Representatives from low cost airline Wizz Air have held talks with the Slovenian government for the first time in two years. In a meeting with the Ministry for Infrastructure, as well as the Slovenian Civil Aviation Agency, earlier this month, the carrier discussed the potential introduction of new flights to the country utilising the government’s subsidy program aimed at improving air connectivity. “Due to operational needs in the event of a decision to establish scheduled international flights to an international airport in Slovenia, Wizz Air wanted to obtain key information in advance about the state aid scheme for airlines for the launch of new flights. Taking into account the fact that, based on the current Public Tender for Greater Air Connectivity in Slovenia, subsidies are only possible until October 31 2025, they were interested in the prospects for the continuation of the measure”, the government said.
Wizz Air currently maintains just three weekly flights into the country. The service, from Skopje, was launched in September 2023 and is subsidised by the Macedonian government. The route has recorded good operational performance, registering 54.602 passengers in 2024 with an average cabin load factor of 95.4%. The budget carrier will increase frequencies between the two capitals from three to four weekly starting next month. However, Wizz Air discontinued flights between London Luton and Ljubljana last February. The airline initially entered the Slovenian market in May 2006 by launching services from Charleroi and London. Both were discontinued in January 2008 but were later restored in 2012. Services to Charleroi were again discontinued in 2022.
Last year, Ljubljana Airport said it was working on increasing the number of flights operated by low cost carriers (LCCs). At the time, Babett Stapel, the CEO of operator Fraport Slovenija, said, “We have several objectives, but one of the biggest challenges is that we would like to increase the share of low cost carriers. We have good coverage by full service airlines, but low cost would surely add to our business. That doesn’t mean we want to become a low cost hub”. Ms Stapel added, “Low cost carriers have a share of about 20% at our airport, so we would like that to increase but we are not a hub airport, so our connectivity depends on serving the hubs since low cost carriers do not necessarily serve the main hubs. We need hubs to be served for connectivity. Our goal is to reach a 30% LCC share”. Eurowings will become a new low cost operator at Ljubljana Airport when it launches operations from Dusseldorf next month. Europe’s largest low cost airline, Ryanair, has ruled out flights to the Slovenian capital citing high fees.
Meanwhile Ryanair keeps expanding in Trieste...
ReplyDeleteMaybe it is the reason Wizz Air is looking for an alternative airport nearby.
DeleteTRS now has more passengers than Ljubljana.
DeleteTRS airport goal is 1.6 millions pax in 2025. Is this more than Ljubljana? 3 new Ryanair routes from TRS this summer, just announced last day.
DeleteIt's the standard Fear of Missing Out Ryanair propaganda or marketing strategy, call it whatever you will.
Delete@11:14 what do you mean by "Fear of Missing Out Ryanair propaganda or marketing strategy"????
DeleteRyanair IS launching flights and Trieste IS stating that it aims for 1.6 millions pax in 2025.
LJU is targeting 1.5-1.6 this year. Iirc the projected 1.5 was made before TK, Swiss, FR and British all scheduled additional frequencies, so we'll see
DeleteLet's hope it is more successful than last time.
ReplyDeleteNothing will happen as usual.
ReplyDeleteImagine if we get Wizz now!! what battle would be between LJU and ZAG in a year or so if wizz station 3-4 planes here!
DeleteYeah Wizz will deploy four of their jets in LJU in one second, there isnt even demand there for 4 jets to operate, funny.
DeleteWould be interesting to watch. Also would be interesting to see which airport Ryanair would focus on more. ZAG or TRS.
Deletewhy do you think it is not possible?
DeleteRyan stationed 3 planes in ZAG at once.
Wizz put 2 planes without subsudies in BEG decade ago, so why not in LJU now?
We have money and we like to travel.
Because Wizz Air is in problems now, first they will restore routes from Skopje, Belgrade, Bosnia, Bulgaria and other countries and important martkets before launching flights from Ljubljana and flying half empty planes.
DeleteIm begging them please base an aircraft in Ljubljana man. But knowing our government and this absurd subsidy scheme, likely nothing will happen.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteSo its the GOV who needs to bring the carriers and not Fraport?Do Fraport fans get extra paid to bash the GOV and to bash
DeleteI'm optimistic. Fingers crossed for a good outcome.
ReplyDeleteWith all due respect, I'm really wondering what you are basing your optimism on?
DeleteAt least they are talking and it is good to see they are interested in Slovenia.
DeleteWizz is interested in Ljubljana but Ljubljana Airport isn't interested in them.
DeleteInterest to be paid to fly. Otherwise no interest.
DeleteMaybe they bring back Charleroi again :D
ReplyDeleteAnd hopefully Luton too, that would be fantastic
DeleteFor 20 years they have been operating Charleroi and London on and off.
DeleteSlovenia 🇸🇮 celje
DeleteWhy don't they lower the fees? SJJ and TIA already did it and many other airports in the region.
ReplyDeleteThe airport is owned by Fraport, not the Ministry of Transport. And they can't implement price-caps without certain prerequisites due to EU law regardless
DeleteI meant why Fraport does not lower the fees
DeleteBecause Fraport did not get the airport for free. They paid the Slovenia government to buy it so they have loans to repay.
DeleteAlso for its modernization and its operating expenses.
The government thought that they could sell the airport, get a new terminal and somehow the users of the airport (airlines) wouldn't have to pay for it?
Well SJJ also offered subsidies and unfairly limited it purely to LCCs.
DeleteAnon 09:54
DeleteThankfully LJU can not do that because of EU rules.
Of course they can, if they want. Different service profile for lower fee is completely legal. If you want to offer that, of course.
DeleteDows LJU have a low cost terminal in order to offer such reduced service fee?
DeleteThere could be, the old terminal is basically abandoned. But it's not only terminal. You can cut services: fingers, bus transfers etc.
DeleteThe original plan was for old terminal to become LCC and charter terminal.
DeleteMy god how people are quick to be loud to cut all costs when others are involved. Are you willing to slash your own salary to be cheaper for your employer?
DeleteDo you try to explain that LJU is much more expensive than TRS because of much higher salaries of LJU airport employees? I don't think so.
DeleteRyanair is in TRS because they have an agreement with Friuli-Venezia Giulia that the region will pay for the salary tax and social security of Ryanair employees for the first two years since opening the base. Also the average salaries in western Slovenia are generally higher than across the border in Italy.
DeleteLJU really needs this and I hope it happens.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe they have been flying to LJU for almost 20 years!
ReplyDeleteWas hoping for EasyJet but they'd work as well
ReplyDeleteWe need anyone we can get.
DeleteWhich routes could realistically be launched?
ReplyDeleteLuton and Charleroi could be back, also the likes of Tirana, Bucharest and maybe even Belgrade. It it happens of course.
DeleteIt would be fantastic to finally get some scheduled flights to Spain.
DeleteYou have scheduled flights with Iberia.
Delete4 weeks per year.
DeleteTirana and Bucharest for sure not, Wizz Air is covering them from Trieste already.
DeleteEven if they didn't, there are so many routes they could launch before them. I mean what sort of demand is there between Tirana and Ljubljana for a ULCC? Keep seeing it mentioned all the time here.
DeleteOh it's the high density guy again.
DeleteNo idea what you're talking about but good one.
Delete"I don't understand what you're saying but I understand it."
DeleteMaybe a Wizz Air base in Ljubljana? It's always nice to dream.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely no chance.
DeleteActually I assume they discussed just that. I doubt they would come to the ministry and the CAA just to restore CRL route.
DeleteThis could be a gamchanger for Ljubljana.
DeleteA new Adria is desperately needed.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteAre you joking? For sure not.
DeleteIs Maribor also in discussion? O, no, sorry, MBX is not in Slovenia for the majority of officials sitting in offices in Ljubljana.
ReplyDeleteWizz air is not interested in Maribor.
DeleteI'm afraid nobody really is...nice city tho!
DeleteSince no one in administration do no even offer MBX to the airline. T
DeleteMBX with GRZ and ZAG around the corner as well as part of Hungary, much lower fees and no traffic at all, in my opinion make even more sense for Wizz to start, but ok...
DeleteAs long as Fraport is involved, forget about this fairytale.
ReplyDeleteWait a bit and Fraport will be out of the business in Ljubljana. The GOV is getting ready to trigger some bold moves. #expropriation
DeleteWizzair is not so reliable as an airline because of their cancellations.
ReplyDeleteWhich cancellations can you please tell me?
DeleteLiterally no ULCC is reliable. Wizz and Ryanair both have a history of asking for subsidies and pulling out the moment they run out. Only ULCC that survives without em is Easyjet by some miracle
DeleteEasyjet asks for major incentives for every route launched at least at our airport (speaking as someone working at an airport in ex-Yu)
DeleteGood luck Slovenia
ReplyDeleteThis could make sense, especially now when LJU is sandwiched between FR bases in ZAG and TRS.
ReplyDeleteExactly
DeleteLet's wait and see the actual outcome. There has been too much false hope for Ljubljana in the last few years.
ReplyDeleteI see possibilities of flights to London, Weeze, Sofia/Bucharest and Stockholm being launched.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that Wizz constantly keeps coming back for talks with the government. If the Slovenian market is that important to them just start flying out of there.
ReplyDeleteBarcelona, London, something in Scandinavia, Bucharest, Prague and maybe even Vienna could work.
ReplyDeleteMost of those would perform well.
DeleteSlovenia 🇸🇮 celje
DeleteLJ has signficant space for leissure destinations. that could be the real deal. BCN, RHO, VLC...
ReplyDeleteExactly. Often overlooked by many here but Trade Air is thriving in LJU simply because there is no one else.
DeleteBravo Fraport!
ReplyDeleteThey have done a lot lol
DeleteI remember two years ago everyone was saying that LJU doesnt need Wizz, that people doesnt want cheap flights…what happend now?
ReplyDeleteThe LCC offer from LJU has actually shrunk over the last few years.
ReplyDeleteHas it? Norwegian launched flights and now Eurowings.
DeleteIt hasn't but that does not people posting BS here . ;)
DeleteIn 2019 easyjet had flights to Stansted, Gatwick and Berlin. Wizz Air has London and Charleroi and Transavia had Amsterdam.
DeleteAnd now you will have Paris Orly, Copenhagen, Riga, Düsseldorf, Skopje and Dubai instead of Stansted, Luton, Berlin and Charleroi.
DeleteAir Baltic and Fly Dubai are hardly LCCs. They may have started out that way but they no longer are.
Delete2020 summer season:
DeleteEasyJet: LGW 5 weekly, STN 10 weekly, LTN 4 weekly, BER 3 weekly
Wizz Air: CRL 3 weekly
Transavia: 4 weekly AMS
=29 weekly flights in total
2025 summer season:
EasyJet: LGW 7 weekly
Wizz Air: SKP 3 weekly (paid to fly)
Transavia: 4 weekly AMS and ORY
Eurowings: 3 weekly DUS (paid to fly)
Norwegian: 2 weekly CPH (paid to fly)
= 23 weekly flights in total, 8 of those are paid.
Bravo Fraport and @11:18 fanboy!
Yeah, you have more LCCs now flying to Ljubljana than you had before. This is how "unfriendly" Fraport is for LCCs.
DeleteLook at Trst, where Friuli-Venezia Giulia is paying the taxes and social security of Ryanair employees and you want the same thing in Ljubljana, yet you complain about the minor subsidies that the government is paying out to some carriers.
Also, tell me how Fraport is at fault for closing down public transport (including all airports) in Slovenia during 2020 summer season and pushing all the London connections to TRS and ZAG. Tell me how Fraport is at fault for Easyjet to close down their Stansted and Berlin bases.
Didn't know LJU was the only closed airport in Europe in 2020 😃
DeleteAlso I believe 29 is a larger number than 23. We learned that in school, I suppose you didn't go?
DeleteAlmost no airport was closed during the summer 2020 and that goes for ZAG and TRS as well. The amount of LCC airlines is now larger and there are more routes being operated by them. Is this not the goal? Keep being bitter about it.
DeleteSure it was closed LOL. So now we have less LCC flights than before and even now a third of them are getting paid to fly. Bravo Fraport and fanboys! Great job!
DeleteAre you being obtuse on purpose or are you trolling? On 16.03.2022 the government closed down all public transport, including the airport. The airport was closed until 12.05.2022. No one else in the region did this.
Deletehttps://www.gov.si/novice/2020-03-15-vlada-sprejela-odlok-o-zacasni-prepovedi-in-omejitvah-javnega-prevoza-potnikov-v-republiki-sloveniji/
https://www.rtvslo.si/zdravje/novi-koronavirus/ustavitev-javnega-potniskega-prometa-v-torek-tudi-letalskega-zaprtje-lokalov-in-nenujnih-trgovin/517234
Wow closed for two months, while you make sound like it was closed for two years. Still no excuse for Fraport for such poor performance.
DeleteWith two months of closure the government actually helped Fraport to keep their staff safe at home and to reduce costs. No passenger traffic existed at other airports, open or not. As a compensation the same government dropped 5 mio EUR extra cash (beside regular COVID compensations) to Fraport as non-returnable and non-conditioned state aid.
DeleteOkay, let's say the impossible happens, and they decide to base 2 planes in LJU to combat FR at Zagreb and Trieste. Where would they fly?
ReplyDeleteBucharest is a must although they also fly to Trieste from there, same as Tirana. Barcelona, Prague and Vienna are pretty logic destinations as well as Stockholm Skavsta and maybe even Rome. Also they could bring back both Luton and Charleroi
DeleteThey would focus on leisure destinations (both inbound and outbound). For sure not Vienna.
DeleteJust a small little detail.
ReplyDeleteIf you go to "https://www.wizzair.com/en-gb/cheap-flights-from-slovenia" and select flights from "Ljubljana" a placeholder for 10 destinations shows up, currently all being filled with flights to Skopje...might be something, might be nothing :)
Probably nothing to be honest
DeleteCan one of the fanboys please explain why the headlines always mention govt and not Fraport?
ReplyDeleteBecause the government (or rather the Ministry of transport) likes to pretend that they are doing something.
DeleteMinistry at least pretends. Fraport does not even do that.
DeleteSo you prefer pretentiousness over actions?
DeleteI wouldn’t get my hopes up for this “talks with Slovenian government”. Many airlines like Austrian, AirFrance, Ryanair, Cyprus Airways and even Wizz held talks with the government before and there was not even one positive outcome.
ReplyDeleteAnndd who will *work* these flights? LJU has a real hard time getting new staff, and those they've got have no prospect to stay (1 - cause working conditions in both ramp and pax demand too much of personal life and health & salary is hilarious for all the know-how and required skills; 2 - cause LJU won't keep most for winter season anyway)
ReplyDeleteSlovenia 🇸🇮 celje
ReplyDelete