easyJet is expected to further expand its operations from Ljubljana following the recent launch of its Manchester service and the upcoming introduction of flights from Edinburgh. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, the low cost carrier plans to add another destination from the Slovenian capital next summer. These developments are part of the airline’s broader strategy to rebuild its presence in Ljubljana and restore the market share it held prior to the pandemic in 2019.
In 2019, easyJet was Ljubljana’s second-largest airline by capacity share and passengers carried, behind only Adria Airways. At the time, it maintained flights from London Gatwick, London Stansted and Berlin to the Slovenian capital. During the 2019/2020 winter season, until its disruption by the pandemic, easyJet typically operated fourteen weekly flights out of Ljubljana with over 2.180 seats on the market each week in each direction. This winter, the airline will operate between five to nine weekly rotations to the Slovenian capital, depending on the month, with between 1.000 and 1.650 weekly seats in each direction. It will be the country’s fourth largest carrier over the winter, behind only Turkish Airlines, Lufthansa and Swiss.
In 2019, easyJet handled a combined total of 220.174 passengers on its Ljubljana flights, with an average annual cabin load factor of 90%. Last year, the figure stood at 80.534 travellers, with a load factor of 88.3%. During the first half of this year, the airline welcomed 42.236 passengers, with an average load factor of 88.4%. If easyJet delivers on its plans, the new service is expected to be outside of the United Kingdom, unlike the previous two routes announced by the carrier. Based on current trends, easyJet could move closer to recovering its pre-pandemic volumes at Ljubljana as early as 2026.
Amazing news. It's probably going to be a leisure destination or Berlin
ReplyDeletePlease let it be Berlin
DeleteBerlin for sure
DeleteBerlin has never worked from LJU
DeleteI'm guessing that's why they were boosting frequencies before covid hit? Cause it didn't work at 2 weekly, they just had to try at 4 weekly
DeleteBerlin is covered by FR through TRS. I doubt there is that much traffic between the two. Hasn’t it been cancelled before by Easy? Not just in 2019.
Delete@16:08 it just shows you have no idea what you are talking about.
DeleteBerlin has failed everytime its been tried.
DeleteSo just like ATH and MAD?
DeleteAlso interesting how you say "everytime" like it has been tried 50 times already. It was once with Adria but that's irrelevant as they failed on many markets where others have success, and once with easyjet where they operated for 3 years, had 40.000 passengers a year and cancelled it mid covid crisis (together with many other routes) and never resumed it.
Deletethey were flying 3 times per week and planned to increase to 4 per week ... that shows they were performing ok. but its true that since than zagreb got berlin and trieste so lets see ... but twice per week (thursday evening - sunday evening) should work.
DeleteAny idea where?
ReplyDeleteThey could easily fill Zurich, Geneva, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, etc. It’s ridiculous how underserved the airport still is.
DeleteZurich and Brussels are more or less out of question as they don't have base there, both are only option on W patern from existing base what would be introduction of two destination, like - Easyjet flight from Pristina to Zurich with plane coming first from Basel to PRN, flying PRN-ZRH-PRN and back to Basel.
DeleteSurely Berlin or Luton
ReplyDeleteIt says outside of the UK
DeleteWould love to see Ljubljana become an easyjet base
ReplyDeleteU2 is by far the highest quality LCC in Europe.
DeleteIf LJU get them to open a base in our region it would be amazing.
If any LLC is opening a base in LJU is either EasyJet or Wizz, Ryanair would rather complain than take the opportunity
DeleteFantastic
ReplyDeleteWhen could they schedule it?
ReplyDeleteWhen they finalise their summer plans, which is generally by the end of January, but could even be later
DeleteThey will be on sale by the end of this month most probably.
DeleteAnd it's not the only summer route to be announced within a month :)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait!
DeleteDo you know something we don't ;)
DeleteDamn, Ljubljana on a roll this time. Is it SAW or something completely different? 👀
DeleteThe success of LPA route will open MANY doors...
DeleteSunExpress might be next...
DeleteOr AirBaltic base maybe
DeleteIs LPA really so successful?
DeleteI think no one expected it to be so successful
DeleteNice, that clearly shows how much potential there is for LJU.
DeleteLPA route is a big deal because no stats showed it could be successful. And it shows that Slovenians do love to travel and that most of the summer destinations are still untapped
DeleteThank you airBaltic for believing in us Slovenes.
DeleteWho seriously didn't expect LPA flights to be successful? It's one weekly flight to one of the most popular winter sun destinations.
DeleteGeneva should be heavily considered too... Especially with Novartis investments
ReplyDeleteI think it would work great, or Basel.
DeleteNovartis is based in Basel, which has its own airport and U2 base
DeleteBasel would make more sense, yes, due to Novartis. It invested what, half a billion in SLO?
Delete400 mio in Brnik, 600mio in lendava, 200 in domazle
DeleteBravo Fraport!
ReplyDeleteLjubljana is on an absolute roll! So many new routes
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteIt has a lot to catch up through
DeleteHopefully the FDS* sufferer will be OK.
Delete*Fraport Derangement Syndrome
@9.18
DeleteLjubljana is slowly becoming relevant again. Passenger numbers are still behind but slowly the right airlines are returning and expanding.
Keep expectations realistic. They only have 5-9 weekly flights this winter compared to 14 in 2019
DeleteI think 2019 passenger numbers are achievable next year if there won't be any major cancellations of growth.
Deletehigh GDP country + no home carrier = opportunity. Slovenia
DeleteBefore pandemic traffic numbers were inflated by JP's cheap connections.
DeleteWhat we are seeing now and next year of course are pure O&D traffic. Probably O&D traffic has exceeded pre COVID levels already.
Most airports in the world go out of their way to have transfer passengers. There is a reason for it. If you think P2P is more valuable than transfer you are mistaken. In fact transfers are much higher spenders at airports.
Delete@ An. 09.51
DeleteHigh GDP? Are you for real? Slovenia is tiny country with low GDP. Even Croatia has bigger GDP than Slovenia. And you are talking nonsense. Look at GDP of Ethiopia and Addis Abeba traffic. High or low GDP doesn't mean much, similar as size of the country. Look at Singapore and its traffic concerning size.
GDP per capita not nominal GDP
Delete@Anonymous 10:03
DeleteAirports do not get transfer pax. Airlines do.
And transfer pax are far less profitable for an airline than O&D passengers.
Probably the reason why Adria went bust after years and years of losses.
Adria went bankrupt because of incompetent management. It has nothing to do with transfers.
DeleteHey @15.10 before writing absolute BS so confidently, try and educate yourself
Deletehttps://aviationstrategy.aero/newsletter/Oct-2018/4/The-value-of-airports#:~:text=Connecting%20passengers%20are%20important%20at,extensive%20hub%20and%20spoke%20operations.
@ 11:02
DeleteSlovenia’s GDP is larger than that of Azerbaijan. With 5 times less population. But you know what he meant. Nit-picking at its finest!
There is a lot of untapped potential with us, students. I have so many friends which travel to leisure destinations at least 2 times per year, some even 4 or 5, and they always use surrounding airports because of cheaper flights. Having an LCC open some summer leisure routes would skyrocket the airport numbers and also show other airlines that flying to Ljubljana can be really successful.
ReplyDelete+1
Delete+100, absolutley agree. I fly out of Ljubljana every year at least twice, but have only flown out of LJU on LCC once in my life.
DeleteValencia/Malaga/Sevilla, Malta, Cyprus, Porto, some Italian summer destination etc. are a must for summer with a LCC. Not a lot of (especially younger people) want to pay 200+ euros for a weekend break.
DeleteSomething like Lisbon, Madrid or Milan would be great
ReplyDelete+1 for Milan or Madrid. Lisbon is unlikely bc of their slot restrictions.
DeleteNot sure about Milan, but any spanish destination would work perfectly.
DeleteMilan could work with U2 or Wizz, they both have a base there
DeleteIt is CRAZY to me that this entire country was dependent on one airline (Adria) and after it failed, there was almost nothing left. Glad that so many airlines have launched flights to Slovenia in the last 1-2 years.
ReplyDelete*so many* 😂
DeleteIf they are the 4th biggest airline this winter with barely 9 flights, that says more about how bad the overall market is, not how big easyJet is.
ReplyDeleteWinter is still quite sad for Ljubljana, but the next summer is shaping up to be great, and hopefully some of the new routes get extended into the winte.
DeleteYes, that's true I agree
DeleteCould it be Paris?
ReplyDeleteWith Air France year round and Transavia France seasonally, I doubt it. But who knows.
DeleteIts Berlin ;)
ReplyDeleteAgain? So third attempt- maybe this time it lasts a bit longer than one timetable period :D
DeleteIzi Dzet, as they would say in Serbia :)))
ReplyDeleteWe would say it as well. They would write it that way 🙂
DeleteUK routes are full of stag parties and weekend travelers. Good for volumes
ReplyDeleteI just hope they start competing more aggressively on fares. Ljubljana is super expensive compared to Zagreb, Trieste, Venice. This expansion could help push prices down a bit.
ReplyDeleteNext summer is going to be very busy at Ljubljana Airport :)
ReplyDeleteSo for next summer we are still awaiting confirmation of new easyjet and new Pegasus route. Already confirmed are Wizz Air (Podgorica) and easyJet (Edinburgh).
ReplyDeleteAlso BCN and MAN are confirmed for the summer and as one commenter pointed out before, something else is also possibly coming. Busy times ahead!
DeleteWould Wizz Tirana work?
DeleteFor sure, but they are already flying Tirana to Trieste so its unlikely cause a lot of Slovenes are probably flying from there.
DeleteWho confirmed BCN?
DeleteLjubljana airport said in their press report its getting extended into the summer, same for MAN
DeleteThanks
DeleteFantastic news. Very curious to see what route it will be.
ReplyDeleteNapoli, Lisboa or España please 🙏
ReplyDeleteWhy don't they add more London flights? There were so many before covif
ReplyDeleteIm sure they will next summer, this year both easyJet and British Airways were very full during the peak months.
DeleteThere's a rumour that easy jet will open a new base in ATH could it be a new ATH-LJU route competing with aegean ?
ReplyDeleteIts Berlin
DeleteI dont think there is so much demand for ATH from LJU. But there def. is demand for flights to Greek islands.
DeleteAegean is enough for Athens route for now
DeleteAegean since they’re increasing to 3 weekly is enough and pretty good for LJU
DeleteDoes anyone know, are RIX flights suspended from 2. - 16. april 2026, or are they sold out?
ReplyDeleteProbably lover loads at the beginning of April this year. LJ for April was only 72 % this year, while in March and May it was around 80 %
DeleteSo they just decided to make a 2 week gap?
DeleteYeah, I guess.
DeleteGreek islands, Spain (PMI, TFS, AGP...), Luqa would be nice addition.
ReplyDeleteI believe the new destination will be either PMI, AGP or ALC once U2 open them as yearround basis.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Marrakesh. Easy Jet open base there in this summer.
ReplyDeleteI guess is Geneva.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous09:21
ReplyDeleteEasyjet operated Ljubljana to Berlin Schonefeld.
In my oppinion it could be: Berlin, Malaga, Canary Islands (Tenerife)
ReplyDeleteThey should bring back London Stansted
ReplyDeleteAny chance it is Brussels?
ReplyDeleteThe new destination will be from an Easyjet's base..which one we will see.
ReplyDelete