Turkish Airlines was Slovenia’s busiest carrier during the first quarter of the year, despite shedding close to 2.000 passengers on the same period in 2024. The Turkish carrier, with its single route, had more passengers than its German counterpart Lufthansa with two. On the other hand, Swiss added the most travellers at Ljubljana Airport, with an extra 4.687 customers. Just five airlines managed to improve their figures over the first quarter during which Ljubljana saw its passenger numbers decline, compounded by British Airways’ winter exit and a reduced number of frequencies on existing services by several airlines.
Ljubljana passenger performance on scheduled flights by market, Q1 2025
Air France, which considerably reduced its number of flights, saw the biggest decline in the number of carried passengers, if airlines that suspended services over winter are excluded. The French carrier lost 3.208 travellers on last year. However, it saw a solid average cabin load factor on the route of 81.7%. Wizz Air with its Skopje service saw 579 fewer passengers and a load factor of 92.5%. Unlike in Q1 2024, when Wizz Air operated a number of its flights with the 230-seat Airbus A321 aircraft and the 180-seat A320, this year saw all services maintained by the latter.
Although the UK market registered the biggest overall decline, it came as a result of British Airways suspending its flights to the Slovenian capital over winter, as well as the discontinuation of Wizz Air’s London service, which was still operational in January and part of February in 2024. Among the flag carriers from the former Yugoslavia, Air Serbia added just over 1.000 travellers, while Air Montenegro grew by 1.797 passengers, while maintaining the same number of flights and capacity as last year.
Sad that so many airlines have less passengers than a year ago.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a shame that Ljubljana continues to lose passengers.
DeleteWith Adria Airways gone, Ljubljana really needs a stronger base carrier or more year round routes. Seasonal flying won’t cut it.
DeleteThings will completely turn around this summer.
DeleteHope so
DeleteThey already are
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2025/05/ljubljana-airport-returns-to-growth.html
Serbia / Air Serbia fourth on the list after huge companies like TK, LH and LX and ahead of FZ, U2, W6, AF, KL, LO...
ReplyDeleteWell done!
UK numbers completely collapsed.
ReplyDeleteWell two airline withdrew compared to last year so it makes sense.
DeleteWhy did they withdraw thought and why no one else stepped in?
Delete* though
DeleteBritish tourists love Slovenia. Winter skiing alone should justify more flights.
DeleteI find it interesting that British Airways operates 8 weekly flights in the summer but none in the winter
DeleteLet's hope they change and add Ljubljana back to the winter schedule this year
DeleteI wonder how it is possible that demand was there 40 years ago for JAT to operate 3 weekly B727 LJU-LHR year-round and today, when air traffic generally grew x10, LJU doesn't have winter flights to UK. If someone could please try to explain it to me, because I am obviously too stupid to understand it
DeleteSwiss is killing it in LJU.
ReplyDeleteWe really need a second airlines from Turkey.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteA second Turkish destination could easily work.
DeleteAir France will further decline because of KLM.
ReplyDeleteActually, Air France reducing capacity and still having an 81% load factor shows there’s demand.
DeleteInteresting to see Turkish Airlines top the charts with just one route.
ReplyDeleteGood to see Air Serbia and Air Montenegro recording growth despite the overall passenger decline. Shows they’re building consistent traffic.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteSurprised that Lufthansa couldn’t outperform Turkish Airlines despite having two routes.
ReplyDeleteWell LH uses crj900 on both routes while TK uses mostly a320/321. Lh has 3 flights per day with a 90 seater while TK has 12 weekly on 180+\- seater so it makes sense feom that point of view. But I guess if Lh operated flights with a320/319 they would surpasss them
DeleteWizz Air still posts a 92.5% load factor even with fewer passengers
ReplyDeleteSmaller plane same LF. From November LJU will be 4 weekly with A321neo. Than the capacity will increase a lot.
DeleteSlowly but sure this route is becoming Wizz strongest in manner of LF in the Ex-yu. It is succesfull since launch and the results are amazing!!
DeleteFrom November this route will be a big BOOOM !!!👏👏
DeleteSlovenia should revisit its airline incentive program. Clearly the current model isn’t doing enough to attract or retain airlines.
ReplyDeleteFocus on underserved markets and better seasonal planning, and LJU could bounce back quickly.
DeleteLoad factors like 92.5% for Wizz and 81.7% for Air France suggest the issue isn’t demand it’s supply.
ReplyDeleteWith fewer flights in winter prices are going up and connections are worse. No wonder passengers are choosing nearby airports like Zagreb or Venice instead.
ReplyDeleteFraport invested in a beautiful new terminal and now what? Empty gates and fewer passengers than 10 years ago.
DeleteSpeaking of the terminal, I really wonder what Fraport's return on investment is considering the traffic.
DeleteLJU's fees are very high. Fraport is concentrated on the development around the airport because that brigs them money. More cargo flights for the factories and depots around the airport. When people compare LJU to other Fraport airports saying how anyone complaining against Fraport is crazy because they do a great job at other airports around the world, they forget that LJU is not under concession. Fraport is literally leasing the airport and surrounding land from the government. It was not a classic concession that you have at many other airports.
DeleteHow is possible that they have big decline for Netherlands?
ReplyDeleteWhy?
DeleteObviously Transavia underperformed. KLM only started flying in the last day of Q1.
DeleteIf they have the same or similar number of flights, 20% decline is a lot.
DeleteThere were fewer flights operated in Q1 2025 than last year. Capacity was down 29%.
DeleteIn March Transavia and KLM had together 4180 available sits and 4102 passengers. Amaizing 98,13 % LF.
DeleteThis will be an unpopular opinion but why not use the Lufthansa Group’s influence more? Swiss is performing well, why not try bringing Austrian Airlines or adding more Lufthansa routes?
ReplyDeleteLufthansa only flies international flights from FRA and MUC so they won't be adding any new destinations.
DeleteActually, Lufthansa runs seasonal Salzburg-Heathrow flights, although that's more of an exception than a rule
Deletetime to encourage more Balkan connectivity.
ReplyDeleteI don't understand why more isn't being done about establishing a Sarajevo-Ljubljana route. The easiest way is probably Wizz Air W-flights.
Delete12:14 obviosly there is no demand thats why , simple answer to ur question ;)
Delete18:38 Of course there is demand. Multiple buses on the route every day, and the journey takes 9 hours.
DeleteThe airport should push harder for more LCCs year round.
ReplyDeleteThey should build niche strength, not just rely on big hubs.
DeleteThey plan to be a charter hub
DeleteThere needs to be a national aviation development plan.
Delete@9.55 which niche?
DeleteNiche charter hub 😃
DeleteZagreb, Trieste, and even Klagenfurt are eating Ljubljana’s lunch. People are willing to drive an hour or two for more reliable flights.
ReplyDeleteMost of them would have to drive the same to get to LJU
DeleteThe Wizz Air load factor is insanely good.
ReplyDeleteIt is standard for LCC
DeleteIt's a single route, lol
DeleteSo what if its a single route ? The route is with huge success since is launched and thats amazing!!
DeleteMost LCCs have load factors over 90% on most routes.
DeleteFor SKP-LJU it is amazing LF as well as passenger numbers, and all this will grow even more from November!!!
DeleteAny idea about the GP number being so low?
ReplyDeleteThey had one flight weekly for the whole winter
Only one was sheduled flight all others are categorised like a charters.
DeleteThis has been amended in the table.
DeleteDo we know about who applied for subsidies now?
ReplyDeleteit will be announced in June.
Deleteweird...the ministry always told the media who applied even before the offer got accepted
DeleteFlyDubai is only 1,8% down compared to last year. Am I mistaken or did they have double daily flights in FEB 2024? That means that LF improved.
ReplyDeleteThey had daily flights in February
DeleteLast winter it was 11 weekly during a single week in February, this year it was daily the entire season, so yes, the LF has increased
DeletePerfect, thanks!
DeleteLooking forward to seeing summer figures. It will be much better. Especially interested in KLM performance.
ReplyDeleteThat's for sure
DeleteKLM desperately needs to go double daily or start sending bigger aircraft...any news about it?
ReplyDeleteThey are sending bigger aircraft to ZAG. Initially E190/195 was planned for peak summer, recently changed for B737-700/800.
DeleteMaybe next year they do similar in LJU
They planned B737-700/800 upgrade a while ago
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2025/02/klm-plans-27-growth-on-ex-yu-markets.html
Are flights from Ljubljana with AirSerbia mostly to Belgrade, Nis only? If they are transits via Belgrade: which percentage are transits and which are the main final destinations?
ReplyDeleteWell, Niš doesn't offer connections so I believe those are p2p only. On Belgrade, I believe transfers make more than half of passengers, or 50 % minimum. Not official data, just my estimation
DeleteI return from Istanbul to Ljubljana once a month with JU via INI because it suits my schedule on Tuesday and is super cheap. However, there has never been anyone besides me for a transfer in Niš :)
DeleteWhat is the transfer experience like in INI?
DeleteI flew IST–INI–LJU two years ago, and I hope things have improved now that the new terminal is up and running. Back then, the airport staff didn’t really seem to know how to handle passenger transfers. When I asked where to go for my connecting flight, a staff member just moved me to the front of the immigration line. So we had to enter Serbia, and then re-check in for the flight to Ljubljana because the ticket issued in Istanbul apparently "wasn’t valid in Niš." The whole experience was pretty strange—but for around €60, which was about five times cheaper than the direct TK flight, I can't complain too much.
DeleteIt seems it depends on the staff. Some still force you to enter Serbia but not all. Quite unprofessional. Overall it’s very intimate experience :) But totally exciting. A small bar would be very welcome in a new terminal.
DeleteI had a transfer IST-INI-LJU last September. Everything went smoothly — the staff was waiting for us when we landed and guided us to the terminal separately from the other passengers. There were around 10 connecting passengers that day.
DeleteInteresting. Never knew there were transfers via INI.
Delete92.5 % LF Skopje is hitting hard , from November with bigger plane and 4x weekly this would became Wizz air strongest route for sure :)))
ReplyDeleteTurk Hava Yollari Slovenistan'ya hos geldiniz! Tesekkurler Turkiye! 🙂
ReplyDelete