The Slovenian Ministry of Infrastructure has issued a fresh tender to boost the country’s air connectivity, providing financial incentives for airlines to introduce new scheduled services from the country’s airports. The state will provide subsidies covering up to 50% of airport charges for a maximum of two years from the start of operations. Eligible costs include landing, take-off, parking, passenger processing and ground handling charges at Slovenian airports. Unlike a direct discount, carriers must first pay the full airport fees and will then be reimbursed upon submitting invoices.
Airlines must submit applications by March 6, 2026 at 23:59 local time, although an additional deadline has been issues for August 31. The government hopes this round of tenders will help Slovenia close its connectivity gap and strengthen links with priority markets. The previous public calls garnered mixed results. Luxair, airBaltic, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Iberia, Eurowings, Cyprus Airways and Air Albania applied over the nine previous tenders., although not all qualified for the subsidies.
Only airlines registered and based in the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) are eligible for the subsidies. The ECAA is made up of states that are part of the European Union, as well as Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Iceland, Macedonia, Norway, Kosovo and Montenegro. The Slovenian government is primarily targeting the introduction of flights to Vienna, Copenhagen, Madrid, Prague, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm, Oslo, Barcelona, and Lisbon, although all destinations within the ECAA are eligible. Applications must include a detailed business plan showing that the route can become profitable beyond the subsidy period. This plan should include projected passenger numbers, profitability forecasts, and marketing strategies. If no business plan is submitted, carriers must provide a binding written declaration committing to operate the route for at least as long as the period of aid.
Airlines may operate supported routes seasonally rather than year-round, provided they comply with the submitted business plan. Applicants must also set the maximum one-way economy fare (excluding taxes and baggage fees), which will be assessed if multiple carriers apply for the same route. The ministry has clarified that aid cannot be combined with subsidies from other states for the same route, and if an airline ceases operations without fulfilling obligations, the financial support must be repaid in full. In case of multiple applicants for the same route, those offering stronger connectivity at the destination airport or operating within the preferred time blocks will gain additional points.
The Slovenian government plans to continue offering subsidies to airlines to encourage the launch of new routes to the country. Speaking on the initiative, Andrej Rajh, State Secretary at the Ministry for Infrastructure, said recently, “Our goal is to develop the subsidies over the years, and we are committed to making it happen. The plan is to keep this going even into the next five to seven years, with similar amounts allocated”.
Didn't they issue it at the beginning of January already?
ReplyDeleteNo they didn't. They issued it yesterday.
DeleteI wonder if that proposed easyJet route outside of the UK is still planned to launch. Summer season is getting close.
ReplyDeleteOr the other routes that were rumoured here.
DeleteProbably for winter season. It is a bit late to announce a new one for summer.
DeleteWatch this get 0 applications.
ReplyDeleteAs per usual.
DeleteAt some point the question has to be asked is the structure of the scheme wrong, or is the market simply too small?
DeleteOr both...
DeleteMore of the same with no results
ReplyDeleteWould be nice if someone applied for Maribor
ReplyDeleteIs it even operational at this point? Have they fixed the storm damage?
DeleteIt is operational, but there is zero chances that someone applies for mbx
DeleteTo be honest, all these conditions and rules are unappealing to airlines, especially LCCs. No wonder so few airlines have applied.
ReplyDeleteECAA also includes Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and Armenia.
ReplyDeleteCarriers from those countres could also apply.
yes, they are:
DeleteArmenia:
https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/aviation-eu-and-armenia-sign-aviation-agreement-2021-11-15_en
Moldova:
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/documents/treaties-agreements/agreement/?id=2012024
Georgia:
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/documents/treaties-agreements/agreement/?id=2010083
Yep, Ukraine flights to Ljubljana are just a matter of days...
DeleteThey were actually planning to launch Kiev - Ljubljana right before the war. Would be interesting to see if those flights would be successful had the war not happened.
DeleteAnon09:36 "Yep, Ukraine flights to Ljubljana are just a matter of days..." LJU has many Ukraine flights. Just loaded with weapons"
DeleteThey plan to run these subsidies for another 5-7 years!!? Are they out of their minds?
ReplyDeleteWeren't they last year talking about changing it up? Releasing a PSO or something similar? It's crazy to think they plan to do this for multiple years even tho the last few were unsuccessful.
DeleteThat was initially the plan but they obviously decided against it.
DeleteIts just copy and paste, yet the government dont realise its not working.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing that can happen for LJU and Slovenia is that some airline that provides connections (e.g Eurowings, airBaltic or Transavia) opens a base in LJU, so that it becomes a hub again.
ReplyDeleteSix routes in nine attempts, with two calls yielding precisely zero interest. Clearly the market is screaming for a major hub operation. I suggest allocating 9-10 A321 / 737 for the start. Those will be fighting for gate space in no time.
DeleteThe reimbursement model (pay first, refund later) is a major deterrent
ReplyDeleteWill we see airBaltic return with more routes?
ReplyDeleteThis is better in one way; airline can apply at any time and get a response with 8 days. So there's that. Everything else is an absolute mess, can't see more than Air Baltic applying
ReplyDeleteSlovenian aviation sector is without doubt one of the most boring in Europe. Literally nothing happening for years and years.
ReplyDeleteIt will be interesting to see if this will continue when a new government comes into power in a few months.
ReplyDelete