Spanish national carrier Iberia will not restore its seasonal summer flights between Madrid and Ljubljana this year, despite initially scheduling the service. Flights were due to resume on August 1 and operate twice per week, each Monday and Friday, for the duration of the month. However, the airline has discontinued ticket sales on the route. Iberia commenced services between the two capital cities last summer but scaled down its initial plan of four weekly rotations due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ljubljana Airport’s management expressed confidence the route would resume this year with additional weekly departures and a longer season, however, this did not materialise.
Iberia handled 2.215 passengers on its Ljubljana flights in 2021, recording an average cabin load factor of 69%. Despite the introduction of the Madrid service, data indicates that Barcelona had the most indirect traffic from the Slovenian capital to Spain during the pre-pandemic 2019. It was followed by Madrid, Valencia, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca, Both Madrid and Barcelona were previously served by the now defunct Adria Airways. The two cities were maintained off and on throughout the last troubled decade of the Slovenian carrier’s existence, primarily on a seasonal basis. On the other hand, low cost carrier Vueling maintained seasonal flights between Barcelona and Ljubljana in 2010, but the service was later discontinued. Profiting the most from the lack of flights between Slovenia and Spain are Lufthansa, Air France and Turkish Airlines, jointly handling over 70% of traffic between the two countries.
Iberia’s absence in Ljubljana will be the second high-profile carrier that will not be operating to the Slovenian market this summer after the country closed its airspace to Russian carriers and banned Aeroflot from using its airports. Furthermore, Ukraine’s Windrose Airlines, which was to introduce services to Ljubljana this coming summer has shelved such plans as war continues to rage in the country. At this point, seasonal operations by British Airways, Finnair and Israir are set to resume during the summer, while Transavia will introduce its new service from Paris Orly in April. Furthermore, Lufthansa is expected to restore flights between Munich and Ljubljana after over two years this May.
What a surprise
ReplyDeleteLJU keeps on winning! Bravo Fraport!
ReplyDeleteAnyone still believe LJU will reach 900,000 passengers this year?
ReplyDeleteFraport and their fanboys.
DeleteUnfortunately there is not chance of its happening now. I think 600,000 is more realistic.
DeleteI really doubt that we will get to 600k either.
DeleteI really hope a turnaround at Ljubljana will be achieved sooner rather than later but I'm skeptical.
DeleteI remember we were led to believe by the management that the number of flights would increase. So much for that.
ReplyDeleteTrue
DeleteThey certainly did
Delete"A smaller number of flights are offered in this summer timetable, but we expect the carrier to return next season with more frequencies. "
Why? Is there any particular reason?
ReplyDeleteThey probably needed planes elsewhere
DeleteNo demand, thats the excuse for them. But we all know its not that.
DeleteI would say that a lack of interest and the small market is exactly what is to blame
DeleteSure sure, blame everything on no demand. Even tho there a lot of passengers.
DeleteOk so what is the reason then?
DeleteNo demand for sure isn't.
DeleteI think rising oil prices might have killed the route. They probably want to focus on ZAG which is a larger and more lucrative market. Oil is $115 this morning btw.
DeleteNot a major loss. What was it? 8 return flights in total?
ReplyDeleteFor Ljubljana Airport, any loss is a major loss.
Delete"Not a major loss" only delusional Fraport fanboy would say that.
DeleteWell better lose Iberia's 8 flights than AF or LH.
DeleteLH is the route cause of many problems.
DeleteHe is quite right. Major loss would be if request for Government funding due to .......... will be denied.
DeleteMarket taking care of itself...
ReplyDeleteSeems like it.
Delete:(
ReplyDeleteNot good
ReplyDeleteAnother example why Slovenia needs a national airline.
ReplyDeleteWell I'm sure that demand for Malaga is now being taken care of Ryanair through Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteFraport must feed LH cartel, so im not surprised.
ReplyDeleteThat is why it's good that JU keeps on growing there, so far from March they will have 16 weekly flights to LJU!
Delete16?? That would be more than before pandemic.
DeleteIt wouldn't be.
Deleteprobably a smart idea to cancel flights if their LF is low. Waste of money and resources on an underperforming route.
ReplyDeleteYes its really an underperforming route when they upraded aircraft to a321 in pre-pandemic on planned 4 weekly.
DeleteWell obviously pandemic has changed some things.
DeleteYou believe pandemic will be here forever? Maybe when other airports will go past their 2019 level Fraport and their fanboys will still have excuse for pandemic for underperformance of LJU.
DeleteIn a way pandemic is over in Slovenia since all entry restrictions were removed so where are the passengers and airlines?
DeletePassengers are going to ZAG, VIE, VCE, TRS.. instead of LJU. Bravo Fraport!
DeleteWell that has been disappointing
ReplyDeleteFor all those who didn't realize airline business is not only about counting Avg LF, Yeld RPK, Revenue ASK, ...
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, LJU has become the most boring airport in the ex yu.
ReplyDeleteOf course when its management focuses on cargo and feeding LH.
DeleteTerrible news
ReplyDeleteThey were never competative with fights in August only.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteLJU just can't catch a break.
ReplyDeletePerhaps Iberia should consider other destinations in the region.
ReplyDeleteLjubljana Airport needs to do more to attract new airlines.
ReplyDeleteThis has been the case for years.
DeleteToo many losses lately. Easyjet ending two routes, Iberia terminating flights, Aeroflot and Windrose out...
ReplyDeleteAeroflot and Windrose can't be blamed on the management of LJU.
DeleteWindrose would not have started flights, with or without the war.
DeleteNooo. I really hope British Airways won't cancel their flights too.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised if they do.
DeleteThey won't. But they haven't increased their flights either, contrary to management announcements.
DeleteBA lacks thousands of crew, as well as ground staff. I wouldn't be surprised if LJU flights are postponed/cancelled this summer season.
DeleteYou are right. It's a real possibility this year.
DeleteLet's hope not.
DeleteTaxes at LJU need to come down to make it more competative.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the taxes at LJU?
DeleteI think a big problem are costs and I don't mean airport fees I mean taxes. I remember LJU management once said that that fees that are not set by the airport are quite high.
DeleteWhat a disappointment.
ReplyDeleteWith the problem with Russia overflights and the cancellation of many Asian routes, I fear Finnair may cancel Ljubljana too as there will be too few transfers.
ReplyDeleteIt's a possibility but let's hope there is enough P2P demand. With Asia closed, I doubt they were relying much on Asian trabsfers anyway.
Delete*transfers
DeleteThey have already reduced planned frequencies.
DeleteWhy not try Barcelona?
ReplyDeleteIt was tried by Adria and Vueling. Didn't work.
Delete8,100 passengers flew from LJU to BCN via other airports (not counting those who travelled from other airports in region) and there is no demand for you? Sure, only demand is for FRA..
DeleteThat's great but why are there no flights?
DeleteAsk Fraport that.
DeleteIt would be great to see Ryanair operating between Slovenia and Spain.
ReplyDelete"Ljubljana is special because it is the first destination to have been chosen with the help of our followers on social media"
ReplyDeleteThis is what Iberia said a year ago. Probably bet not to choose new destinations based on Facebook votes.
**best
DeleteEurowings confirms that!
DeleteI think they will come back in 2023.
ReplyDeleteWhy not in winter. If they are ending the route because of a lack of aircraft or something like that, then they could fly during winter months. I'm sure there is enough demand.
DeleteCongrats to the airline on realising it will only lose money on the route
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the airline? Really?
DeleteThey should have flown to Sarajevo or Belgrade instead.
ReplyDeleteAir Serbia already flies to Madrid.
DeleteGood start to get 900k pax this year
ReplyDeleteWhat was LJU's best year in terms of passengers handled?
DeleteIn 2018 when there were 1,673,050 passengers.
DeleteThey had 1,673,050 passengers in 2008, not 2018. The best year for LJU was 2018, when they had 1,818,229 passengers.
DeleteSorry you are right. It's 2008 not 2018.
DeleteI think that Fraport should beg the Slovenian government to establish national carrier ASAP!
ReplyDeleteIt is not in their interest to work for money.
DeleteCurrently they are in position to blackmail the government for money so that they continue to operate.
National airline would mean no more free ride for Fraport.
I find it odd that more foreign airlines have not started flights to LJU. There are some routes that would be successful for sure.
ReplyDeleteLike someone said, airport needs to find a solution to Adria's bankruptcy. Until that is done, we can only dream of numbers we had before pandemic.
ReplyDeleteIs Fraport actually doing something to attract new airlines?
DeleteIs there an incentive policy at LJU for new routes?
ReplyDeleteDidn't some of you lot brag about how you don't need Adria and the market will take care of itself? Still sure about that?
ReplyDeleteWith all that money you saved by liquidating Adria, I am sure the doctors and teachers will be very grateful to you for the salary increase they are about to receive. And they didn't have to do anything for it (apart from offering a very poor service).
+100
DeleteWhat a shame for the airport.
ReplyDeleteI really wish new airlines will start flying to LJU with new destinations, as there sure is a lot of potential...
ReplyDeleteWe wish that for two years now but it seems that situation is worse and worse each month.
DeleteNo surprise. Too many airports with good connections to Spain in close proximity.
ReplyDeleteNow its time for easy and wizz to expand their operations in Ljubljana.
ReplyDeleteIt is strange because MAD precisely is growing so much as an airport and it LJU could've been connected not only to big markets like the Spanish one but also the Latin American one.
ReplyDeleteIB is the absolute leader when it comes to those connections with MAD being linked basically to almost all of the Latin American capitals and their secondary cities especially in Mexico and Colombia for instance.
Why were they flying there in the first place?
ReplyDeleteit now becomes painfully obvious that size does matter, at least in airline business....if you are too small, you are not interesting. Both Venice and Zagreb offer direct flights to Iberian peninsula, both airports are within 3 hr drive from Ljubljana. Why bother then....
ReplyDeleteRequest to Government for 10 mil EUR to stay open coming up
ReplyDeleteprobably soon
Delete