Numbers down at Ljubljana Airport

Passenger numbers slide as Ljubljana Airport plans for 2012

Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport has announced that it will see a decline in passenger numbers this year compared to 2010. As a result, Slovenia’s main airport will record a third consecutive year of sliding passenger figures. In 2010, the airport handled 1.388.651 passengers, which was down on the crisis hit 2009. During last year the airport was closed as construction work was carried out on its runway, which coincided with the closing of European airspace due to the Icelandic volcano ash cloud, all resulting in sliding passenger volumes. The airport cites Adria’s network cuts as the main reason for its underperformance this year. However, Ljubljana Airport’s problems began well before Adria’s financial troubles escalated. This entire year the airport has only seen passenger growth in the month of April.

On the other hand, the airport has managed to see an increase in profits. Due to Adria’s plan to lease part of its fleet and cut frequencies on some of its routes next summer, Ljubljana Airport expects lower traffic volumes and revenues in 2012, its report states. Still, the airport says that Adria’s decline should be substituted by foreign airlines and charter flights.

Finally, a total of 13.1 million Euros will be invested into Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport next year. Almost 11 million Euros will be spent on construction projects and the rest on equipment. All of the planned investments will be financed through the airport’s own means. The construction of the much anticipated new terminal is set to begin next year, with work set to be completed by 2015.