Lufthansa will receive the largest share of subsidies for maintaining flights to Slovenia, the country’s Ministry for Economic Development and Technology has announced, while easyJet has been disqualified from the aid program. As previously reported, nine carriers applied for the incentives including Lufthansa, Air Serbia, Montenegro Airlines, Air France, Turkish Airlines, Swiss, easyJet, Wizz Air and LOT Polish Airlines. Under the original tender requirements, carriers should have operated at least two flights per week to the country between March 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020 to have been eligible for the assistance, however, the government has seemingly changed the rules, now saying that subsidies apply to both airlines which have either operated flights within the set timeframe or will run services during the summer of 2021.
Lufthansa will receive 371.040 euros, followed by Air France with 176.160 euros, Turkish Airlines with 148.530 euros, Air Serbia with 98.130 euros, Wizz Air with 80.340 euros, Montenegro Airlines with 45,450 euros, LOT Polish Airlines with 43.620 euros and Swiss International Air Lines, which will receive 22.050 euros even though it did not operate a single scheduled passenger flight to Slovenia since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The Ministry for Economic Development and Technology noted it was seeking additional information from both Swiss and Wizz Air and that the aid could be revoked from the pair if they do not receive a satisfactory response. It gave no explanation as to why easyJet did not meet the tender requirements.
Overall, the Slovenian government disbursed 985.320 euros in subsidies for the airlines, even though a total of 1.5 million was originally allocated. The government plans another two rounds of subsidy tenders. Under the original timeframe and requirements airlines which are maintaining services between October 1, 2020 and May 31, 2021 must apply for the aid by June 10, 2021, while carriers that will serve Slovenia between June 1, 2021 and December 31, 2021 must submit their applications by October 11, 2021. Although the government initially said it had allocated another 3.5 million euros in funds for those flying from October onwards, the figure has now been reduced to just one million euros. An airline can receive a maximum of thirty euros per passenger flown.
They obviously realised this would look bad with Swiss so they gave them the least money. But since Swiss is owned by mumma Lufthansa they felt an obligation to give them something.
ReplyDeleteBeggars can't be choosers.
DeleteThose amounts are laughable, what the heck are they thinking?
ReplyDeleteGreat to see the ministry being so LCC friendly. They disqualified easyjet and are asking Wizz Air for extra clarifications. No matter that easyjet was the BIGGEST airline in Slovenia before the pandemic.
ReplyDeleteBut the most important thing is that they gave money to Swiss which carried 0 passengers to Slovenia from March to date.
DeleteSlovenia has no aviation strategy. Easyjet should get a subsidy as it flies to multiple destinations. Shame.
DeleteOf course Swiss received money. I am sure LH sent a threatening email to LJU making sure all of its companies get some sweet tax money they love so much.
ReplyDeleteeasyJet should sue them.
ReplyDeleteThat would be fun to see. But would also teach them a lesson. Be predictable.
DeleteThis tender was an absolute shambles with short deadline and rules made up and changed as the ministry felt like it. Yesterday government announced that they gave this sum (less than 1 million) and that it applies for airlines that have flown in summer 2020 or will fly in summer 2021 and then two minutes later they said that this tender was only for airlines that flew during summer 2020 and that 1.5 million had been awarded. Are they for real? Did they even listen to themselves?
ReplyDeleteThe ministry made a mockery of the whole tender.
DeleteAny last minute changes contravene the concept - if you want the airlines to make decisions based on something you announce, you need to be predictable. You don't want to cover past losses, you want to make airlines to fly to LJU in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe last minute change was never official. They just changed it when they announced the results so they could explain away why they gave Swiss money. If the rules stated it was also for airlines flying in summer 2021 then at least another 3 airlines could have applied.
DeleteWindrose for example.
DeleteSo airlines like Brussels Airlines didn’t apply because the tender requirements clearly said one thing but then the government changed the rules so they could explain giving Swss money??? The logic?
ReplyDeleteEU transparency <3
ReplyDelete" An airline can receive a maximum of thirty euros per passenger flown."
ReplyDeleteWonder how that calculation went for them when they were adding up how much money to give Swiss.
What a joke.
ReplyDeleteAnd then people wonder why Transavia didn't apply.
ReplyDeleteThey were the smartest after all.
DeleteI would say the smartest was Swiss.
DeleteIn terms of Slovenian aviation, the smartest were the 4K guys. They took millions, JP is dead and no one mentions them any more.
Delete90% of passengers travelling from/to Slovenia are mentioning JP because now travel is a nightmare if you are or coming to Slovenia. Now especially but it was not much different even before Covid and after JP demise time.
DeleteThere wasn't enough time for the market to adjust. JP went bust a month before the winter season, long before all the schedules were finalised and Covid hit before the summer season.
DeleteOf course, and what about schedule for S20? This was already prepared at end of 2019 when there was no sound about Covid. What's excuse for that poor schedule? They did not have enough time again?
DeleteCould have, would have, should have. We didn't have a S20.
DeleteEvery and each airlines published their schedule for S20. We know that it would be disaster in LJU even without Covid.
DeleteIt seems Balkan mentality is still very much presented in the beautiful country of Slovenia.
ReplyDeleteGiving money to an airline that operated no flights and carried no passengers to Slovenia while disqualifying an airline that actually flew and actually carried passengers. Nice going. So much for transparency and fairness.
ReplyDeleteThese figures are so low. And they reduce the joint budget of the second two rounds from 3.5 million to 1 million. What's even the point of applying?
ReplyDeletea bit of paperwork to get 20-300k euro? I dont know where you work but I would spend some time on that.
DeletePeanuts
ReplyDeleteStage is being set for Air Slovenia obviously.
ReplyDeleteHow exactly? Through this tender?
DeleteBecause they will say there was not enough interest.
DeleteThat's what I'm saying from the beginning. When they prepare 5 mio for foreign carriers and 70 mio for national carrier than you can see what is actually preparing. Actually good work from government!
DeleteExactly! I sure hope I'll be flying soon.
DeleteI hope not: another tragedy in making.
DeleteWhy is so easy to burn EU money, Slovenian tax payers money...?
I sure hope you are joking. You don't want others to have a job but you would gladly take government's corona aid?
DeleteAny news about Air Slovenia?
ReplyDeleteIf the EU allows it, it will happen. For now the EU has to approve the corona recovery program for Slovenia.
DeleteExactly. It's the EU's money to begin with and hopefully they won't allow Slovenia to burn it on such a waste, all for the sake of ego and nepotism.
DeleteNo worries, they will approve that as well because it will be established in cooperation with private companies. It's not meant to be 100% owned by Slovenia.
DeleteActually, I am looking forward to start working for Air Slovenia. And you are right about nepotism, my father is the PM of Slovenia. I'm sure I'll get the job because of that and not because I have a few thousand hours on various jets.
Delete@Anonymous09:59:
DeleteDon't worry about the money. It's not like it's (only) yours. I'm glad I'll have a chance to work as a pilot again.
So my tax money are supposed to fund your job because you don't want to go abroad and get a job? I am sorry we had Adria and it was a disaster. The number of airlines and passengers at LJU shows there is no demand for national airline.
DeleteAnon 10:54 so with your logic my tax money also shouldnt be spend on SŽ. Why should i be giving my money to workers at SŽ. They can go to Austria. Some people sometimes..
DeleteAnd did I say I support them? We are talking about aviation here. DL had a system meltdown with 83 cancelled flights because they didn't have enough pilots and you are here crying because you can't work for a state company funded by taxpayers. My friend there are jobs for pilots just not in Slovenia. ;)
Deleteno worries, there will be and this will happen really soon. I hope you will survive that :)
Delete@Anonymous10:54:
DeleteExactly, I want your money! Btw, you're not very familiar with the current state of affairs in aviation, are you? Work abroad? Where, planet Mars? Have you heard about a nasty little bugger called SARS-CoV-2? Aviation is dead everywhere. What an expert you are.
@Anonymous10:54:
DeleteI forgot to add: you're saying there is no demand in LJU, therefore no need for a national carrier, but you fully support the idea of subsidised flights? Am I correct? In other words, you are more than happy to donate your money to the poor Germans but not to your own (assuming you are Slovene) people? Uff, difficult stuff to wrap your head around.
@Anon 11:05: You're beating a dead horse trying to convince people there are jobs outside of Slovenia. Most Slovenians aren't willing to move abroad and rather stay close to their mommy, even though the EU passport and European licence give them fairly unique privilege in the grand scheme of things.
DeleteHe's Slovene for sure, 90 % that he is working in Fraport and 80% that he's Skobir or Krasnja. With managing this parking place at Brnik they have more than enough time to make stupid comments here.
DeleteAnon 13:08 great comment
Delete@Anonymous12:14:
DeleteActually, the only two dead horses here are you and your friend, mr. Annon11:05. Like the others said, Mr. Krasnja and Mr. Skobir, go and do your job instead of bashing people for supporting the national carrier idea.
Yeah, there are thousands of pilot jobs around the globe. Time to read something else besides Večer and Dnevnik.
anon 10:54:
DeleteAnd my money will be used to help out people during the covid crisis. Against my will. I want others to lose their jobs as well, just like me. At the end of the day we are all selfish.
Maybe they gave Swiss money because they part their planes in Ljubljana? lol
ReplyDelete*park
DeleteWhat a surprise...
ReplyDeleteExcept for Siwss getting money and Easyjet none, no other real surprises.
ReplyDeleteThere should not have been any surprises. The rules are straightforward. The government decided not to follow them
DeleteSlovenia definitely stabbed U2 by the back. I just don't understand the logic. And those amounts are really laughable coming from the richest ex-Yu country.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteTrue.
DeleteRichest is a misnomer. Least poor is more accurate.
DeleteThat's their intention to have an excuse to establish national carrier. They will just say: "we have tried with subsidies to foreign carriers and there was no effect. Now only solution is national carrier."
DeleteNational airline will never be successful, none have been for over 10 years (look at Nordica, Litiuanica, "air Belgium" etc). Only airline model that works is low-cost predatory employment model, and there's already enough of them in Europe. LJU best chance at gaining traffic is for Wizz or Easy to open a base, but they just told Easy to Foxtrot Oscar.
DeleteNational airline will always be better for connections
DeleteDepends what you mean with successful, for me it's success to have 2 mio pax at LJU airport where those passengers are spending their money in Slovenia. So 5 mio loss per year is drop in the ocean compared to what country gain from national carrier.
DeleteAnd there will be scheduled flights to moon from LJU before LCC would base aircraft here.
Setting up an airline and accepting that it will never make money? What is this? The middle east?
DeleteSuch flawed thinking. LJU could get 2 million passengers per year, maybe more, and the airline will make profits doing so, they just wouldn't be some nationalistic pet project
airline to employ friends of friends and have S5 on the tail.
It's seems you really were rejected by former JP, I'm really sorry my friend but that's not the reason to be against earnings for Slovenian economy. And who will cover the loss in economy because of no connectivity of Slovenia? You? And this loss is much bigger than we had to give to JP.
DeleteMaybe you will have more luck with applying for Air Slovenia, I wish you good luck.
So what you are saying that whole world is simply stupid because they are financing their own carriers? Probably they understand that for each euro they spend in return they get at least 10.
DeleteIt's not about pride or to have a job but it's simply fact that Slovenia deserve to have good connectivity. If you can achieve that with foreign carriers I would be glad but for now that way did not show any result.
"Depends what you mean with successful, for me it's success to have 2 mio pax at LJU airport where those passengers are spending their money in Slovenia."
DeleteA large part of JP's passengers were transfers. If you want to compete on the market, total travel time (and thus transfer time in the "hub") has to be low. So those passengers won't be spending much time or money in Slovenia.
ok large part was transfers but not majority. So there is still big par of that staying in Slovenia, spending their money here.
DeleteFor your health I do not recommend you to read today's Dnevnik, you might get hearth attack :)
What's the deal with the nepotism claims? Were there so many people rejected by Adria and are now holding a grudge or are people just plain stupid and believe every word their neighbor/friend/mommy /daddy says?
DeleteAdria must have been a real international enterprise for all those French, British, Kiwi, Australian pilots to have a connection on the inside.
Adria only started hiring foreigners, where there were no pilots in Slovenia left willing to work there.
DeleteLet's not be under impression it was a very welcoming and trully international company to work for, if you weren't Slovenian.
@Anonymous 14:40:
DeleteHave you worked there or is it just hearsay?
I have. Just remember the good old days when foreigners were held away by requiring the knowledge of Slovenian language to apply.
DeleteYou mean like Lufthansa requires knowledge of German language, Air France requires French, KLM Dutch, ...? I see, only Adria is different. Just because you didn't get along with someone, doesn't mean the rest of us were the same. You have a*holes everywhere as I have found out for myself when working abroad.
DeleteOnly thing is that French, German, Dutch are much more common languages than Slovene.
DeleteUmm, yes, because they are spoken by residents of much bigger countries, which coincidently also have much, much bigger airlines. If Adria used to have a pool large enough to attract locals, I don't see a problem to give the opportunity of employment to them first.
DeleteBesides resentment, I still don't see your point. With 12 aircraft and very limited job openings, you would want to employ expats before locals? I think this is unheard of. Hope they are treating you well as an expat, but be sure you'll be the first to go when things go sour. Have seen it with my own eyes multiple times. That is, if you even have a job.
Time to think as "locals" as all the EU citizens, as employers shouldn't discriminate against nationality. (I know, you will say they don't, but let's be honest... how many people in the world who aren't Slovenian citizens can speak the language?)
DeleteYes, it happens everywhere, but it's a very bad excuse, especially in the airline business where most things are done in English anyway.
Again, tell that to Lufthansa, KLM, Air France,... Such a small airline as Adria used to be, wouldn't make a difference if it didn't discriminate. Why should a German or French take my job (if we both have the same qualifications) without speaking a word of Slovene, but I wouldn't have a shot at getting a job in Germany without speaking the language. We're too small to let others take what little we have.
DeleteBut I agree, in aviation, national language shouldn't be a requirement. Level playing field for all of us. Not just some.
Not sure many will apply for the second round
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't if I was easyjet. Not worth it.
DeleteDisappointing
ReplyDeleteThis is preposterous. Is this what EU has come down to? I refuse to believe that Slovenia has abandoned the most basic European principles on decency and justice.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, it is what it is.
DeleteWhat additional info are they asking of Swiss? "Did you fly to Ljubljana"?
ReplyDeleteWaiting for pinky promise that they will fly in 2021.
DeleteLol Swiss was the smartest for applying.
ReplyDeleteThat's really unfair towards easyjet.
ReplyDeleteAre they for real???
ReplyDeleteSlovenia what the hell is going on with you? You lost your mojo like 15 years ago and you are no way near to find it back.
ReplyDeleteIt is dissapoiniting when a country like Slovenia, which has served as an example to the rest of ex-Yu does something like this that is so... ex-yu
ReplyDeleteHave we forgotten what mess both Slovenia and Adria were by the end? That whole saga lasted for over six months and the govrenment was clueless and they allowed JP to make such a mess of Slovenian aviation. Have we forgotten linked flights, unexplained suspensions and cancellations, not having enough money for spare parts, delays which were counted in hours....
DeleteYou are mixing 4k Adria and state owned Adria, those two companies were totally different.
DeleteYes, during 4K era, the government wasn't pouring in millions every year. That's the difference.
Delete5 mio per year exactly and they received 100 mio income in return.
DeleteNow they spend 0 eur and they have deficit of 100 mio eur. Good calculation! You are getting better and better!
Whose income exactly? Governments? 5 mio of help to get couple of 100k's in taxes. Nothing else. Do the math.
DeleteAviation in Slovenia is becoming a serious joke
ReplyDelete- Barely a couple flights per day to its main airport, and close to no flights to any other airport
- Expanding LJU terminal for who knows what
- Airline subsidies that are miniscule, plus no money to Easy but they pay Swiss which hasn't even been flying.
"Barely a couple flights per day"
DeletePeople aren't allowed to leave their municipality, what did you expect? FRA and MUC 21pw each?
I would expect that LJU drop would not be the highest among all EU airports. That's what we expect from Fraport!
Deletetell me how? There was even a drop on highway traffic! because we are not allowed to move around and we are not allowed to go out of the country (only for business and only for 12 hours).
DeleteYou do realize that almost same restrictions are in place all over the world and airports still have flights. Probably LF is very poor but still, airlines are operating except to our parking place (we can't even say airport LJU anymore).
DeleteWell hello Cpt. Jovanovic...
DeleteAll this commnets about Mr. Skobir in Mr. Krašnja... can wait to see your comments when German will be the next aiport's CEO
Probably it would be much better, at least they would realize that National carrier which would cost them nothing (Fraport) could bring them much more in return. Now we have those two which are against that large amount of people get job, Slovenia gets connectivity which deserve, Slovenian economy would gain,..There are only positive effects of National carrier. And I am 100% sure that with competent managers Air Slovenia could be profitable.
Delete@Anonymous 05:09:
Deletethe likes of you have no problem giving money to foreigners but are against the idea of supporting local economy? Maybe you should find exyumedicine forum and troll there. Physicians have huge salaries according to erar.si, since we all know that is reason for trolling (salaries and apparently nepotism).
"National carrier which would cost them nothing (Fraport)"
DeleteNice joke. Have a look for the last 10 years, how much Adria's debt was either never paid (bankruptcy) or converted by the orders of the government into hangar sale, AA tehnika sale, etc.
And yet, Fraport (LJU airport), Slovenia Control and Petrol were posting huge profits. Just ask O'Leary what his opinion is on the huge fees airport and traffic control are charging airlines.
DeleteSloveniaControl gets most of their income from enroute charges (for much lower operating cost than terminal traffic as well) and while fuel prices at LJU are indeed ridiculous, Petrol's aviation fuel accounts for a very small proportion of their yearly income.
Delete@anon 09:30
DeleteYou are a joke. Most of that debt was caused after 4k took over JP. So again you are mixing two completely different companies!
And like mentioned before, even with that debt Fraport managed to build new terminal without any credit. I doubt that would be possible without JP.
@Anonymous11:06:
DeleteSo you're basically saying I'm right. Fraport's charges are ridiculous (especially for a village airport such as LJU), Petrol is overcharging kerosine (and they have a monopoly in LJU) and who cares about Slovenia Control, since you already have two (state) companies making year on year profit. So Adria actually had a positive influence, since there was more traffic in LJU than after Adria's demise and employees were actually paying contributions into the state budget.
Glad we agree.
It's ironic considering Swiss was the first airline to say they would not fly to LJU either this summer or whole of winter.
ReplyDeleteSo dumb. Easyjet showed the most promise and potentially could have had a base there some day. It's like they want LJU to be a forgotten backwater, and at this rate, it will be.
ReplyDeleteLJU is being held down on purpose and harvested for carbon emission quota. These will be transfered to MUC and FRA for free, to facilitate the German post-corona aviation business restart. Slovenia, thanks to their parliamentary traitors is exactly what Africa used be 20 years back.
DeleteAnd now government will be guilty because LCC will not return back to LJU after situation gets better. Hah how foolish government was when they listened to Fraport, it would be better to save this 5 mio for subsidies and this money for national carrier (with existing 70 mio which is already prepared for that).
ReplyDeletedont know what to say really
ReplyDeleteShould have used this money to set up a subsidies program for low cost carries to offer new destinations from LJU, (and possibly MBX, let's be fair) starting in spring 2021 if Covid subsides by then.
ReplyDeleteTrue dat.
DeleteLCC maniacs again..Good luck with bringing them to LJU.
DeleteMaybe Fraport will give 'em a break -- given the *cough - Covid pandemic - cough*
DeleteRemember what I wrote a few weeks ago, administration fees, legal fees, salaries, etc etc..
ReplyDeletewill take a bite out of the measly sum of 1.5 million Euros, so what happens less than
900,000 Euros is handed out, does anyone in this group care how the 600,000 Euros
was spent....again Lufthansa Group got over 9 Billion Euros in aid and bail out...and we are
wasting time talking about them winning 371,000 Euros....your all good in mathematics..
9 Billion over 1 year is 24,5 Million a day!!!! Come on everybody ..wake up to reality!!!
What is the reality?
Delete9 billion that need to be paid back in full + interest...
Delete