Low cost carrier Wizz Air sees significant untapped potential in the Slovenian market but unlocking it will require improved conditions. Speaking to EX-YU Aviation News at Routes Europe 2026, Wizz Air’s Network Officer, Andras Szabo, said, “The potential of Slovenian aviation is very significant, and it is reaching far beyond the current flight availability on the market. If conditions were improved, especially access costs to the capital airport, there is huge potential for Slovenia. We are following it with interest but there must be an effort made to break through that situation and that would be very helpful and beneficial for Slovenia”.
Wizz Air currently operates flights between Ljubljana and Skopje and will launch services between the Slovenian capital and Podgorica next month. Both routes were introduced as part of incentive programmes in Macedonia and Montenegro. According to data from the Slovenian Statistical Office, Wizz Air handled 19.983 passengers on its Skopje - Ljubljana service during the first quarter of the year, representing a 24.9% increase on the same period in 2025. Since launching operations to Ljubljana in 2007, the airline has also maintained services from Charleroi and London Luton.
Mr Szabo noted that the airline is evaluating various opportunities across the region, including nearby Zagreb. “We are continuously evaluating opportunities. This region, not just Central Europe, but specifically the ex-Yu aviation space is also very close to Wizz Air. We are evaluating this and similar opportunities”. He added, “We recovered ground to be the leading carrier in this region and we will continue to explore further growth, working with respective countries and airports. The potential for further development remains significant”.
The ongoing Routes Europe 2026 in Rimini in Italy has brought together over 300 airlines, airports and tourist organisations to negotiate the launch of new routes or the expansion of existing services.
Bravo Fraport
ReplyDeleteNo one stops Wizz to base 2 aircraft at MBX. If TZL can have W6, so does Maribor.
Delete^ are you serious? The airport has been closed for over a year, it's roof is still not fixed and it is still not operating in full capacity.
DeleteFull capacity of 0?
DeleteWizz saying there is huge potential usually means they have already looked at routes and didn’t like the numbers. This sounds like a public message to the airport operator more than anything else.
Delete^ Not only that but Zagerb is mentioned too. So the clock is ticking for LJU.
Delete9:26
DeleteYes, I am serious. Roof can be fixed within month or two, if there is a need for that.
There has been a need to fix it now too. But it hasn't and the job to fix it is taking months. Why would an airline want to fly there then? Have you also maybe thought that the Slovenian market is not large enough to justify flying from some secondary half operational airport?
Delete@9.48 Wizz clearly sees the wider region as one market, not separate national markets.
DeleteMače, Fraport is there and there is only space for one. One and only Lufthansa
DeleteThat's why LJU has a more diverse airline portfolio than ZAG.
Delete@10.03
DeleteYes. That's why he says Slovenia... what are you on about? Read the text again.
@12:13 really ? Airtransat, Ryanair, Qatar, Tway, El Al, Austrian ? Yeah they are really far behind
DeleteEl al does not fly to Zagreb
Delete@AAG It's easy to look at the data. And based on the data, the range of airlines flying to LJU is more diverse than those flying to ZAG. But if you don't like the data, than you can choose the ones that support your opinion.
Delete@Anon 16:34 - Yeah, and does it help them? They still have 4 times less passengers then Zagreb.
Delete^fewer* passengers
Delete16:34 its also very easy to write a comment as yours. Have you maybe also conclude that ZAG is base for 2 airlines ? no?
DeleteActually ZAG is not the base for 2 but for 5 airlines operating large passenger aircraft - Ryanair/Lauda, Croatia Airlines, Trade Air, ETF, Flyair 41
DeleteWell yes but the other two contribute 99.9% of passengers from the 5 listed. I think we got the point what the debate is about.
DeleteAnd here I was hoping they would open something new. No hope until thigs change at LJU.
ReplyDeleteSo basically the two routes we have is because they get subsidies on the other side?
ReplyDeleteYes.
DeleteBravo Fraport!
DeleteMight as well work something out for Sarajevo, biggest foreign diaspora.
DeleteAnd the other 2 routes CRL and LTN were binned off as they did not work without subsidies. Avoid Wizz at all costs
DeleteWe have prestigious LH, no need for unreliable LCCs. Bravo Fraport!
ReplyDeleteIt's not about prestige. It goes about greed - Why would Fraport reduce their profit so that another company, in this case Wizz, could increase theirs?
DeletePerhaps they get earn more money from getting more foot traffic through the airport.
DeleteMore passengers can also mean more costs.
DeleteBest to close the airport so they have no additional costs.
DeleteWizz air simply does not understand that LJU is premium airport for premium customers. They can go to Maribor instead.
DeleteAh, the return of the "premium" guy lmao
Delete@9.25 they can't go to Maribor because Maribor Airport is falling apart.
Deletethe premuim/prestige voices will dissapear the moment some lcc opens a couple of routes. Happened with ZAG too
DeleteSlovenia without a serious low cost presence in 2026 is honestly astonishing.
DeleteAfter Wizz Montenegro, I believe Slovenia left only country in Europe without LCC base.
DeleteJust as an observation, three or four flights to BCN with Vueling were sold out in May. Ljubljana seriously needs more summer destinations, I think we don't realise just how much passengers we are losing because of lack of options.
ReplyDeleteI think the big potential for LJU are scheduled flights to many holiday hotspots in summer. A lot of people are going to Zagreb to fly to Malta, Greece and Spain.
ReplyDelete+1 definitely
DeleteEveryone can see that, but statistics doesn't show it because most of them will fly out of Zagreb, Italy, or Vienna/Bratislava. Someone needs to grow a pair and schedule 2 summer destinations to Greece and ser what happens
DeleteI see easyJet as the only serious LCC option to open some more routes sadly, Wizz is only pressuring Fraport with this, and we already know they are not gonna budge.
ReplyDeleteThere is a logic in Fraport business case. They are profitable, LH group (a stakeholder) is happy, no need for more employees... Why to risk, bring additional million of LCC seats and make Mutti unhappy? Slovenians can go to TRS and ZAG and Fraport simply does not care about Slovenia and the benefits better connectivity would bring. Why would they? If Slovenia really wants to change that, they should buy the airport back.
ReplyDeleteTrue unforutnately.
DeleteBuy the airport back, appoint some politically affiliated defense graduate as the CEO and run the airport with nepotism and corruption in mind.
DeleteOr maybe just choose a better buyer at the time you are dispensing everything to Germans, including the former flag carrier they not just bankrupted but stole money from and dissapeared.
DeleteSo you recommend to go back in time and reverse decisions from 10+ years ago?
DeleteYour solution is to cheer for Fraport of all companies.
DeleteSaying that it is impossible to reverse time somehow means support Fraport. Interesting.
DeleteLjubljana Airport pricing has been the elephant in the room for years. If Wizz is openly saying costs are the issue, you can bet other airlines think the same. Slovenia keeps talking about connectivity but doesn’t seem willing to tackle the root cause.
ReplyDeleteA private company complaining about high costs and every employee ever complaining that their salary is not enough. What else is new?
DeleteAnd Fraport fanboys advocating higher prices, lower competition and anything not to upset mutti. No, nothing is new.
DeleteCalling out Wizz on their BS means that we support Fraport now?
DeleteWhat BS exactly? That costs at LJU are high? Many airlines have said that and keep saying that. That the existing subsidies are shit? Well the nunber of rounds and lack of airlines applying proves that for itself.
DeleteMaybe Ljubljana Airport doesn’t actually want the ultra-low-cost model. Airports sometimes prefer higher-yield carriers rather than filling terminals with low-fare traffic
ReplyDeleteThe real winners would be passengers if competition increases. Right now fares from Slovenia can be ridiculous compared to nearby airports.
DeleteIn 2018, Adria Airways transported a total of 44,890 passengers on the route between Skopje (SKP) and Ljubljana (LJU).
ReplyDeleteCurrently wizz 2X's this numbers. Very good results.
Yes as well and this year will be record for numbers.
DeleteAlso the LF% is huge , I dont think so Adria had 90+ LF
Another extortionist...flying is not a human right. There are too many flights already. And then exactly such airliners whine about the capacity....
ReplyDeleteWe need more flights for competition
DeleteGoverment should step in because this is getting out of hand. No one talks about ULCC base in LJU but for ffs this is ridiculous. Every person flying from nearby airport leaves money outside of country. But yes Slovenia Monaco and Vatican without proper summer comercial flights.
ReplyDeleteYes, people from Nova Gorica or Koper should absolutely only fly from Ljubljana "not to leave money outside of the country". Why would they go to Trieste an airport that is closer to them?
DeletePeople from Ljubljana don't even fly from LJU...
DeleteKolega, come to LJU airport and ask Austrian plates drivers why are they using LJU airport instead of VIE. Because there is no offer from KLU. And yes i would very happily drive from Ajdovscina to LJU instead to VCE.
Delete@10:34 yes lets fly first via Germany and than to final destination for 350 eur instead for 100 direct with a 1,5 hour ride
DeleteWell, kolega, not everyone is the same as you @10:35.
Delete@11:03 you are missing the point :) Ajdovscina is 15 km from your mentioned Gorica above.
Delete@10:30 okay, so lets sell everything then to Italians, Austrians etc ... there is no need to exist. By that logic Bratisalva airport should not exist in first place because of Vienna which is 35km away. haha
DeleteHow can you go to such an extreme? Please let people have options. Some prefer to only fly from LJU and some prefer to fly from TRS, VCE, ZAG etc. and some prefer not to fly at all for whatever reason there is. Not everyone needs to be forced to fly from LJU just because you want it to be like that.
Delete@11:21 no one above and below is trying to convince anyone to fly from LJU. The whole comment section is based on something else you clearly dont want to understand. You are talking about something else that nobody is talking about.
DeleteForced to fly from LJU? I'm from Kranj and I don't fly from it. What are you talking about?
Delete@12:39 no words for that comment above.Classic victim card. But reffering to your location, i am sure you wouldnt use other airports if you would have the same route from LJU for similar price as other airports.
DeleteGosh, Slovenia seems deeply provincial judging by this debate.
DeleteOn Gran Canaria in January, I spoke to a woman who flew there from Trieste. When we questioned the price of the plane ticket, she realized that she had paid more than half of the gapLike me between Brnik and LPA with Air Baltic. The lady was from Ilirska Bistrica and she said that it was self-evident to them there that from Venice, Trieste was much more valuable than from LJU. So, I think that most people do not even consider the prices of tickets for flights outside LJU.
DeleteThey could really try to Maribor as an alternative to Graz, Ljubljana and Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteReally don't get it why they don't give it a try - at least for seasonal routes.
Check the state of Maribor Airport and NOTAMS.
Deleteor Graz as an alternative
DeleteWizz could easily operate like 10 extra routes out of Ljubljana, but (sadly) Slovenia is going in a direction of this "boutique" tourism, they don't want LCC's, so I really don't see any bigger base happening any time soon.
ReplyDeleteWiz air to CRL would be extremely helpful.
ReplyDeleteThe Fraport Slovenija army is out in full defence mode this morning. Jeez
ReplyDeletenot fully convinced though. Maybe some more ExYu routes and 2-3 leissure ones to Spain/Italy
ReplyDeleteWould love to have some Wizz leisure routes.
ReplyDeleteThiis is basically Wizz saying lower your fees and we’ll come.
ReplyDeletelike yesterday Ryanair
DeletePeople in Slovenia have adapted. Many already drive to Venice, Zagreb or even Graz. Winning them back won’t be easy even if more routes launch.
ReplyDeleteFraport is happy with the current model. Smaller volumes, higher charges less low-cost
ReplyDeleteSlovenians also
DeleteThe route to Podgorica will be summer seasonal or year round? Thanks
ReplyDeleteAll year around. X4 weekly
DeleteThank you
Delete