The Slovenian government has presented the Program for Greater Aviation Connectivity of Slovenia until 2025, which includes a list of up to fifteen routes the state plans to subsidise in order to secure new destinations. The government will provide a total of 16.8 million euros in subsidies to airlines over the next three years to launch new routes. The incentives will amount to up to 50% of the carrier’s airport fees in Slovenia. It is hoped the government’s plan will help kickstart the country’s aviation sector which has been hit by both the demise of national carrier Adria Airways in late 2019 and the coronavirus pandemic.
Ten routes have been listed as of utmost priority. The first group are larger hubs that can provide onward connectivity. They include: Vienna, Copenhagen, Athens, Madrid, Amsterdam and Helsinki. The second group of destinations are those aimed at point-to-point passengers. They include: Charleroi, Skopje, Prague and Berlin. The third group of destinations, marked as “supplementary”, will only be subsidised if there are enough funds left following the first public call aimed at the abovementioned ten priority routes. The supplementary destinations include: Rome Fiumicino, Stockholm, Oslo, Barcelona, Lisbon, Pristina and Paris Orly. If the Slovenian government receives the all clear from the European Commission to subsidise the new routes, it will launch a thirty-day tender on March 24 to find carriers willing to operate the "priority" routes. The new flights must be launched by the 2023/24 winter season at the latest. Only airlines from the European Union or the European Common Aviation Area will be eligible to apply.
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| "Priority" routes that will be subsidised |
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| "Supplementary" routes that will be subsidised if there are enough funds |
Ljubljana Airport has supported the government’s push to subsidise airlines to either maintain or launch new operations to the Slovenian capital. Regardless of the state’s plans, the airport anticipates a strong summer ahead. “The start of the year has been encouraging, with a significant increase in passenger traffic. The summer season will offer more destinations and flights. We are happy to soon welcome back Helsinki and Athens to our flight network. These popular travel destinations also serve as important hubs and will broaden the possibilities for our passengers to continue their journeys to the Middle East and Asia. We are also excited to see the third daily Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt and other frequency increases, which will substantially raise seat capacity on flights from Ljubljana Airport”, the General Manager of operator Fraport Slovenija, Babett Stapel, said.
My only bet is that Skopje is among them. As for the rest, not sure.
ReplyDeleteYes SKP is included.
DeleteGreat news!
ReplyDeleteI predict it will be 10 routes in total. Let's see.
ReplyDeleteI think that is way too much for just 3 million in subsidies per year.
Deleteit's 5,6 mio € per year
DeleteThere is enough money for 10 routes with moderate capacity and frequency.
DeleteLodz will be among them :D
ReplyDeleteSeriously?!?
DeleteAnd Szczecin :)
DeleteWell if they are fixing the list for Wizz and/or Ryanair then it will include these.
DeleteHoping for the best
ReplyDeleteMakes you wonder whether OTP and SOF had transfer or P2P traffic with Adria. They used to perform well. Tirana should work quite well.
ReplyDeleteOTP, SOF and TIA are not any more among top unserved routes. The figures were driven by Adria routes and partly transfer pax (especially TIA). I would say there is future potential in those routes, but the figures are very low at the moment and a direct route success is questionable.
DeleteBack then the LCC presence in OTP, SOF and TIA was much much smaller.
DeleteNow these airports are almost fully connected to the major European markets.
I don't see now how a LJU based airline could offer a competitive alternative.
And they are still waiting for EU to approve this program. Hope it happens sooner rather than later.
ReplyDeleteEU has been approving far, far larger subsidies to airlines the last few years.
DeleteThere won't be any problems with approving that plan.
WZZ is already operating TIA TRS by July which is 1.5h drive from LJU. So i don't 4hunk they will target LJU at all
DeleteIt will be a bunch of secondary airports with aim of Wizz or Ryanair starting flights.
ReplyDeleteWe will find out soon.
DeleteWZZ is already operating TIA TRS by July which is 1.5h drive from LJU. So i don't 4hunk they will target LJU at all
DeleteSo it depends on destinations if LCC will fly or?
ReplyDeleteAnother fail by the Slovenian government. In the "priority" list they put two destinations that will be served this summer. So they basically fixed subsidisies for Finnair and Aegean.
ReplyDelete3 routes in the priority list are operated. You forgot Amsterdam.
DeleteSeems they are aiming for consistent year round service. So yes, KLM, Finnair and Aegean would be incentivized to keep these routes at a respectable frequency during winter.
DeleteIt is probably the reason why Finnair and Aegean scheduled flights to Ljubljana this summer.
DeleteNo it wasnt the reason. The reason were numbers.
DeleteI think you need to be flying year round to be able to get founds
DeleteThe fact that there is no Bucharest listed just shows the lack of competence
ReplyDeleteYes. You are right, but the numbers dont agree with you. So, are we gonna change the numbers?
Deletehttps://www.exyuaviation.com/p/ljubljana-airports-top-unserved-routes.html
DeleteThe numbers agree with OP
This was true in 2019, but in 2022 OTP is not even in TOP 15.
DeleteAnd what is the top 15 for 2022?
DeleteMostly destinations from the program.
Deletewhere can I see the list of the top unserved destinations from Lju for 2022
DeleteSo Transavia, Finnair and Aegean have secured subsidies.
ReplyDeletePossibly we could see a return of KLM.
DeleteI am bit disappointed that there are no subsidies for the morning and the evening flights to BRU.
ReplyDeleteNo worries you'll have Charleroi instead 🤦
DeleteBut even Charleroi is on the list that will be subsidized if there is money left. So little chances of it happening.
DeleteThe comission is not eager to approve subsidies for increased frequencies. Only for new routes.
DeleteI am surprised they put Charleroi and not BRU
ReplyDeleteIt is tailor made for FR.
DeleteI really hope it will be FR rather than WIZZ flying the route. I like WIZZ, but they have become very unreliable.
DeleteOne or the other, better than noone
DeleteWhy on earth CRL would prioritized ahead of BRU?
ReplyDeleteThe EU business alone could support such a route.
But there are already flights to Brussels.
DeleteYes, but the timeslot are quite bad (and will get worse in the summer season) especially for daily meetings.
DeleteSo we could see potentially Iberia and Austrian return to Ljubljana.
ReplyDeleteAnd SAS could be coming
Delete^ I see Norwegian as being the more likely option.
DeleteDoubt Austrian will launch VIE-LJU. Its more likely we see Lauda Europe on this route.
DeleteWhat about Wizz on the VIE-LJU? Also Vueling instead of Iberia on MAD-LJU?
DeleteIf anything Vueling would launch Barcelona but as of Madrid that will surely be operated by either Iberia or AirEuropa
DeleteIf this does not bring back Aviogenex to LJU, nothing will
DeleteLet's go route by route: Madrid: Ryanair/Iberia, CRL: Wizz/Ryanari, AMS: KLM/Transavia, CPH: SAS. Ryanair, HEL: Finnair, BER: Easyjet, Ryanair, PRG: Ryanair, Smartwings, VIE: Austrian, SKP: Wizz, ATH: Aegan
ReplyDeleteI think that FR and W6 will play a major role. There is a reason they talked to them so much in the last year.
DeleteCheck criteria first
DeleteThe only destination I am excited to see is Madrid. The supplementary list I didn't even take into account because it probably won't happen.
ReplyDeletePrague!
DeleteI'm happy to see Vienna on the list!
ReplyDeleteNo UK destinations :(
ReplyDeleteSurprising
DeleteNot allowed. UK is not EU, neither ECAA area.
DeleteStupid EU rules
DeleteAnon 13:11
DeleteNope, stupid Brexit.
Overall not bad and kind of expected. I just wish they didn't include routes that are already operating.
ReplyDeleteMost of these, if not all, will be served by LCCs.
ReplyDeleteWith these 10 routes (not including supplementary) LJU should reach pre Covid passengers levels starlight away.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess we can conclude that the government will decide not to set up a new national airline.
ReplyDeleteHighly likely
DeleteJust the opposite.
Deletehttps://siol.net/novice/slovenija/bo-novi-program-izboljsal-letalsko-povezanost-slovenije-s-svetom-vzivo-601302
DeleteWho came up with this list?
ReplyDeleteThe government
DeleteWell it is something. Whether they will be able to find an operator for these routes is another thing but with the 10 additional routes, we should be well connected to all parts of Europe again
ReplyDeleteSo if they don't cover all of the ten priority routes they will move to the supplementary ones?
ReplyDeleteNice but they should have done this at the start of last winter season so these routes could launch at the start of the 2023 summer season.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteTrue. But the did have to pass the law in the national assembly first.
DeleteAnd they have to wait for EU approval.
DeleteI don't believe that should be a problem, as countries can subside airport fees. Also, Bratušek pointed out in the press conference that they are subsidising fees, not tickets which are not allowed per EU laws (26:48 from the stream https://www.youtube.com/live/P0HDv2-3Tjg?feature=share&t=1608 )
DeleteSomething similar Amelia said yesterday
https://www.delo.si/gospodarstvo/novice/v-dveh-mesecih-bi-lahko-z-brnika-leteli-kamorkoli/
Indeed the approval is expected as they followed EC guidelines strictly. There is not increase of frequencies included in the program (BRU etc) as that would be against the guidelines.
DeleteNot bad at all, although I wish LIS, FCO and BCN were also on the priority list.
ReplyDeleteI mean they are still in the "second" list.
DeleteGP Aviation will start flight from Pristina to Ljubjana on 31march each Monday and Friday
ReplyDeleteOperated by tourOperator.
Yes, no one mentions it!
DeleteThis time I think it will work!
GP Aviation is successful, until now they do not have a suspended route from Pristina.
Even the TradeAir charters were a success, filling the plane upwards of 80%, without any marketing etc. So this will surely work!
DeleteFull a320 PRN-LJU, almost empty a320 LJU-PRN, that's not 80%.
DeleteIf I remember correctly, they said that also time of departure/arrival will be one of the conditions to get subsidies. I am really interested how many flights will be operated in morning/evening rotations..
ReplyDeleteWhy not Sarajevo?
ReplyDeleteToo low P2P demand, even at Adria times there was a lot of transfer pax on that route.
DeleteAnd there wasn't on FRA/ZRH/BRU/VIE? I really don't understand you guys, every legacy airlines have transfers, without transfers you would not fulfill other flights and get additional revenue.
Deleteman if you have to take a flight to Rome FCO at the time of Adria from Sarajevo, i doubt there will be very much travellers who will connect to ZRH or Vienna to reach FCO. They could easily connect to LJU
DeleteSo, the same idiots that decided to sell Adria to 4K crooks are now considering setting up a new airline (siol.net/novice/slovenija/bo-novi-program-izboljsal-letalsko-povezanost-slovenije-s-svetom-vzivo-601302)? Given I might be given the opportunity to be based at home once again, I would like to thank all the dimwitted Slovenes who voted for these idiots.
ReplyDeleteBe happy that they are doing something regarding that. All other idiots were openly against new national carrier.
DeleteLike I said, I'm happy. But it makes ni sense to liquidate an airline and after 3 years set up a new one. Aircraft leasing rates have gone up considerably since the covid. Also, people got jobs elsewhere. Not to mention lost slots. Complete idotism which only Slovenian Steve Jobs and Black Mamba understand. And their voters.
DeleteBut what happened can not be changed, we can only look forward. I still don’t understand if you agree that Slovenia establish national carrier once again or not?
Delete@15:46:
DeleteI agree with you. But it pis*es me off when these idiots are destroying everything and yet, they keep coming back.
Honestly, I don’t know if I’m against the idea of establishing a new carrier. Since there might be something in it for me, I would like to see one (even though there is no guarantee the new airline would want me or I would want to work for the airline - Adria’s conditions were far from perfect, the biggest issue being fatigue).
On the other hand, I think that boat has sailed 3 years ago and setting up a new airline today makes no sense whatsoever. Unfortunately, due to stupid politicians (who are again in charge - some new faces, majority of them we already know), aviation in Slovenia is nonexistent. And I think it should stay that way for the next few years. But as I’ve been saying since 2019: if Slovenia wants air connectivity, we (the taxpayers) will have to pay for it.
Feeling fatigued in JP seriously?
DeleteAirlines are already done with the Summer 2023 schedule. If routes need to launch at latest by next winter, I think Slovenia will struggle. Most airlines start new routes during a summer schedule, especially now that they are scaling up operations after Covid. Operations will clearly not be scaled up ahead of a loss-making winter. At this late stage, routes can only be expected to launch by Summer 2024.
ReplyDeleteThat means Aegean and Finnair getting subsidies so LJU-ATH and LJU-HEL will be year-round routes??
ReplyDeleteLJU-ATH will be year-round but I think something like 2-3 weekly
DeleteI think the list of destinations is pretty good because there are some important destinations currently not served from ZAG such as BER, PRG and LIS. MAD is a very good consideration. Finally some hope for LJU to return to the European radar.
ReplyDeleteSo Black Mamba is not that bad?
DeleteAll of them can be served by Ryanair
ReplyDeletecan they? even if they dont base a plane?
Deleteim just reading slovenian media ... airline will receive additional points if they fly between 6am and 9 am - which means they would like to get someone to base a plane in ljubljana
DeleteDoes LJU have enough check-in counters to support more than LH+AF+TK morning flights?
DeleteThey have 22.
DeleteAnd they can use an old terminal. It was used and probably will be again for charter flights. Once upon a time there was even an idea to use it as a low budget flight terminal. Nevertheless, it will be in use.
DeleteI wish Lauda moves its 320 fleet to be based in LJU and ZAG gets Ryanair 737 metal instead, with combined frequencies from both bases to offer daily connections to various destinations. Probably will remain just my wish but think would be beneficial for FR, both airports, Lauda flight crews based in ZAG who are mostly Slovenes, and above all for the passengers
ReplyDeleteIf Ryanair decides to step in I think this is the most probable outcome for both airports.
DeleteNo Lagos ...
ReplyDeleteWell, our PM did say we’ll be going to outer space in the very near future. So I guess Lagos is still on the table.
DeleteAnd there were talks about two daily flights to Mars but they are waiting for Eu to approve it
DeleteLJU hub of the solar system!
DeleteWhy is helsinki so important for slo
ReplyDeleteasian tourist groups
Delete