Slovenia avoids €10 million fine over Maribor Airport

NEWS FLASH


Slovenia has avoided the risk of having to pay back over ten million euros in European Union funds for the overhaul of Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport since it managed to stay operational despite having almost no traffic, the country’s Ministry for Infrastructure said. A new passenger terminal was opened at Maribor Airport in 2012 backed by EU funds. Under the terms of the financing arrangement, the EU required for no major changes to occur with the airport up until November 11, 2021. Despite the minimum scale of air traffic and changes to the management, the Ministry for Infrastructure believes the airport’s operations have been preserved and the country has thus avoided having to return 10.54 million euros in EU funds. The airport has been managed by the state-owned consulting and engineering company DRI since 2019, after Chinese investors terminated their fifteen-year lease contract signed in 2017. Since then, the airport has cost the state 3.15 million euros in expenses, while revenue has amounted to 870.000 euros, the Ministry said. The contract with DRI expires at the end of the month, and the airport's future remains uncertain. The Ministry is planning to find a new long-term manager and a preliminary public invitation in March 2020 showed there was interest among potential investors. Unofficially, DRI is not keen on continuing to manage the airport, but the Ministry is planning to extend the contract with the state-owned company as a stop-gap measure until a new manager is selected. Maribor Airport is Slovenia’s only other commercial airfield after Ljubljana.

Comments

  1. Anonymous09:21

    As a Slovenian I find this embarrassing to be honest. It's a pity Maribor remains underutilized but what can we expect when the same situation is with our main airport too.

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  2. Anonymous10:00

    Just close it, and do the same with LJU.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous15:15

      I cannot believe what you are saying about LJU. You seem to forget that just a few years ago LJU had mora than 1.8 milion passengers and we know almost NO ONE wanted to fly with Adria. LJU has shown itself with success ob practically all routes that have been launched. ZAG wouldn't be much ahead if OU went broke and the airport did such a deal with FR. LJU couls also do something to attract LCCs, since ALL of them were always successful out of LJU. The fact that you are saying that they should close LJU shows that you know absolutely nothing about transport infrastructure.

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    2. Anonymous16:06

      It HAD more than 1.8m passengers. It HAD. And it will never have more that anymore. Never. It was 3. busiest airport in ex-yu 10 years ago. Only BEG and ZAG had more passengers. Now its not even in top 10. Its on same level as TZL, BNX, PUY, ZAD, INI. And even these airports will soon be way ahead. LJU will compete with OMO. Disaster. And yes, they could do something to attract airlines, legacy and LCC. Do something to improve connectivity. But it is going in the opposite way. Less and less routes and frequencies each year. They are doing absolutely nothing. I just don't see a solution with these people running the airport. They don't give a sh*t. Better to build high speed railway to ZAG.

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    3. Anonymous17:07

      The problem is stupid government who is only doing sh*t to everything that is good in Slovenia. And that is it. The demand from LJU is very good and has been confirmed with every route lauched.

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    4. Anonymous08:07

      100+ last anon.
      Even tho adria had troubles last few years because owner, we all know what was LJU once. There was not enough space for all the flights and so on. If you look at some pictures you can see acctualy same or even more planes on the ground than at ZAG.
      And one more question what would we do without LJU? What? Would we just be even dumber, yes, but as well how stupid can you be to just let someone you have been comepeting all this years just let win so easly. Lju has currently bad managemant, but it's still very immportant, but unfortunetly germans don't see this as they don't know shit about aviation in sloveni, if you manage FRA good, it's not neceserly you will be good outside of FRA.

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  3. I was not born in Slovenia but I have been living in Maribor for a while now.
    Airport like Ljubljana and Maribor can be perfect for budget airlines like Wizzair, Ryanair etc etc.
    Good connections to the Netherlands and other European airports is more than welcome.

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    Replies
    1. I don't really like your comment, because i prefere that there are no flights to LJU and MBX, than if they are BOMBARDED with TOO MUCH low-coast airlines

      Delete

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