NEWS FLASH
The Slovenian Ministry for Infrastructure has not found a suitable concessionaire for Maribor Airport, despite several rounds of talks with an interested party. The state-owned consulting and management company DRI will continue to manage the airport until the end of 2024. SIDrone aviation school and locksmith Ključavničarstvo Kunc were the only ones to submit a joint bid to manage Maribor Airport at a state organised tender. SIDrone is owned by Rok Belič, former cabin crew manager at the bankrupt flag carrier Adria Airways. The offer met all the tender requirements, so the Ministry began negotiations. It found that SIDrone was unable to provide a positive financial plan. It proposed to Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek to end the process without selecting a candidate. Ms Bratušek previously said, “In all honesty, if there have been no commercial flights in the airport’s fifty years, it probably won’t happen, but other activities could take place”. DRI took over the management of Maribor Airport as a stop-gap solution in June 2019 after the Chinese-backed airport operator announced it would terminate its fifteen-year lease agreement due to disagreements with the government. The contract with DRI has since been extended multiple times. The government has provided DRI with 1.6 million euros for the management of the airport so far this year.
Surprise surprise
ReplyDeleteFrom a few people who are employed in both DRI and Maribor airport:
ReplyDelete-no schedule flights are being allowed by the ministry
-no negotiations should took place (order by the ministry)
-quite a few airlines are interested but aren't allowed to sign anything, or schedule ops (other than charters)
Feels like something is going on behind the scenes and no one knows what
What a stupid theory. State should only be interested to increase MBX traffic and at least partly cover the costs, the subsides are also available for Maribor, so those rumors are absolutely nonsense.
DeleteThis is not a theory but sadly the reality. The ministry is blocking any expansion of all three international airports in Slovenia.
DeleteAs someone working close to the field, I can confirm that MBX is being run dry
DeleteBut why? What could be the reasoning?
Delete@Anon 16:24
DeleteSo they can push for Adria 2.0 and scam the taxpayers once more.
If this is true, why they expand subsidies to all airports, not only Ljubljana? The government is doing everything to attract new carriers and establish new destinations and a new flag carrier is only the last possible measure. Which might happen, as the financial incentives allowed by European regulation is simply not high enough to attract low cost airlines.
DeleteYes it's true. They did that because they had to, because EU. They will do anything that MBX will not get any scheduled flights or expansion. Everything is in favour for LJU just like that MBX doesn't exist. I don't know about POW.
DeleteJAT was flying commercial flights during 80's Belgrade-Maribor
ReplyDeleteAdria did too (quite successfully), Ryanair, Aegan...
DeleteI don't think Adria's MBX-SEN route was a financial success, not with the ferry flights included.
DeleteAdria flights were successful if you don't count in ferry flight. w rotation from Ljubljana would be good
Delete"My company is also very profitable, if you don't include all the expenses we have."
DeleteOuch
ReplyDeleteA small and geographically well-positioned country for car and rail traffic, doesn't necessarily need 3 commercial airports.
ReplyDeleteSell it to Vinci for 1€ and it’d quickly become competition to GRZ
ReplyDeleteThis x1000 ^^^
DeleteJust close the airport for god sake!
ReplyDeleteDreaming of a day waking up to the news that the airport was sold to Ryanair or Wizzair or maybe Vinci. But I guess the government wants the opposite
ReplyDeleteWizz and Ryanair in Ljubljana better.
DeleteGovernments, politicians, people on high positions, with influence and respected (read : thieves, criminals, crooks and traitors of the worst kind) in both Croatia and Slovenia, are doing everything possible to destroy civil aviation in both countries. In Croatia, thanks to its tourism, the result is "only" miserable and pathetic Croatia Airlines. In Slovenia, especially compared to the times before, the mission is totally accomplished
Delete+1
DeleteSadly for this, Maribor have great potential. But now we also have flight operations more than other small airports near Maribor, every day we have training flights, business flights. In my opinion the perspectives are not only this, we have niches for regional flights but also for and big low-costers as Wizz Air and Ryanair. Cargo flights. BTW at the airports one-two times i seen An-26? What are the onwers? Slovenians?
ReplyDeleteThey are from an Ukrainian cargo airline but they stationed them at MBX due to the war in Ukraine
DeleteThank you.
DeleteIf they are Eleron Airlines planes, they are Slovenian. I can't remember the name. Slovenian lessor.
DeleteAt MBC is also first slovenian 737 for Camex.
Delete