apparently losses are 20 million this year. Which is huge for an airport. But understandable in current circumstances.
DeleteNo surprise. There are less than 5,000 passengers and all the retail is closed at the airport.
DeleteBS. It is a "counter measure"/smoke screen against the SLO government financing a new national carrier. Fraport seems to be very much against it for the reasons only known and understandable by them.
ReplyDeleteI also don't understand why they would be so against it? It just doesn't make any sense. A normal airport would be lobbying the government to set up an airline.
DeleteThey've seen the national carrier story before and it didn't end well.
DeleteIt didn't end well when there was privately owned company, at the time when JP was still national carrier everything was perfect for Fraport. More than perfect...they build new terminal from JP money.
DeleteWell, this time around things are going pretty smoothly. Don't anyone use corona as an excuse.
DeleteIf they are burning so much money, would it not have been more logical to pause the terminal construction?
ReplyDeleteIt would probably be more expensive to pause it now then to just finish it.
DeleteCe pa boste pogojevali leteti preko vasega letalisca s kaksnimi covid ukrepi..potem mbogi od nas ne bomo potovali z vasega letalisca..bomo pac sli tam kjer se bomo pocutili kot svobodni ljudje. Srecno in uspesno v letu 2021..
ReplyDeleteTo ne pogojuje letališče ampak prevoznik! In prav je tako, le kateri prevoznik si lahko privošči še en tak izpad? Zelo verjetno je, da niti v trgovino ali v bar ne boš mogel brez potrditve o cepljenju. Pa tisti, ki ste zagovorniki teorije zarot hodite namakat svoje riti v Simonov zaliv.
DeleteIt is expected that countries will also require a certificate of vaccination against COVID-12 to enter the country, as for example for yellow fever. And rightly so, as it is important to protect their population. I don’t know why it would be any different in this case. If you don't get vaccinated, you can't travel. It couldn't be simpler.
DeleteLufthansa Regional?
ReplyDeleteSkobir, nobody believes you anymore. Every year, every month you say how many flights LJU will get. And nothing. A kid would run airport better than you
ReplyDelete