Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport is expected to see strong passenger growth during the 2025 summer season following a sluggish winter, with the Slovenian government last night concluding a seventh tender call for airlines to introduce new routes to the country in a bid to improve connectivity. This coming summer, Ljubljana Airport will register strong capacity growth on scheduled services, with 24 carriers to offer 27 routes to 26 airports. Two airlines will mark their entry onto the Slovenian market with KLM launching daily operations from Amsterdam and Eurowings commencing a three weekly service from Dusseldorf. The airport is also expected to see a comprehensive leisure charter program.
Projected capacity growth at Ljubljana Airport by month, summer 2024
This year, Turkish Airlines is set to lead in capacity expansion in the Slovenian market, adding over 48.000 seats compared to the summer of 2024. This increase is primarily due to the introduction of a third daily service to Ljubljana on select days starting in June. It will be followed by Lufthansa and British Airways, with the latter increasing frequencies between London Heathrow and Ljubljana to eight weekly from June. On the other hand, Finnair, Flydubai and LOT Polish Airlines will shed the most seats year-on-year. Seasonal services by Iberia from Madrid, Aegean Airlines from Athens, Transavia France from Paris Orly and Air Montenegro from Tivat are all set to return in 2025.
Top five fastest growing airlines in Ljubljana, summer 2025
excludes KLM and Eurowings
Yesterday evening, a seventh tender call for airlines to introduce new routes to the country came to a close. The Slovenian Ministry for Infrastructure previously allocated a total of 16.8 million euros in funds for airlines between 2023, when the first public call was made, and 2026, when the last call is expected, although it can be extended if funds are left over. So far, just over one million euros have been used up. The funds equate to covering 50% of the carrier’s fees on the new route. The opening of the submitted applications will not be public and will be carried out by the Aid Granting Commission within the next fifteen days. It is currently unknown if any airline applied.
Finally some good news for LJU
ReplyDeleteŽe 5 let isti seznam upanja in (neizpolnjenih) želja. Vse to pa nima večjega vpliva na dejansko povezljivost (frekvence, timing, destinacije). Povečanje je možno le pri čarterjih.
DeleteWhere is JU growth coming from? What are they adding to LJU?
ReplyDeleteMore flights in April and May compared to last year.
DeleteHow many will there be?
DeleteBravo Fraport!
ReplyDeleteThere is a rumor that two destinations are on a table: Hamburg and Lisbon.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you hear this rumor? There was too many rumors regarding LJU in the past years that never materialised, don't want to get too excited.
DeleteTP launching would make sense especially since OU failed to get slots at LIS for this summer. They could cover both markets through LJU.
DeleteMore likely is that no one applied like on most of the past 6 tenders.
Delete^ probably
DeleteGeneva was tipped with Swiss A221 in winter, but no idea if it went through. Berlin with Eurowings could be added too, but that's about it. Don't get your hopes up
DeleteEurowings already got subsidies for Berlin in last tender but they decided not to launch it.
DeleteAnd they said that if the loads were OK they will open Berlin as well, even the airport said it publicly
DeleteRealistically speaking, which airline could have applied?
DeleteTAP, Vueling, Eurowings, Wizz (hopium)
DeleteITA could be a possibility.
DeleteAm I wrong to think that we had EasyJet flights to Milan in around 2010?
DeleteIf that is the case, ITA with A221 would work nowdays
We did but for a very short time and it was only 2 weekly if I remember correctly
DeleteAnonymous09:09 - from a friend working at ministry but not directly on this matter. so its just a rumour.
DeleteITA is a real possibility. Other than that, idk
DeleteI'm guessing FCO-LJU with A220?
DeleteMaybe Cyprus Airways applied again.
DeleteImpressive growth for the summer season!
ReplyDeleteLet's hope it actually happens and airlines don't reduce capacity/flights.
DeleteI don't think they will. There is just a few weeks before summer season starts.
DeleteI’ll only beliebve it when then first additional flights really take off. Too many empty promises the past years
ReplyDeleteAgree. I’m a bit skeptical about these projections. The winter was particularly slow, and a sudden spike in the summer seems overly optimistic.
DeleteWell, LJU and Fraport are not that useless. They did manage to 'steal' some carriers from ZAG. BA, IB and BT have all focused more on LJU than ZAG.
ReplyDeleteIt's not all gloom and doom guys.
How is IB more focused on LJU? IB has 9 weekly flights to Zagreb this summer through all of summer. It flies to LJU for a month twice a week.
DeleteHow did IB focus more on LJU? They have way more flights to ZAG.
DeleteIB has increased capacity to LJU this summer. They are doing the same like BA which in the end focused more on LJU than ZAG. OU is launching MAD so they will take away some passengers from them.
DeleteAgain you are really talking nonsense. You are saying that 2 weekly flights for a month is a bigger focus than 9 weekly flights? Also, BA flies to Zagreb year round. In Ljubljana is suspended flights this winter
DeleteSome were saying not so long ago flydubai would stop flying to Zagreb after starting Ljubljana. Yet today we have more flydubai flights in ZAG than in LJU. In line with the same mindset, 2 weekly are more than 9 weekly. Sad and pathetic
DeleteAlso Wizz again added a 4th weekly flight to Skopje for most of the summer season.
ReplyDeleteThis is the third time they have changed it.
DeleteHopefully last time they do (unless they boost frequency)
Deletei guess ljubljana - skopje will go on 5pw soon.
DeleteTo 5 and then back to 4 lol
DeleteHow big is the decrease of FlyDubai?
ReplyDeleteLast year they had 10 weekly flight 2 weeks in february this years have 7 all month.
DeleteThis article refers to summer season. Not February.
Delete"On the other hand, Finnair, Flydubai and LOT Polish Airlines will shed the most seats year-on-year. "
DeleteIf you read this in text you can understand where is decrease in FlyDubai.
Because there is such a low number of flights across the board and few airlines, even 1 flight less makes a huge difference.
DeleteIt’s great to see Ljubljana Airport finally getting more attention from international carriers.
ReplyDeleteWhy is there no public opening of the tender applications? Why keep it such a secrete?
ReplyDeleteEU requirement
DeleteBizarre. Isn't the EU all about transparency?
DeleteTrue, that’s why RT is blocked !
DeleteThis is fantastic news!
ReplyDeleteIt will be a good summer at LJU
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteBe careful with celebrating. First the story have to start. Have in mind that this probable increase is generated by a tender and after funds will be consumed, birds will fly away. Or sudden cuts may happen during this period too.
ReplyDeleteNumber of subsidised routes in Slovenia is far lower than in SJJ, ZAG or even SKP.
DeleteMeanwhile Maribor dying a slow and painful death.
ReplyDeleteYes. A criminal waste of a great facility, which nobody seems to have the will or brains to save from oblivion.
DeleteGood luck to KLM. Hope they are successful but also wondering if Transavia will stick around.
ReplyDeleteThey attract different passenger types so I hope so.
DeleteConsidering the slot constraints at Amsterdam and various proposed limits on number of flights per day, I don't think Transavia's LJU route will survive alongside KLM.
Deletelets wait and see. im sure there is plenty of room on Ljubljana Amsterdam market.
DeleteThen move Transavia flights to EIN or RTM if slots are problem.
DeleteEindhoven is in the same boat. Completely slot restricted and has 41,500 movements in its license, all taken up unless someone suspends or reduces something.
DeleteFinally more options.
ReplyDeleteThe only additional options compared to last year are KLM to a route already served and Eurowings.
DeleteWould be nice to see Austrian Airlines apply for the subsidy tender and start Vienna.
ReplyDeleteIt could work with Braathens ATR72.
DeleteI agree. When OS only had aircraft bigger and more expensive than the ATR, LJU wasn't really a possibility.
DeleteNow I suppose the challenge is that they logically don't have idle capacity on the existing ATR aircraft and they likely won't contract another aircraft from Braathens solely to give VIE-LJU a try. These wetlease contracts tend to be long-term, so it's a big commitment.
I'm really impressed by Turkish delivering so many extra seats.
ReplyDeleteYes, they grow every year. Well done.
DeleteTurkish just keeps growing and growing.
DeleteI am certain Pegasus can't launch flights because of bureaucracy. I'm sure they would jump at the opportunity to fly to LJU.
DeleteThis is nice, but how come winter has been so bad so far?
ReplyDeleteMarket is obviously very seasonal.
DeleteWhen will LJU reach pre Covid traffic levels?
ReplyDeleteA) When Fraport is not in charge anymore
DeleteB) When Adria comes back
C) When Danke Deutschland mindset is past
D) All of the above
Circle one answer only
When Binter Canarias starts flights.
DeleteD is the only correct answer.
DeleteWhen we get Manchester/ Liverpool - LJU.
DeleteHow many passengers could we see this year?
ReplyDeleteMy opinion, I think about 1,6 million
DeleteAll this but aiport is yet to publish summer schedule on their website...I hope they are waiting for latest add-ons
ReplyDeleteThey are not very quick in updating stuff on their site.
DeleteGood luck LJU
ReplyDeleteAegean has once again upgraded Athens-Ljubljana flights to year round continuing till January 2026 as for now!!!
ReplyDeleteThey do this every year and cancel it and they do that for most of their seasonal routes.
DeleteThey cancel flights because of their fleet shortage. Their plans is to have more year round routes than seasonal. Let’s see if they keep it this year
DeleteI really hope so
DeleteOnce they get all of their neos back they will operate more year round routes in the region. I see LJU, DBV, TGD and SJJ fully year round. ZAG is already year round with flights even in low period February loaded.
Delete80% of those won't happen. Especially DBV.
DeleteTheir initial plans were to serve DBV year round. This summer they will operate daily ATH-DBV flights too!
DeleteOk, hopefully now they prepare for next winter and it does not turn out bad like this one.
ReplyDeleteIf it were not for these government subsidies we would still have the same airlines serving LJU as we did in 2021.
ReplyDeleteTrue that
DeleteI doubt that these subsidies play a big part. 50% off airport charges, but Fraport already gives an even bigger discount for new routes, so there's not much more for the government to subsidise. A lot of paperwork for pocket change.
DeleteWhat's going on with Air France? It seems they just gave up on LJU suddenly.
ReplyDeleteAsked for subsidies from Slovenian government, didn't get them and then they started cutting flights.
DeleteAF is not competitive in the region.
DeleteGood to see most airlines growing
ReplyDeleteThings are looking up at LJU.
DeleteThanks for the data!!
ReplyDeleteI think that the only real possibility for this tender is that ITA applied as they are now under Lufthansa and maybe maybe Austrian. And even that is pretty doubtful. Zero to none chances for any other airline.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteIf you ask a certain AI model that is capable of online search it tells you that OS702 flight will be available
ReplyDeleteIs it also capable of inventing information? If so, I wouldn't trust it until I had other information than that an AI chat bot made the claim. My experience with these AI chats isn't the best.
DeleteLet's hope for some more positive news for LJU in the next few months.
ReplyDeleteI wonder LJU passengers use Turkish to transfer to the west too?
ReplyDeleteYes
DeleteAnything exotic for this years summer charters?
ReplyDeleteStill waiting for direct connection to Scotland Glasgow or Edinburgh.
ReplyDelete