Ljubljana Airport inaugurates new terminal


Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport’s new terminal building has been opened at a ceremony yesterday, with passenger services to move to the new facility on July 1. Operator Fraport Slovenija has invested some 21 million euros into the ultra-modern building, which has been under construction since 2019. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, General Manager, Zmago Skobir, said, “I got a lot of questions about why we are building during the pandemic and the bankruptcy of our national airline. We continued because we know our business and believe in it. The pandemic has really shaken our business, but the world needs air transport and it will come to life again. Global aviation will be partially transformed, but traffic will return. We continued because we believe in Slovenia, its tourist, economic and market value. Slovenia needs air connectivity and we are the basic platform that enables it. We continued because airport infrastructure needs to be planned and built for the long run. We will be ready for traffic growth. We also continued because we value our passengers, employees and consumers”.



Fraport’s Executive Board member, Dr Pierre Dominique Prumm, stressed, “We are confident the terminal will strengthen Ljubljana Airport’s competitive position both in the region and internationally. This terminal is a symbol of stepping forward into a new future”. He added, “In short, this customer-oriented terminal will significantly enhance the travel experience at Ljubljana Airport”. Dr Prumm also emphasised that the building is ready just in time for the start of Slovenia’s six-month Presidency of the Council of the European Union at the beginning of July - when “Ljubljana will be on the European centre stage welcoming visitors from other European capitals”.

Ljubljana Airport’s new facility features 10.000 square meters for flexible operations and increased services. Its terminal capacity has now doubled to serve more than 1.200 passengers per hour. Along with more space and comfort, the terminal will feature a greater choice of shops, restaurants and other amenities - with over 1.200 square meters available for retailing initially. The terminal’s minimalist design is a spacious fusion of concrete, metal, wood and glass. It features oak wood panelling, while the check-in desks are made out of anthracite material. Part of the floor at the entrance is covered by an art installation presenting Slovenian rivers and landscapes. Pebbles from Slovenian rivers have been used in the walls to partition certain area. The glass building has a lot of natural light with views of nearby mountains. It boasts fourteen check-in desks, in addition to the eight at the existing terminal, as well as a special counter for bulky baggage, up to five security lanes, two baggage carousels with enough space for a third should it be required in the future, a new luggage sorting facility, large duty free shop, as well as a new premium lounge with a balcony overlooking the apron and runway. Four new restaurants will be opened and two stores selling Slovenian products. The facility is connected to the existing 13.000 square metre terminal, which will be reorganised and partially used by low cost carriers starting July 1.

Premium lounge


Retail area

Slovenia’s Prime Minister, Janez Janša, noted, “Opening this magnificent passenger terminal, built at this time, was challenging. Nevertheless, you [Fraport] had vision and courage, you knew that this would not last forever and that the sun would shine. Thank you to Fraport, who invested in Slovenia. We see a big difference between what the airport was like before Fraport became its owner. Slovenia has high hopes for this airport. We are obliged to support and upgrade the plans you have”. He emphasised that the government was determined to build a high-speed rail link between Ljubljana and the airport.




Ljubljana Airport handled 42.058 passengers during the January - May period, down 78.1% on the same period last year, and 93.7% on 2019. The airport expects to welcome four new airlines this summer season, including Air Montenegro from Tivat, SunExpress from Antalya, Iberia from Madrid and Flydubai from Dubai.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:04

    Hope this is the fresh start Ljubljana needs.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous09:05

    Most interesting piece of information for me that the old terminal will be used by LCCs. Does that mean we could see a new LCC or even an LCC base planes in Ljubljana?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:08

      Skobir said a month or two ago they were in talks with an LCC.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:09

      Let's hope they don't take as long as the talks with UAE airlines.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:16

      haha yes, fingers crossed.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous09:06

    Pheeew... good thing they opened it as it was getting really crowded with all the airlines Fraport attracted.

    According to FR24 LJU will have 44 departures in the next 7 days, that's like 6 flights per day on average. Compared to the rest of ex-YU:

    BEG 405
    ZAG 229
    SPU 196
    SKP 126
    PRN 115
    TIV 110
    SJJ 106
    DBV 107
    TGD 100

    Hopefully Wizz Air opens a base soon at LJU.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:25

      I didn't think I would live to see the day when SJJ would have the same number of flights in June like DBV!

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:25

      So Ljubljana has the least number of flights out of all the major ex-YU airports?? Sad :(

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:26

      I wonder if those who cheered for JP's demise thought they would live to see LJU with just 44 weekly flights in summer.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous09:30

      @9.06 how many flights will Tuzla have in the next 7 days? I believe it may be more than LJU.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous09:30

      Yes, even PUY is ahead with 46 flights in the next 7 days.

      Delete
    6. Anonymous09:32

      TZL 29
      INI 15
      BNX 13
      OHD 10

      ZAD is also ahead with 49.

      Delete
    7. Just out of curiosity, what what the most successful week and day in BEG history in terms of PAX, departures and arrivals? What were pre-pandemic levels (2019)?

      Delete
    8. Anonymous10:50

      ^this is an article about LJU's new terminal.

      Delete
    9. You are right. It is slightly off-topic.

      Delete
  4. Anonymous09:07

    The terminal looks quite minimalistic.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:08

      Like most German-run/owned airports.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous09:09

    Nice there will be an observation terrace :) But only from premium lounge?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:17

      I think views of the apron will be very accessible from the departures area. Even in the current terminal they are.

      Delete
  6. Anonymous09:10

    I like that it is all in glass. It will have nice views of the apron.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous09:10

    Congratulations Ljubljana!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous09:11

    The question is who is going to use the terminal in the short term

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous09:12

    It's been a long time coming but I'm glad there is a new terminal in Ljubljana soon.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous09:12

    Wonder which airline will get the honor to use the new terminal first

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:14

      LH no doubt.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:15

      My guess is Lufthansa, who else at a Fraport airport.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous00:35

      You never know. Depends what time the terminal officially opens. Although my guess it is the first flight of the day, which would indeed be LH.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous09:14

    Good. A new terminal has been needed for 20 years already...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous09:15

    It's good to see this development in LJU and also some optimism for future.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous09:18

    Fraport are maybe a bit slow in their actions, but at least they keep their word.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous09:18

    They should see to bring Tarom at least twice a week. OU won't be bringing back OTP and this could be a good opportunity to cover both markets through LJU.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:20

      Definitely. Especially considering Bucharest is the most popular route.

      https://www.exyuaviation.com/2021/02/bucharest-remains-ljubljanas-busiest.html

      Delete
  15. Anonymous09:18

    The new rail connection from the airport to the city that Jansa mentions sounds good. Is this realistic to happen or just political PR?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:30

      People have been talking about this for decades, so...

      It will probably happen, but don't hold your breath just yet.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:31

      Thanks. Hope it materializes.

      Delete
  16. Anonymous09:19

    Wishing Ljubljana all the very best.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous09:20

    Let's hope that the new terminal will be followed by arrival of new airlines.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:39

      If you build it, they will come :)

      Delete
  18. Anonymous09:24

    I like it but is it really needed?

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous09:24

    I wish LJU the best. At one point it was truly the most modern airport in ex-Yu. But times have really changed and everyone has picked up their pace while LJU has been left behind. So I am really happy for this development.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous09:26

    We need Adria back! To fill the new terminal, to bring back destinations to Ljubljana and to bring back connectivity. We really need someone to bring back life to Slovenian aviation.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous09:26

    The airport surroundings are really stunning so I'm glad they will make the most of it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous09:27

    "Ljubljana Airport handled 42.058 passengers during the January - May period"
    wow

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:28

      Meanwhile Tuzla already in January-April period had more than that number.

      Delete
  23. Anonymous09:34

    The architecture of the building has a very strong post modernist vibe.
    I like it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous13:09

      I also like it. Also how they included traditional Slovenian elements in the design: https://www.delo.si/media/images/20210611/961907.max-1280x1280.jpg?rev=1

      Delete
  24. Anonymous09:38

    Hope it pays off.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous09:39

    Only thing missing are the airlines and passengers

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous09:39

    JU bi mogao da pošalje A330 na otvaranje novog terminala kao što je to učinio u Zagrebu.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous09:44

      I don't think it will be possible because of tight turnaround time on arrival from JFK.

      On 1st July JFK flight arrives in Belgrade at 05.25

      LJU flight leaves Belgrade at 06.20

      LJU flight arrives back at 09.35

      JFK flight leaves at 13.15

      I guess if they delayed departure by half an hour they could.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous09:44

      I mean departure to LJU.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous09:55

      Ako postoji dobra volja A330 bi mogao biti u Ljubljani 1.jula.Pomeranje leta od pola sata ne bi bio nikakav problem.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous10:01

      I have to admit that JU was one of the most committed airlines in LJU since JP went bust. They immediately responded with extra flights and before covid they have 19 weekly. Now after covid they were among the first to resume flights and are up to 7 weekly. Sending the A332 would be such a great idea and fantastic PR for both JU and LJU.

      Delete
    5. Anonymous11:10

      It would be nice but they should not do it at the expense of wasting money for no reason. The TGD flight made sense because the plane was full. Not sure it would be to Ljubljana.

      Delete
  27. Anonymous09:40

    hope we are getting some more regular flights around EU

    ReplyDelete
  28. Anonymous11:10

    Looks nice. Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Anonymous11:11

    When LJU actually had passengers, they were queuing outside just to get to the check-in desk. Now, there's a new terminal and no passengers. Go figure. But at least we don't have to worry about Adria anymore, right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:35

      +1

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:36

      The EU presidency will help with traffic recovery.

      Delete
    3. Vlad18:47

      Wasn't that the mantra for ZAG a few years back, and it turned out it had minimal impact on pax numbers?

      Delete
  30. Anonymous11:15

    I don’t understand the negative comments. Would it have been better to stop the project midway through construction (when Adria went bankrupt and Covid started) and pay for maintaining the half built building?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:35

      I'm glad it hasn't been stopped.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:40

      Good thing this project started before corona otherwise we wouldn't see this happen in a long time.

      Delete
  31. Anonymous11:21

    What happened to that Slovenian charter airline that was supposed to launch? Air Slovenia?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:22

      Sorry I meant SouthEast Airlines

      Delete
    2. Anonymous15:34

      No one knows, probably nothing will happen :(

      Delete
  32. Anonymous11:23

    Finally some positive news. Well done! One day pandemic will be over and new functional key infrastructure needed.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Anonymous11:23

    What will be the total passenger capacity of LJU once this extension is completed?

    ReplyDelete
  34. Anonymous11:24

    We've been waiting long time for this one. The old one, at least part of it is really outdated and was way to small for normal operations.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Anonymous11:25

    How many airbridges will it have?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:32

      Five. 4 existing and 1 new.

      Delete
  36. Anonymous11:30

    Very beautiful. Congratulations.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Anonymous11:36

    Great. I look forward to using it.

    ReplyDelete
  38. JU520 BEGLAX11:43

    Congratulations, finally after 25 years, we hve now a useable terminal. Better late than never. The quality if the terminal I will judge once I hve used it. But the first impression is positive, especially the use of glass and wood and the view to the alps I like very much. Also the 5th jetbridge gate is more than welcome. The figures will come back soon, I think already in 2022, we will see more than 1 mio pax. The choice of airlines (JU LH AF TK IB BA LO AY SN LX SU EZY WIZZ Air Montenegro Fly Dubai and Charters) is quite ok for the size of the airport

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:50

      Still the choice of airlines could be a lot better..

      Delete
    2. JU520 BEGLAX13:39

      I wld love to still see KL SK and AZ
      Aegean is coming regularly with charters. LY as well

      Delete
  39. Anonymous11:51

    Can't wait for it to open to the public.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous00:34

      Few more days left.

      Delete
  40. Anonymous12:07

    Almost everyone in the industry knew that Adria was going to go bankrupt but the terminal expansion started anyway. Then corona hit and they still go on with it. I don't see the logic. This terminal won't be needed probably until the end of the decade.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:15

      Full recovery from Adria was planned in 2021. Now, I don't see the airport recovering until 2024/2025.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous15:07

      have u ever been to ljubljana airport before?

      Delete
  41. Anonymous12:15

    Looks similar to Frankfurt´s new Terminal 3.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:20

      Well it is the same operator :)

      Delete
    2. Anonymous00:33

      Yes very similar. But at least it got built unlike T3 :D now delayed until 2026.

      Delete
  42. Anonymous12:21

    New and old terminal combined will be around 22000sqm. Not bad.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous12:24

    How long does Fraport's concession run for?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:30

      It's not a concession. It's a full privatization

      Delete
    2. Anonymous12:45

      Put in order the Ljubljana bus station first (now too)!
      In 2021 is still like it was bombed yesterday.
      It's a shame when you entry to Slovenia (e.g.Flixbus etc.) as a tourist and you see such derelict station.
      You can never have a second first impression.
      It's a shame when as a tourist you are using it: there is no capital in Europe with worse bus station, there is no city in Europe of such size with such scum bus station.
      Even little Korçë in Albania, Moldova can do it; why not you EU Slovenia?

      Delete
    3. JU520 BEGLAX13:54

      Anonym 1245h

      I am 1000 % with you. Slovenia in this respective is a joke. But it is typically for their mentality. My mother side is fm SLO. And fm family members i heard a lot in the past: it is good enough, why to waste money etc
      Absolute wrong mindset. U need to invest all the times. In yr own house, in yr business, in the country's infrastructure etc
      Slovenia was lagging behind in tourism and public transport infrastructure. Lets not forget the main train network was still built by Austria/Hungary monarchy. Still today u need fm LJU to MBX 1h50min for 120 km. LJU has no S Bahn network, not to talk of a Tram.
      At least the hotel infrastructure has improved lately
      Re Jansa's words yday about the airport train line, thats just an own political marketing promise, nothing else. You wont see it before 2040

      Delete
    4. Anonymous15:52

      @Anon 12:45: Who needs bus stations, when you can have new shopping malls?

      Pretty much sums up Slovenia's infrastructure focus of the past 2 decades.

      Delete
    5. JU520 BEGLAX16:25

      Exactly. Shopping mall was their main focus the last 20 years. Good to see what foreign investors were interested in. Slovenian citizens money, not much else. And politicians supported them..

      Delete
    6. Anonymous16:26

      JU520 BEGLAX

      Well things are slowly moving in the right direction, the the tracks from MB to LJU are being renovated and also most of the train stations (Maribor, Celje) were already renovated . The problem is that new Ljubljana train/bus station was part of a failed project Emonika. The public and commercial part are now seperated and hopefully Ljubljana will get a functioning transport hub soon, but I'm not holding my breath.

      Delete
    7. Very similar here as well. Rijeka bus station (Zabica) is even worse than Ljubljana's. And 180 km between Rijeka and Zagreb, fastest train takes 3 and a half hours. The slow one (putnicki) 4 and a half hours. But malls, oh yeah, every month one opening - like mushrooms after the rain. Danke Deutschland!

      Delete
    8. Anonymous09:50

      Why Danke Deutschland?

      Delete
    9. Anonymous09:53

      The bus and train stations in Split are also a disaster. a temporary solution since the 1960s

      Delete
    10. When Croatia and Slovenia recognized independent states, there was a pop song in Croatia "Danke Deutschland" (never saw or heard that singer after). As much time passes by people in both countries see more and more there was absolutely nothing to thank for. That"s why "Danke Deutschland"

      Delete
    11. JU520 BEGLAX21:54

      +1

      U got it "pozdrav iz Rijeke"

      Delete
  44. I had a look around this new terminal this week...it really is quite a daunting building....impressive, sleek, dark... reminded me of the computer from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy....I almost expected it to bellow out at me in a deep voice—"42"...

    ReplyDelete
  45. Anonymous16:44

    Slovenia is no different then other countries. It is financialization of economy in the last 30 years. That means: shopping malls, condos, and more condos
    So Real Estate, Insurance, Banking and debt creation- that's it. One trick pony economy all across West.
    Someone asked why Terminal had go ahead despite demise of Adria, Corona, and etc...
    But why not? Debt for terminal was already created in some banking HQ in Frankfurt by entering digits in computer system. That is debt based economy that will have tremendous consequences in near future.

    ReplyDelete
  46. Anonymous00:35

    The value of the investment is not huge. Product looks nice for that sort of money. I like it.

    ReplyDelete
  47. Anonymous00:36

    Love the night pic.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Anonymous10:14

    a photo from above

    https://www.skyscrapercity.com/threads/ljubljana-brnik-letali%C5%A1%C4%8De-jo%C5%BEeta-pu%C4%8Dnika-ljubljana-ljubljana-jo%C5%BEe-pu%C4%8Dnik-airport.576250/post-173914339

    ReplyDelete

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