Ljubljana Airport continues to engage in regular discussions with Ryanair over the potential launch of new flights, but the two sides have yet to reach an agreement on fees. Speaking to the “Finance” business daily, Ljubljana Airport’s Head of Airline Management, Janez Krašnja, said, “We negotiate with Ryanair every year and exchange views regularly. So far, we haven't reached an agreement on pricing. Our service fees are still not aligned with what they're willing to pay. We also regret that Ryanair chose not to apply for the public tender aimed at improving Slovenia’s air connectivity. That said, we currently work with 24 airlines, which is more than Zagreb, indicating that our pricing is competitive with other airports in the region”.
Expressing openness to future collaboration despite ongoing disagreements, Mr Krašnja noted, “We believe there are other underlying factors at play. Certain incentives or conditions elsewhere that help reduce operating costs for airlines. We remain open to all carriers, and I hope that, in time, Ryanair will join us as well”. He added, “Air routes are established by airlines, which shoulder the majority, if not all, of the financial risk. If they believe a route won’t attract enough passengers, they simply won’t launch it, as they aim to avoid losses. It’s a process that comes with significant financial exposure, as just one hour of flying can cost between 7.000 and 10.000 euros”.
Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson ruled out the introduction of flights to Ljubljana last year upon the opening of the carrier’s Trieste base, claiming the airport is too expensive for the airline. Furthermore, Mr Wilson criticised the Slovenian government’s decision to sell Ljubljana’s airport operator to Germany’s Fraport in 2015. “Slovenia and Greece are the only two countries that sold their airport infrastructure to foreigners, which in my opinion is a short-sighted move. Since foreign investors are not interested in the development of the region, they are only interested in profit. Therefore, unfortunately, Ryanair does not invest in Ljubljana, because it is simply too expensive”, Mr Wilson noted at the time. Ryanair has shown interest in Ljubljana on numerous occasions. It last held talks with the Slovenian government in January 2023.
Holy sh*t Fraport is not only doing something, but talking to Ryanair of all airlines?
ReplyDeleteApril Fools
DeleteIn the interview in Finance a few days ago, Krašnja mentioned that they hold talks with Ryanair yearly.
DeleteLooks like ZAG might get local competition, definitely good days for FR!
Delete^ and just as their subsidy agreement ends next year in ZAG. Excellent way to blackmail.
DeleteGuys, relax. They are talking to them. That's all they're doing. Ryanair will not come until fees are lowered.
DeleteRyanair is flying to Fraport airport... Burgas
DeleteRyanair flies to loads of Fraport airports.
DeleteRyanair is flying to loads of privately operated airports. By Fraport, by Vinci, by TAV, by ADP.
DeleteAnd in almost all of them it pays the same landing fees as all the other airlines.
Not exactly, Fraport gives discounts, at least in Burgas and Varna. However, two weeks ago, Ryanair had a press conference in Bulgaria, proposing to base 2 planes in Burgas, if the government push Fraport to lower fees because according to Ryanair, fraport are the one to blame why Burgas is working only during summer. Ryanair has fraport problem in general.
DeleteAt least it is good to see that they are open to Ryanair launching flights.
ReplyDeleteLJU should hold the line. If Ryanair gets special treatment, what’s stopping other airlines from demanding the same?
DeleteDo you think some other airlines are not getting special treatment?
DeleteSelling to fraport was a mistake
ReplyDeleteOnly other operators that applied at the end were Vinci and SAVE and both were outbid
DeleteFraport simply had the best offer
Yes I understand but selling airport was a mistake
DeleteGreece, Bulgaria and Turkey do not thing that it was bad. What is so special about Slovenia?
DeleteVAR and BOJ are doing worse than LJU. So much for good job.
DeleteVAR and BOJ are down because of the loss of Russian market. Otherwise they are increasing pax from the rest of Europe and it looks like either this year or the next thy will have fully replaces Russian and Ukrainian holidaymakers.
DeleteAnd nothing will come out of it because they will never decrease their fees.
ReplyDeleteIf Ryanair really wanted to fly here, they’d make it work.
DeleteThat's the whole point. Ryanair doesn't want to fly there. That's why fees need to be lower.
DeleteThis is every years story and it never ends. End there won’t ever be a positive outcome. Maybe its even april fools
ReplyDelete“We negotiate with Ryanair every year and exchange views regularly."
ReplyDeleteFantastic job.
It is called Popušiskop - izdržite još samo ovu godinu
DeleteWhy is Ryanair so against airport concessions. They said a similar thing about BEG and VINCI.
ReplyDeleteBecause it is much more difficult to blackmail them. That's why they are so loud about not giving SJJ up for concession.
DeleteLJU isn't a classic concession. The government leased the land, infrastructure and the airport operator for 99 years!
DeleteWhy on earth did Slovenia choose this model?
Delete@9.05 he says why in his statement. Operators want to make a profit. State run airports which are propped up by the state are willing to operate at a loss just to get Ryanair.
DeleteThats why ljubljana is profitable
DeleteIs it?
DeleteIts so profitable that the stupid government gave them 5mio for nothing.
DeleteYes, very.
DeleteFraport is in the business of making money. Not providing connectivity for Slovenia. And that's why there's no Ryanair at Ljubljana.
DeleteYes, because we all know that a twice weekly flight to Bari and Zakyntos mean connectivity.
Delete2 routes with 2 weekly rotations with A320 probably increases LJU weekly capacity for 10%, so yes, it definitely changes airport’s direct connectivity, but for you to understand this, you first need to know different types of connectivity.
DeleteAnonymous09:37 - what a stupid comment. that was in 2020 year due to covid. and yes Ljubljana is profitable as business and Zagreb and Belgrade are not - as business. but since they bring that many pax in total they have big impact on economy.
DeleteApril Fools?
ReplyDeleteEvery day of the year is April Fools day for LJU.
DeleteRyanair always wants everything dirt cheap. If Ljubljana gives in, next thing you know, they'll be demanding subsidies too. Stand your ground!
ReplyDeleteHow on earth is that a bad thing? Cheap airport fees lead to cheap ticket prices.
DeleteIf you flew regularly, you would see that airport fees are normally stated separately and in most cases represent less than 10% of the total ticket price.
DeleteIf you knew anything about the cost structure, you would know your story is valid only for legacy carriers fares
DeleteWe need more low-cost options, period. Who cares about 24 airlines if majority don't offer affordable tickets? People are driving to Trieste or Venice for a reason.
ReplyDeleteRyanair calling LJU “too expensive” while charging €60 for a carryon is rich. Maybe they should look in the mirror before throwing shade.
DeletePlease tell me on what route you are being charged 60 euros for a carry on.
DeleteLJU: Wizz, Transavia, easyJet, Finnair, eurowings
DeleteIt’s not just about Ryanair. The real issue is Slovenia’s connectivity. Our airport should be more aggressive in attracting new routes and carriers, not just defending existing prices.
ReplyDeleteDude, Fraport is not just non-agressive in attracting new airlines/destinations, but actively works AGAINST it. Fraport works against slovenian public interest and will be expropriated. It crossed the red line.
DeleteFraport is a hater of Slovenia who only got LJU to sabotage it!
DeleteTHAT is the "logic" of some commenters here...
It's not about being a hater it's about what they got though the acquisition. Unlike elsewhere, here they have complete ownership of infrastructure. So developing the area around the airport is a priority that brings in a lot of money. They are not particularly interested in developing air traffic.
DeleteIt's not Fraport's fault. It was never supposed to be done by the Slovenian government. The government failed. Fraport exists to make money.
DeleteMr. Wilson makes a good point. Why did we sell our airport to foreign investors? Now it’s all about profit margins instead of serving the public.
ReplyDeleteBecause LJU was unfortunately a nest for nepotism
DeleteYes, thats why Fraport kept all the super stars who used to run the airport before they came - Skubir, Krasnja and others. But your comment makes sense. Fraport still is a nest, but a german one now - servile to mutti.
DeleteFunny how Ljubljana brags about having more airlines than Zagreb, but Zagreb gets more passengers. Maybe it's not just about numbers, but quality of service and destinations.
ReplyDeleteLJU is very prestigious airport
DeleteLJU and ZAG both have nice sides.
DeleteCome on, just give them a better deal and get the routes going already. People want cheap flights.
ReplyDeleteSure, Ryanair is cheap... until your bag costs more than your ticket and you’re sitting on a plastic bench with no legroom.
DeletePlastic bench :D
DeleteMost of us don't mind flying with the small bag that fits enough for a few nights getaway. What is the problem?
DeleteWhat is the problem with your bag costing more than your ticket? If the bag is 30 euros and ticket 20 euros, what is the problem?
DeletePeople also want cheap homes.. yet hardly anyone is asking that the government does something about it.
DeleteJust buy the damn bag in advance or bring what you bought when booking the flight. These airport baggage fees are mostly I-dont-care-to-read-fees
DeleteLJU pretending it's Frankfurt while locals take FlixBus to Venice to catch a flight. Get real.
ReplyDeleteRyanair should pay the same fees as every other airline does.
DeleteThey need a different scope of service and a rational operator would adapt its charging in regard to the needs of its costumers. But of course Fraport doesnt do that because they are here to defend LHG.
DeleteLOL, FR wants to compete with the other airlines by making airports and cities pay for their landing fees PLUS getting "marketing" subsidies.
DeleteNo one is forcing any airport to work with Ryanair.
DeleteEddie Wilson criticising foreign ownership while running an Irish airline making billions across Europe is the peak of irony. Just say you don’t want to pay and move on.
ReplyDeleteYou clearly don't understand irony if you think that's irony.
DeleteI don’t understand the obsession with Ryanair. Wizz Air and others offer decent alternatives without constantly threatening to walk away.
ReplyDeleteThe only alternative Wizz Air has from Ljubljana is Skopje...
DeleteWhich other airline can bring actual traffic to Slovenia? Wizz Air couldn't even make London work.
DeleteNone airline needs to bring traffic to Slovenia, the first step would be to stop the spill-over effect of local demand.
DeleteIt would be quite interesting having Ryanair bases in Trieste, Ljubljana and Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteI doubt Ryanair would open a base in Ljubljana. At least not in the first few years. They would likely offer flights from Spain and several leisure destinations where they have bases. I can guarantee you we would see some routes like Lanzarote.
DeleteEveryone should read yesterday’s interview of Krasnja - deadbeat representative of Fraport. LJU is run by a group of slackers. There are no real discussions with Ryanair — it’s just the usual PR fluff, more about formal pleasantries than any concrete negotiations. Fraport is ‘talking’ to Ryanair the same way they’re ‘talking’ to Air China — meaning, not at all.
ReplyDeleteAt least I'm more hopeful it might actually happen one day.
ReplyDeleteJust imagine what would happen to ZAG if they make a move not liked by Ryanair.... And to remind you, Ryanair has a long list of airports to whom they demonstrated their destructiveness, to put it in the gloves. So, if I am manager of ZAG or SJJ I would not rest calmed...
ReplyDeleteMy 2 cents...
+100. Just look at what happened in Billund the other day. Ryanair completely pulled out because they were unhappy with some green tax introduced in Denmark. That's 32 routes discontinued and 1.2 million passengers gone.
DeleteThe average Ryanair fan boy doesn’t care. They would sell their own grandma for a cheap flight to Italy or Spain.
DeletePlease not!
ReplyDeleteI love how the admin cited a hard paywall article :D Good one!
ReplyDeleteApril 1st today!
ReplyDeleteTheir interview with Finance yesterday was a farce... This one quote about possible China flights was one of the most pathetic things I've heard in aviation se otrok a while:
ReplyDelete"Treba se je zavedati, da gre zasluga za to tudi partnerju Air Serbia, družbi Etihad Airways, ki
je sposoben narediti dovolj veliko promocijo na kitajskem trgu. Enako velja tudi pri povezavi
z ZDA. V tem pogledu je Air Serbia močno odvisen od Etihad Airways. Kako donosni
oziroma stroškovno učinkoviti so ti leti, mi ni znano. Želimo pa si tudi sami takšnega
preboja na mednarodne trge, ki nam ga je sicer deloma že uspelo doseči z družbo Flydubai,
ki leti v Dubaj."
Statements in the interview are outrageous
DeleteIt's quite clear they should be focused on getting Wizz to open a base at Ljubljana. Make them battle Zagreb and Trieste bases of Ryanair...but hey, logic won't apply when it comes to them
ReplyDeleteWizz Air would be useless at Ljubljana. When Wizz was flying Luton-Ljubljana, Slovenians were still using Ryanair from Zagreb to Stansted.
DeleteWizzair to Berlin, Luton, Barcelona and to some summer destination would be all full..
DeleteWell it wasn't when it did Luton-Ljubljana. I flew the route for £11 and the plane was about 60% full.
DeleteBarcelona and Berlin are now also served from Zagreb.
Well Anonymous12:42, many airports served both Lju and Zg and lot of them is success in Lju, some of them more then Zg.
DeleteAFAIK, Greece didn’t sell the regional airports to Fraport, it’s a concession (and not all airports have been included in the package).
ReplyDeleteGreece has 14 airports operated by Fraport for 40+10 years.
DeleteAnd these airports since Fraport got them have increased traffic by 50%
If they really held talks with Ryanair as they apparently do every year than Ryanair must be bothered that Slovenia is the only European cuntry not served by them if I am not mistaken. Seems like they are interested but I don’t think anything will materialise as they do not have good relations with Fraport.
ReplyDeleteWhy on earth would Ryanair care if they serve 27 EU countries or 26? Also, Europe is more than just the EU.
DeleteMr. Krašnja has a long history of pulverising everything he touches. I had “priviledge” of dealing with him in the past, it turned out, he had little to mo knowledge of aviation, but he was at the time positioned very high in that same sector.
ReplyDeleteYes, bunch of amateurs run our main airport. The same team destroyed Adria and now they sell their “know how” to Fraport. Thats why Ljubljana had direct flights to the US in 80’s, however now we need to transfer via LHG hubs to go to London, if you are not lucky to fly in summer.
DeleteHope that they will make some agreement
ReplyDeleteSlovenia literally has a secondary airport — MBX which is currently empty and would be perfect for low-cost carriers. An airport where Ryanair briefly used to fly to 20 years ago…
ReplyDeleteMake them go to Maribor and price them competitively, it’ll be more profitable than the airport just being there empty for sure.
When discussing with LCCs Maribor is always offered as an "low cost" option, but the response is always the same - we prefer "capital" airport to come to Slovenia.
DeleteZag and Ljub should unite and make one airport somewhere in Brezice/Bregana. 30 min from Zag, 45 min from Ljub. Bernik is 30 min from Ljub anyway now… and together they could attract passengers from Graz and Trieste even further, together they could get much more direct flights to new destinations… my assumption is that Zag with 4 mil and Ljub with 1,5 mil could together on one location have 10 mil passengers.
ReplyDelete