From Maribor to the world
From April 07 – 21 Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport will be off limits to all airlines as the airport plans to carry out its major runway overhaul. Some airlines have decided to cancel services to Ljubljana for the 2 weeks, some will reroute to Trieste, some to Portorož, while the majority will be heading to Maribor. This is where the Slovenian national carrier, Adria Airways, plans to carry out operations but its CEO, Tadej Tufek, is less than happy with the arrangements. According to Adria, Maribor Airport is too small for its needs with only 2 gates and limited parking stands. Furthermore, the airport is said to be completely unprepared for the large scale traffic that is about to head its way. Making matters worse is Ljubljana Airport’s refusal to pay compensation to Adria for the 2 week nuisance. Tufek went as far as saying that he would prefer for the airline not to operate during the 2 week reconstruction. The airline had plans to relocate to the Italian boarder town of Trieste however the costs were too high.The Adria Airways CEO is now requesting for the Slovenian Government to postpone the runway reconstruction project for 12 months. According to the airline, its hub airport could carry out reconstruction during night time. However, nigh time work would be more expensive, the airport says. Now, 13 days before the works at the airport commence, it remains to be seen who will win this battle.
Special thanks to Alex Stare for his contribution to this article. If you have suitable news that should be published on EX-YU Aviation News, write to exyuaviation@mail.com
Hi, I must say that Croatians are many times smarter than our shity country of SLO. For example they will start renovating their runway in ZAG, but only during night time. But Aerodrom Ljublajna is egoistic, it does not care about interests of PAX or Adria. Shame really.
ReplyDeleteBEG also upgraded its runway during the night. I dont see how LJU could expect all its flights to transfer to MBX. Is the runway at POW long enough for JP's CRJ200's?
ReplyDeleteLJU Airport and JP are having since years different agendas. And this seems being only the top of the iceberg.
ReplyDeleteAdria could be long time a leader in the region, connecting all kind of cities thru their hub. But as long the hub sees no quality and does not gets expanded the way it is needed, JP will and can not grow.
At LJU airport too many thing are lacking. A new terminal should have been completed years ago. And now this: They need to close the airport for two weeks to get the runway upgraded. In no city of this world, u see this, except for LJU airport.
A shame to those who are resposable at LJU airport !!
Everytime we fly there, we pay high airport taxes. However if the airport has to pay for quickest possible airport upgrad, they choose the cheapest one !
POW has really short runway, I am even interested in ATR landing/TO xD
ReplyDeleteAnd JU520 you are right, we are the only country in the world that will close its main airport for 14 days - for runway reconstruction god so idiotic.
I would say OK, no problem if Adria had some good alternative, but Maribor is hardly that.
And than LJU airport has guts to say that they will have less income. Ok that is correct but Adria will have less income too +!!! bigger expenses - so twice as bad as apt comapny.
But at the end I just say, both sides are stupid - Adria which discovered 2 weeks prior closer that they will have a problem and APT becuase of closing apt down. This should be sorted last year when plans for reconstruction began.
POW Portoroz is another story.. The coastal tourism association together with the local governments could have upgraded Portoroz years ago to a small airport accepting all kind of aircrafts such as CRJ200, CRJ900 or even 737 and A320
ReplyDeletePortoroz might never see regular scheduled flights, but it could be used for charters during holidays or longer weekend such as Easter Holiday
@ JATBEGMEL
ReplyDeletePOW can take CRJ200.
POW cant handle full PAX CRJ2, nor for landing or TO + you have to take into acount bad wind or rain, cant land in most of the cases.
ReplyDeleteMany airports in the world do runway repairs at night. Heathrow for example have to continuously repair the runways there. Almost every night when curfew comes in a small section is ripped up re laid and re painted and ready to receive flights once the curfew comes off.
ReplyDeleteTo think that Slovenia, being many many years in the EU, has a different mentality than our people in the other ex-YU states, but going by the actions of the management of "Letalisce Joze Pucnik"....
ReplyDelete@ Nikola
thanks for your reply. i know that when JAT had ATR4's they flew to POW but the ATR7 is bigger.
@ anonymous
i guess the flights would operate with weight restrictions and i dont see them filling either, so i guess it shouldnt be too much trouble using POW.
Can you blame JP though for the interruption to their established money-making business? Completely agree with the above comments that runway works could have been carried out at night, with partial closure perhaps over a weekend or 3 days max being ideal.
ReplyDelete@ Anonymous #4 & JATBEGMEL
Yes, the AT7s will cope well at POZ, though will obviously be slightly weight restricted.
Take off run at maximum weights:
AT4: 1,165 m (3,822 ft)
AT7: 1,290 m (4,232 ft)
Runway length at POZ:
1,205m (3,953 ft)