A year to forget for Ljubljana Airport
Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport is facing the prospect of being booted out of the top five busiest airports in the former Yugoslavia, following last year’s fourth place and 2010’s third position. The news comes after the Statistical Office of Slovenia published the airport’s passenger figures for the first eight months of the year. During this period, Jože Pučnik Airport welcomed only 806.557 passengers, down 14.5% compared to the same time last year when the airport saw 943.966 passengers pass through its doors. In August alone figures declined 19% while its busiest month was July with 143.571 passengers, records from the Statistical Office show. The eight month passenger figure is the lowest the airport has seen since 2004.
Belgrade, Zagreb, Priština, Dubrovnik and Split all handled more passengers than Ljubljana in the first eight months of the year, while Skopje was behind by 42.637 travellers. However, it is expected that Slovenia’s busiest airport will gain some ground over the winter months and surpass Split to finish the year within the top five. On the other hand, it is unlikely that the airport will be able to jump through another hoop and takeover Dubrovnik which is anticipating welcoming just over 1.460.000 passengers by the end of the year. In 2011, Ljubljana welcomed a total of 1.369.485 passengers.
Ljubljana’s disappointing figures are largely the result of Adria Airways’ significant network reduction when compared to last summer. November’s passenger figures will be of great significance for the airport as it will show whether it will be able to maintain or even improve on last year since Adria’s winter network will mirror the one of 2011. Furthermore, there is hope that figures will improve with the arrival of Wizz Air later this month, which will launch flights from London Luton and Charleroi. Today, Adria Airways will officially unveil its 2012/2013 winter schedule at the Hotel Plaza in Ljubljana. You can view the minor modifications Adria has made to its network here.
It is not only Adria the main reason of their declining numbers. At the end of eighties and later Adria / Ljubljana had great advantage in comparison with other Ex-YU countries and have used it to the full extent. This is not year 2000 anymore, JAT has kind off come back to it's senses,travelers from Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro have much more options to travel, so they will for sure in future show very little or no growth at all. As for me, because of arrogant and humiliating attitude of Slovenian Police / Border Controls towards us coming from "Down South"(talking about my own experience) - I refuse to fly Adria regardless of their price and connections
ReplyDeleteThis is universal justice rewarding them for being the first to launch the flights to Pristina after they declared independence, trying to take profit from the weak point/actual turmoil in Serbian history.
DeleteThank you Slovenia, we'll remember you.
Are you for real? This is one of the most retarded comments I've seen in a while!
DeleteZloveniaaaaa
ReplyDelete@ex yu - I believe that your statement "However, it is expected that Slovenia’s busiest airport will gain some ground over the winter months and surpass Split to finish the year within the top five" does not hold steady ground for the following reason:
ReplyDeleteIf Ljubljana so far had managed to experience a slump of 14,5% how possibly can such airport overtake Split that's experiencing an average of 9% growth up-to date ?
let's say that Ljubljana miraculously grows for the rest of the year. It will still end with a slump of at least 8-9%. Split, even it it stagnates and overturns its numbers into negative, it is likely that it'll end a year with at least 7,5% growth.
So, according to the most optimistic scenario for Ljubljana and the most pessimistic scenario for Split, this is what you have...
2011 Split: 1.300.000 + 7,5%(2012) = 1.397.500
2011 Ljubljana: 1.370.000 -8% (2012)= 1.260.400
NOT even close. AND according to a more realistic scenario Ljubljana will end a year with 1.200.000 and Split with 1.430.000.
So please... check your calculations and stats before busting out... thnx.
maybe true, but LJU has far less seasonal traffic compared to SPU.but we'll have to wait and see...
DeleteVenice tricked german workhorses.
ReplyDeleteAh Venice
ReplyDeleteWhen zagreb gets done up....
When zagreb.....
When kim krdashian gives me some );(
When post is about Belgrade someone must say "when Zagreb..."
DeleteWhen post is about Ljubljana someone must say "when Zagreb"...
You really have complex of Zagreb... but that is understandable.
To me is not very understandable how can one have complex of Zagreb. Would you be kind enough to enlighten us please? Unless one comes from Ouagadougou i don't see how can he have a complex of Zagreb.
Delete@last anonymous:
ReplyDeletereality check. Croatia will end a year with 6 mil. pax for the year of 2012, so take that comment of yours and stick it up yours...and yes if you will Zagreb will get done up, that's for sure.
at least JP still has enough money to present their little timetable at the new Hotel Plaza in Slovenia....
ReplyDeleteBelgrade will have big drop when EU reintroduce visas for Serbian citizens.
ReplyDeleteThe European Commission stated that the meeting is not regarding the re-introduction of visas but stopping the asylum seekers. Sorry to dissappoint you.
Deletewhy would they do that? no need. We did not have flood of serbian citizens coming for work in the last years in western europe. on the contrary they are welcome visitors to many of the plagued EU economys. I wish we even would see much more of them
DeleteI was just worried, coz unfortunately I have only Serbian passport.
DeleteBEGLAX,
DeleteSome countries have up to 2000 Serbian citizens per month applying for asylum.
Yes, that is only about one or two countries. Also, as mentioned above the EU will not bring back the visas they will just work with national government in reducing the number of fake asylum claims.
DeleteJU520 BEGLAX - So now you don't live in Dubai anyomore (check AirArabia thread) but back in Western Europe (in the EU)?
DeleteDo you have multiple personalities or you're capable of teleportation?
Aerologic, you are annoying, leave the guy alone.
DeleteI ain't Aerologic neither signing under that name. I'm just sick of that guy "who's everytime exactly there where the subject of the topic is located" taking his geographical position as a prime argument, while supposedly working for a company which is miraculously somehow always more or less closely connected to the topic, all in support of his empty argumentation. Where he'll be next time and working for who, can we guess? First bet: Moon and NASA, in support of his dreams.
DeleteLju airport can be safe only If adria would feed LongHoul plane flying from Ljubljana.
ReplyDeleteEvery day to at least trhree destination... USA, Asia, MidleEast. What is the problem, why cant they think like that?
The same faith awaits Zagreb after entering the EU.
Deletevery true. Unless they bring regular longhaul to LJU, they are doomed. It seems LJU has no logic, no strategic overview what they would like to acomplish. They stil live in dreams, but they will soon wake up in a nightmare...
DeleteLJU airport still looks and feels like some small regional, unimportant airport, and behaves accordingly. In last 20 years the only thing they did was new taxiway and extention to terminal building and even that was under extreme pressure. First from ATCOS refusing to gamble with the planes taxiing on the runway and with planes approaching to land, the second was necessity due to Schengen rules. They constantly dream of cargo, but freighters have poor access, not to mention trucks. Terminal building is relatively poorly connected to highway and I could go on and on.
Now building-extending the Brnik airport infrastructure: another cathedral in the desert.
DeleteFor who?
Please, use brain and end monopoly of Adria and "mafia connections" government - Petrol (gas company) - Adria (state company).
They don't know how to handle business ... oh yes they know just for the sure taxpayers money and subvensions in various forms.
Please start to work: we are not iving in the 70'is anymore!
FlyNONSTOP will launch flights to DBV from KRS, to be operated by an E190!
ReplyDeleteBest from Belgrade.
I had to google KRS, a long time since that happened for an IATA code :)
DeleteHehehe sorry about that, I forgot to add the actual name. For all others it is Kristiansad in Norway.
DeleteKristiansaNd Airport - Southern Norway
ReplyDeleteLJU has a problem being to close to VCE and VIE with many cheap great travel options, namely VCE...and no borders! As the incoming business coming to LJU is small and the market itself is small, I cannot see what can be done. Longhaul services are, and will stay at VIE, VCE and further away MXP and MUC and ZAG is anyway more likely to get one possibly down the road...I dont know if theres really anything that can save LJU as Slovenians have no problem using other airports in vicinity with offers LJU will never be able to have. Unfortunately...
ReplyDeleteAnd other less developed apts in Ex YU region basically have to either use less or completely avoid LJU...so no long term sustainable option for growth there...
DeleteAdria also contributed to the mess by
ReplyDeletereplacing their base LJU with PRN.
Why should Lufthansa or Swissair fy to Ljubljana,
when even the national airline shows minimal interest for their home base?!
Maybe too many aircrafts for LJU market needs ans revenue oportunity in PRN? Just guessing..
DeleteAfter reading what Adria’s CEO said today they deserve to go bankrupt *-*
ReplyDeletereplacing their base LJU with PRN. LJU did not get replaced by PRN. PRN is extra and nice revenue for JP considering that flights to FRA and MUC have good loads, VRN flights are full and LJU-PRN has mostly CR9 oder 319 service.
ReplyDeleteWhy should LH and LX fly to LJU? LH and JP have a close cooperation, are in the same alliance. So JP operates the flights and LH is adding codeshare. same time JP feeds passengers into LH and LX network out of MUC, FRA and ZRH.
Considering that Germany, Austria, Italy and Croatia are the best trade partners of Slovenia and all of them are within a couple hours car drive from LJU, especially after the highway network has been completed, travel times to those places were reduced further. This for sure is one factor (also weak economy is forcing companies to cut travel expenditures). Weak economy situaton of Slovenia reduces also private travel. And comparing to other ex YU republics Slovenias diaspora is small, at least those visting the country regularly. LJU and JP used to be a gateway for ex YU to Europe, in the last couple years direct flights from Europe to those cities have increased.
What counts for business travel from Slovenia to Germany, Italy, Austria etc, is the same in regards of tourists. Most tourists in Slovenia are within car drive range.
Should the econompy pick up again and reforms are driven forward, we surely will see an increase of pax figures again. Seeing how difficult Slovenia is dealing with reforms, we might have to live some more years with downward trend figures.
Vueling is expanding its operations at BCN from summer 2013. season and they excluded BEG again. I bet the DCV didnt approve them.
ReplyDeleteNo, it has nothing to do with the DCV since there is an open skies agreement in place.They have not announced all the routes they will be opening so there is still a chance Belgrade is announced.
DeleteNo way...
DeleteVueling will never fly to Belgrade.
Beside Jat i only see WIZZ opening flights.
Btw i fear that Vueling in not so much time
will file for bankrupcy...
Based on what? They are doing more than fine especially now when they have an agreement with Iberia. On top of it all they will introduce a new product which will see them offer something similar to a business class product.
DeleteTheir growth is fueled by debt,debt and much more debt...
DeleteA Spanish airline as reliable
as a Sanish bank.
Adria press conference Hotel Plaza Ljubljana today:
ReplyDeleteAdria Says It will not Survive Winter Without EUR 9M Loan
Business, 16 Oct 2012 / By STA The chairman of Adria Airways Klemen Boštjančič said on Tuesday that the Slovenian flag carrier would not make it through the winter without an outstanding EUR 9m loan from the NLB bank and Unicredit banka. Meanwhile, Adria plans to provide 169 regular weekly flights to 15 destinations from Ljubljana in the winter.
Neverending story of urgent loans and rising price of the "national interest"in Adria Airways
While presenting Adria's routes for the winter season, Boštjančič said Adria had already expected the loan in September. He added that a step forward had been made, as NLB explained that the company had met all criteria for successful restructuring set as a condition for obtaining the loan.
Boštjančič said that Adria was operating better than expected, but that talks with companies in indirect or direct state-ownership would be needed in the future, since the prices these companies were charging to Adria for their services were among the highest in Europe.
He explained that the loan was part of last year's capital increase talks and was transferred back to the accounts of NLB and Unicredit for a year after they established that Adria would have a positive balance sheet until September this year.
They will get their loan.
DeleteThey want to show that Slovenia is
reliable as an economic partner...
at all costs!
I have two flights booked on Adria next spring, so I hope talks of bankruptcy are merely FUD to get loans more easily.
ReplyDelete