Well if it comes to Dubai, only Slovenian are using the service ex ZAG. When it comes to Ryanair and other unserved destnations ex LJU from ZAG, only a few pssengers will use the flights. I´d call that rather opportunistic argumentation. ;)

What else could he say? That they're doomed because Zagreb Airport attracted all possible carriers including LCCs and they failed?

Slovenian that needs to travel will use different channels ( ZAG, VCE, VIE).
If you have biggest drop of passengers in EU, you are not affected by the positive events that your competition is doing.

Airports are like gas stations, they have no power to effect the market.
But they still live in the illusion that they control. Old guard still thinks "if you build it they will come". This is who they are, that's why they are unable to change. They will never be able to be costumer centric.

Aviations mission was to connect people. Airline mission is cooperation.

Unfortunately old guard did forget about this ideals, that's why I hope they go into retirement ASAP. So that new generation starts to rebuild, what they destroyed.

Klasika...puno se prica a nista ne radi!!!

Many Slovenes are using Zagreb airport, especially along the border with Croatia. It is somewhat harder now cause of Covid and restrictions in place as well as long Qs on Croatian border to enter, but once Croatia is in Schengen which should happen in 2023/4 Then most Slovenians will just use Zagreb as their local airport, I think one in 5 passengers out of Zagreb will be a Slovenian in 2025, currently that figure is around one in 10.

I wonder how many passengers could LJU have if everyone stops driving to other airports and starts using LJU. Probably 2x more as in 2019.