Former Maribor Airport operator to sue state

NEWS FLASH

The former Chinese operator of Maribor Edvard Rusjan Airport, which had its fifteen-year concession cut short last year by the state, plans to sue Slovenia for 2.1 million euros, the equivalent of the lease payments for the duration of the agreement, plus other costs and lost profits. The lawsuit will claim the state dragged its feet over the adoption of a zoning plan which would have enabled the operator to extend the airport’s runway and thus turn it into a European hub for flights from China. The former operator also accuses the state of continuing to deceive potential investors, by stating in a recent call for a public-private partnership, that a zoning law was in the making. "It appears the state continues with its contentious conduct - by misleadingly attracting new investors willing to invest in Maribor Airport in the conviction that the state will fulfil its promises", the company said. The outgoing Infrastructure Minister, Alenka Bratušek, responded to the accusations, arguing that the plaintiff’s planned lawsuit had no chance of standing in court. The state cut short the fifteen-year concession after less than two years, accusing the Chinese operator of failing to fulfil its obligations, a claim it has denied.