No airline has applied for the Slovenian government’s seventh tender call aimed at encouraging carriers to launch new flights to the country in return for subsidies. In a statement to EX-YU Aviation News, the Slovenian Ministry for Infrastructure confirmed that no carrier submitted its application by the set deadline on February 24. The Ministry for Infrastructure previously allocated a total of 16.8 million euros in funds for airlines between 2023, when the first public call was made, and 2026, when the last call is expected, although it can be extended if funds are left over. So far, just over one million euros have been used up. The funds equate to covering 50% of the carrier’s fees on the new route.
The previous public calls garnered mixed results. Luxair, airBaltic, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Iberia, Eurowings and Cyprus Airways have applied over the six previous tenders, although the latter did not submit complete documentation. Luxair (Luxembourg) has been granted 257.960 euros for operations between September 14, 2023, and May 31, 2025. airBaltic (Riga) will receive 284.408 euros for operations between May 2, 2024, and October 31, 2025. Norwegian Air Shuttle (Copenhagen) has been granted 557.518 euros between April 29, 2024, and October 31, 2025, while Iberia (Madrid) was the recipient of 18.774 euros between July 29, 2024, and September 5, 2024. The value of Eurowings’ subsidies has not been made public. So far, all the newly launched routes have been seasonal, with exception to airBaltic, which maintains year-round services, and Luxair, which operated throughout the 2023/24 winter and the 2024 summer, but has only a handful of flights this winter season.
The Ministry for Infrastructure had previously said it was in talks with a number of carriers in order to find a solution for the country’s perceived lack of air connectivity. “The Ministry for Infrastructure is continuing to rigorously seek out solutions that will improve Slovenia’s air connectivity long-term, including talks with airlines that present their proposals for improving connectivity. The fact is that basing a few aircraft at one of our international airports would increase connectivity and also improve flight frequencies on individual air routes. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia will decide whether the establishment of a national carrier is the most appropriate solution for improving connectivity, after all options to increase connectivity are presented”, the Ministry said last year.
How about Fraport doing something?
ReplyDeleteHow about Toni from security doing something.
Delete^ umm maybe the management should do something?
DeleteInforming airlines that there is an ongoing tender would be a good start.
DeleteWhat makes you think they do not do that?
DeleteThis must be all Fraports fault. Nothing to do with LJU being such a small market.
ReplyDeletePeople in these comments will hate on Fraport because it is German no matter what. No one ever blames the disastrous moves made by the Slovenian governments over the years, and no one ever talks about how highly successful Fraport is in Greece.
DeleteFor sure they are highly successful LOL.
DeleteWhy do you call them not successful?
DeleteFraport in Ljubljana is dealing with Ryanair opening two new bases (Zagreb and Trieste) in the immediate surroundings. Slovenia is one of Europe's smallest countries with a tiny capital city when you look at population size. The population density in Slovenia is low. Ljubljana has excellent road links to central Europe for business travellers and the Adriatic coast for leisure travellers. There is no large diaspora for VFR air traffic. There are no borders anywhere around Ljubljana due to Schengen so you can easily drive in all directions. There are trains to Croatia, Italy and Austria every day. And then there was the collapse of the national airline Adria Airways and the loss of all transfer traffic.
These are extremely challenging circumstances in an already limited market. What more is Fraport supposed to do?
Maybe get a profesional management?
DeleteComment from below:
DeleteYou know the sad part?
The airline I worked for wanted to apply, but wanted to negotiate with Fraport. You don't wanna imagine how that went
Also for the sake of anyone on here, next time they put the tender out, email every airline in Europe about it, you might think it doesn't help, but Fraport or ministry do it... So at least someone can
What a surprise
ReplyDeleteIt is time to stop with this stupid subsidies which clearly does not work. Rather use this money to set up a new carrier and finnaly solve connectivity problem.
ReplyDeleteAnd fritter away just how many millions just to keep a few armchair CEOs happy. The offering from LJU is quite varied considering the size of population.
DeleteSeems there is indeed not more interest for LJU even for a LCC. Ofc we dont know the exact details of the tender payments, but strange that no LCC is even applying for it.
ReplyDeleteThey are not applying because covering 50% of the fees is not enough for a major LCC to make it work.
DeleteThis is a clear indication that just offering subsidies isn't enough. Slovenia needs to rethink its entire approach to aviation. Are we even targeting the right airlines or markets with these calls?
DeleteThe best chance of an LCC setting up a base in LJU was in the immediate aftermath of Adria's bankruptcy or during Covid. Now it's too late.
DeleteDisappointing.
ReplyDeleteGovernment doesn't care. They will endlessly launch these tenders.
ReplyDeleteSo they launching tender number 8?
ReplyDeleteYou can't just launch tenders. You have to do some work, together with Fraport, to get airlines to apply for them
ReplyDeleteNotice how the side that's not doing anything is Fraport
Delete@9:20 How dare you spreading lies! Bravo Fraport!
Deletelol same old same old
ReplyDeleteThey should allow non EU airlines to apply.
ReplyDeleteThey can't because the aid being provided is EU money.
DeleteAnd who do you think will apply even if they do that, Singapore Airlines and Etihad? Cmon LJU market is SMALL y’all need to understand that.
DeleteIt's disappointing to see no takers for the subsidy this time around. It feels like we're always a step behind in improving our air connectivity.
ReplyDeleteYear after year, the same story. Our government throws money at the problem but never seems to solve the underlying issues of competitiveness and appeal to international carriers. What are we doing wrong that no airline wants to commit?
ReplyDeleteExactly. This should be a wake-up call to our government that mere financial incentives are not enough to improve our air connectivity. We need a more comprehensive plan.
DeleteThe lack of applications is a major red flag.
ReplyDeleteYes, I would avoid dating the next tender as well. No applications on the previous tender is such an ick.
DeleteAnd here we were hoping for ITA and others.
ReplyDeletePeople also used to claim how TAROM would start flights.
DeleteDon't forget HAM and LIS :)
DeleteAnd Austrian from VIE
DeleteWe can only hope :(
DeleteAdria did fly to Bucharest and Vienna and the load factors were abysmal but that doesn’t bother couch commanders.
DeleteWhere did you get that the loads were 'abysmal'?
DeleteCrystal ball. Couch commanders don't use it.
DeleteThe best load factor that Adria ever managed across the fleet was 73% in 2013. In the last years of Adria's operation, where both mentioned routes were active, it struggled to get a load factor above 66%. In todays world, this is abysmal.
DeleteTerrible
ReplyDelete😂😂
ReplyDeleteSo Cyprus Airways is definitely out?
ReplyDeleteThey have fleet issues. So for the time being yes.
DeleteThey cut FCO and CDG from LCA which are big and strong markets do you think they’ll start operate LJU?
DeleteYou missed the story. They were interested to set up a base in LJU. But this story is gone with the wind.
DeleteThey have fleet issues? With A220? I don't believe you. Jasmin doesn't believe you as well 🙂
DeleteUnfortunate
ReplyDeleteNew low for Slovenian aviation.
ReplyDeleteOut of the seven tenders, I believe this is the third that no one has applied for.
ReplyDeleteIt's a small market with good road connectivity surrounded by much bigger markets with good air traffic development. What do people expect?
ReplyDeleteSo just give up and close the airport?
DeleteNot at all. But don't expect airlines applying for every tender.
DeleteHave they announced the eighth tender yet?
ReplyDeleteNot yet. But I'm sure they will soon.
DeleteOne has got to ask what is the point
DeleteAnd passenger numbers keep sliding at LJU.
ReplyDeleteThings will improve soon
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/2025/02/ljubljana-set-for-strong-growth-as.html
Only option is national airline. That is if you want to have a big increase in traffic and good connectivity. Whether that is sustainable is a different matter.
ReplyDeleteFeel free to do it yourself and see if caa.si is even capable of issuing and maintaining an AOC.
DeleteAegean upgraded ATH-LJU flights to year round, something optimistic and good in all these bad news for LJU.
ReplyDeleteThis is very questionable as they do it every year and then in Augist cancel it.
DeleteBut else what did you you expect from a person, who saw only sellout of aviation industry as a way of operating it?
ReplyDeleteJust set up a new flag carrier.
ReplyDeleteFeel free to do it yourself and see if caa.si is even capable of issuing and maintaining an AOC.
DeleteLJUBLJANA HAS MORE CONECTIONS THAN MUCH BIGGER GERMAN AIRPORTS BUT NOT ENOUGH PASSANGERS.
ReplyDeleteLast year it was named the worst connected airport in Europe.
DeleteYou know the sad part?
ReplyDeleteThe airline I worked for wanted to apply, but wanted to negotiate with Fraport. You don't wanna imagine how that went
Also for the sake of anyone on here, next time they put the tender out, email every airline in Europe about it, you might think it doesn't help, but Fraport or ministry do it... So at least someone can
Wow I can't believe they don't even inform airlines about the tender. That's the least they can do!
DeleteOutrageous
DeleteI know since Brexit it doesn't seem to be possible, but opening up these tenders to UK-based airlines / flights would likely yield positive results. Surely someone can make a Manchester / Liverpool-LJU service work ?
ReplyDeleteI wish I could just start my own airline. Sadly I don't have the expertese, or the money :D
ReplyDeleteFraport can't do much if the destination of the airport that served has no further potential ! Fraport has in its control airports in Greece like Chania , Santorini , Kefalonia , Corfu ,zakynthos , Rhodes , Kos , Mykonos ,Samos , Skiathos , Mytilene , Thessaloniki . And all of them are doing well because they are major tourist destinations .
ReplyDeleteNot surprising if the airport operator can't even bother do some marketing.
ReplyDeleteOk, so they will keep these tenders going until 2026. And then what? It is obvious that these tenders have reached their maximum and no one is interested anymore.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that Sarajevo manages to generate the most interest from these regional subsidy tenders.
ReplyDelete