All four applications submitted under the latest deadline of Slovenia’s air connectivity tender concern the launch of new routes rather than the extension of subsidies for existing services, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy has confirmed to EX-YU Aviation News. The applications were received under the second deadline of the country’s tenth public call aimed at improving air connectivity. Two of the bids have progressed to the final stage, while the remaining two were deemed incomplete and require additional documentation.
In a statement, the Ministry told EX-YU Aviation News, “The assessment of applications submitted under the second deadline of Slovenia’s tenth public tender to improve air connectivity is still under way. Decisions on two applications are in the final stages of approval and signature at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy. This part of the process is expected to be completed by the end of this week or early next week”. It added, “The other two applications were incomplete. Their assessment will continue once the applicants submit the requested additional information. Depending on when the information is received and whether it meets the requirements, these assessments could be completed in the first half of October”.
The Ministry stressed that all four bids relate to the establishment of new air services. “The applications concern new air routes, rather than extensions of existing subsidies. As the procedures have not formally concluded, we cannot yet disclose the applicants or the routes they have proposed”, it said. The Ministry also declined to confirm whether easyJet had applied for financial support for its new service between Berlin and Ljubljana. “This also applies to whether easyJet has applied for support for a Ljubljana - Berlin service. We will be able to provide more information once the procedures are complete and the decisions have been signed”, it concluded.
They really are teasing us so much…
ReplyDeleteSeems like a really slow process.
DeleteThe fact that two applications are already in the final stage sounds promising. We should know the first routes very soon.
DeleteThis is very good news!
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWondering if OU applied to ZAG, RJK or PUY
ReplyDeleteLJU-ZAG? You gotta be trolling haha.
DeleteOnly if they are going to use buses instead of airplanes?
DeleteSlovenes like to drive their own cars :)
DeleteZAG airport parking is full of LJ or MB plates.....
Delete"Full"
Deleteno but for sure QRD applied for it.
DeleteOU will fly with A220
DeleteBravo Fraport!
ReplyDeleteHopefully the remaining two also successfully provide extra info. The four applicants could be Berlin, Tirana with Wizzair and Stockholm and Dusseldorf with Eurowings.
ReplyDeleteEasyjet has already launched Berlin-LJU
DeleteAnonymous 09:04 Berlin is already planned to be launched
DeleteI think that they can schedule the flights before being approved, but I do hope that they didn’t apply. That would mean one extra route.
Delete^ Of course they can. Did anyone read the text
Delete"The Ministry also declined to confirm whether easyJet had applied for financial support for its new service between Berlin and Ljubljana. "
And your point is...
DeleteMeaning U2 could have launched before claiming any money
DeleteI am sure they applied and that the subsidy will be granted, that's why the route is already published. The other route to be published soon is ARN.
DeleteI hope one of them is Tirana with Wizz Air
ReplyDeletenot a real surprise. You are repeating this for two years now
DeleteWizz it is, but not TIA
DeleteWhat then, is it in the continetial Balkans?
DeleteLarnaca, Rome & southern Italy, Ohrid make more sense. However the third one will be probably, if at all, sponsored by the other side as seen with SKP.
DeleteOhrid makes more sense than Tirana ??
DeleteNeither make much sense.
Deleteyes
Delete1) huge diaspora from MK, compared to zero from AL
2) two airines already flying to Tirana from TRS
3) subs for SKP end next week. Instead of increasing SKP flights they could launch 2 weekly to OHD and get some support for it (They love support). With more then 11k pax in the months of April and May they showed there is a huge demand for flights between SLO and MK. However, as I said its more likely for them to get support form the other side
folks here also said Skopje makes no sense
Delete^ Albanian diaspora is far from zero...
DeleteSo then Ohrid it is!
Delete@9.34 that diaspora is stil from ExYu and not AL
DeleteNo tourists from SLO going to Albanian coast ?
Deleteespecially in February
Deleteboth airlines from TRS are enough for the demand
DeleteIn Slovenia, there are around 4,500 citizens of Albania and over 25,000 citizens of Kosovo holding valid temporary or permanent residence permits (source: SURS). I think PRN has much more potential than TIA.
DeleteThey have shown no interests in slovenian tenders before
Deletethat measn CPH is gone
ReplyDeletemeans*
DeleteThey scheduled it for 2027 with the same schedule as this year, no reduction this time.
Deleteall good then
DeleteHey admin, please note that application ≠ a single route, nor can it mean a new route. Cyprus had one application for 8 routes
ReplyDelete“The applications concern new air routes, rather than extensions of existing subsidies. "
DeleteIt's a overall comment, i remember last tender it was worded here as 4 new applications, where in fact there were 3 requests for extension
DeleteThe ministry says the applications are not extensions of existing subsidised. Did you even read the article?
DeleteCroatia Split and Dubrovnik, SAS to ARN, ITA to Rome, Wizz to Larnaca and Pristina
ReplyDeletelol dude they just launched Trieste instead of PRN
DeleteWho launched Trieste instead of Prishtina?
DeleteYou mean Trieste instead of Ljubljana.
Deletewizz launched Trieste to PRN instead of LJU.
DeleteNo they didn't Trieste serves completely different demographic - workers working in Trieste, Koper and part of Venice. Ljubljana service (if it happens) takes over Ljubljana, Kranj, Zagreb, Maribor and part of Austria
Deletelol sure
Delete@9.18 none of them actually
Delete@9:28 Kranj?
DeleteIts actually crazy how long it takes for them to complete these. Hopefully it will at least be worth it (decent frequencies to needed destinations), not just like 1 weekly flight to Kraljevo on Atr76 which wont make any difference for the airport.
ReplyDeleteWell flights do need to have a degree of commercial viability. They are not there just to look pretty on the tarmac mate.
DeleteWell I used Kraljevo as an exemple similiar to the Ljubljana- Nis route which only flies because of Serbian subsidies and does not generate a lot of passengers between the two airports. Flights are half empty and I wouldn’t consider this as a useful route and the same would be for my example of Kraljevo.
DeleteI really hope that they launch useful destinations like Berlin which they will, and also the likes of Stockholm/ Rome/ Vienna/ Prague/ Lisbon/ Tirana.
ReplyDeleteBerlin is already being launched. It was announced last week by easyjet. It's mentioned in the article too.
DeleteThis practically confirms at least 3 new routes for next summer (BER, EWR, X) and at most 6 (BER, EWR, X this week, X this week, X to be corrected, X to be corrected). Could LJU reach 2 million next year?
ReplyDeleteThis year close 1,8 mio is possible, so adding an extra 200-250k passengers is not too far fetched. That's 20k extra pax per month, which is doable. For the first half of the year, Wizz to TGD will also add A LOT of extra pax, since the connection wasn't operating until June this year. if some of the new routes are >2x per week and we get some other increases, it will sure be close to 2 mio if not over it.
DeleteVueling is increasing BCN to 3 weekly in the summer.
DeleteAre all routes planned from/to Ljubljana airport?
ReplyDeleteOf course.
Delete^ Bled -Ohrid perhaps?
Delete@10.03 plot twist tickens!!! MXB-STN & MXB-SKP
DeleteMaribor-Southend!
DeleteI actually flew that route...was fun!!
Delete^ Were there passengers?
Deletewhat about Maribor? Is that airport functional??
ReplyDeleteasking for MBX-BEG (JU) and MBX-SKP (W6)
It will be next year, and I think JU is seriously considering either Maribor or Graz
Deletetrue even SJJ would work and PRN.
DeleteI just can see there being any flights from Mbx succesfull. The airport firstly needs to be sorted out, I hope the government or whoever is responsible will sort that out.
DeleteMaribor and Štajerska with sorounding parts have a great touristic potential. MBX could easily manage 2-3 all year LCC routes to major European cities. LF on Ryanair planes to London more than decade ago was high. If the airport would be renewed and fully functional.. For both I do not see political will, this is a major minus.
DeleteI just can't see JU flying to Maribor as they're already flying to Ljubljana and Zagreb
DeleteThey don't fly to Ljubljana and Zagreb only, but to Rijeka and Pula as well. Why not also Maribor then?
DeleteCould El-al apply? I mean there were lately some talks about more flights between Slovenia and Israel and I am wondering if they could apply? Same for flights from Egypt? Or is it only Europe?
ReplyDeletewhy didn't Ou apply for Dubrovnik and Brac?
DeleteOnly airlines from Europe can apply.
DeleteNot eligible. Only ECAA states.
Delete10.40
DeleteBecause OU is not interested in airline business, growth of its network and hub, development of connectivity and profitability. Reasons for their existence are:
1. Serving as LHG feeder
2. Filling pockets of few selected individuals tied with high politics through corruptive contracts
3. Being safeheaven for incompetent but "deserving" Party soldiers, uhljebs and aparatchiks
I know here were some comments joking about OU applying, but I am seriously wondering if they could be one of the applicants for some routes like Dubrovnik or something?
ReplyDeletewhy didn't Ou apply for Dubrovnik and Brac?
Deletehttps://www.croatiaairlines.com/en/media/press-releases/croatia-airlines-presents-new-airbus-a220-in-ljubl
DeleteCould happen
Dubrovnik and Split worked before the whole highway network was developped but I dont see them work now
Delete10.48
DeleteMaybe they need to stop flying to Rome and Athens with stop in SPU/DBV first. Maybe to (re)introduce services to.some bigger unserved markets? Maybe to finally apply any other kind of strategy and business model instead of feeding LHG?
Those one stop flights will never make sense to mee on such a short distance.
Deletethey make only sense if the single sectors are both full and only a handful of pax goes all the way.
DeleteThe very fact that all these routes need help just underlines the general weakness of Slovenia as an aviation market.
ReplyDeleteRather than a weakness of the Slovenian market, I’d say it’s mainly the proximity and good road connections to several competing airports, compounded by LJU’s long-standing “charter-hub” mindset. Thankfully, that seems to be changing under the new CEO, who will hopefully also help turning things around.
DeleteTalking to our Airbnb guests, and based on posts in various travel forums, there are quite a few tourists, especially Americans, who fly into Venice, or Brits who fly into Zagreb or Trieste, rent a car there, travel around Slovenia, and fly home from the same or another nearby airport.
DeleteThe first could improve next year with the introduction of a direct Newark–Ljubljana flight, although Ljubljana is unlikely to compete with Venice on fares, especially for families travelling together. The second could benefit from increased UK frequencies, which is at least partly happening soon.
Numbers in LJU are telling opposite story. Previous tenders being more or less unsuccessfull in general, means the growth is a consequence of real demand and willingness of people to fly to/from LJU and to much lesser extent result of state's politics. Not having LCC base (with their low prices) or national carrier, that could rely on state's funds (as in ZAG), means the market is ready for more. For more Slovenians/neighbours to fly from LJU as for more people visiting Slovenia from abroad.
DeleteIf state's supported routes is a symptom of general weakness of aviation market, than we can say the same for state's supported national carriers which needs regular multimillions injections or with LCC tailored management of airports, which brings multiple routes/increased connectivity.
People criticise these subsidies, but almost every airport in the region offers airlines some form of incentive. Slovenia cannot expect carriers to open routes purely out of goodwill.
DeleteI really get sick of all these tenders, its really obnoxious.
ReplyDeleteLike Viagra for people who can not get it the straight way.
Awful!
Great news for Ljubljana. Can't wait to see what the new routes are
ReplyDeleteFour genuinely new routes is encouraging. Even if only two are approved, this tender could finally produce something meaningful.
DeleteWhoever applied no one will take the cake away from United as the biggest new arrival at LJU.
ReplyDeleteHopefully “new routes” means destinations that Ljubljana actually needs, rather than another seasonal service operating twice a week for three months.
ReplyDeleteWell TUI is gonna start serving LJU in NS27!
ReplyDeleteIt is not. They are flights that operate to Salzburg
Delete