Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson has ruled out the introduction of flights to Ljubljana, claiming the airport there is too expensive for the budget carrier. Furthermore, Mr Wilson criticised the Slovenian government’s decision to sell Ljubljana’s airport operator to Germany’s Fraport in 2015. It comes after Ryanair unveiled plans to open a base in nearby Trieste this summer. The carrier will station a Boeing 737 MAX 8 jet in the Italian city, which is located 115 kilometres from Ljubljana Airport, and launch new two weekly services to Berlin, Brindisi, Krakow, Beauvais, and Seville from March 31, complementing twelve existing destinations. Slovenia is currently the only European Union member state to which Ryanair does not operate any flights.
Speaking to reporters in Trieste, Mr Wilson said, “Slovenia and Greece are the only two countries that sold their airport infrastructure to foreigners, which in my opinion is a short-sighted move. Since foreign investors are not interested in the development of the region, they are only interested in profit. Therefore, unfortunately, Ryanair does not invest in Ljubljana, because it is simply too expensive”. The Slovenian government granted Fraport the right to operate Ljubljana Airport’s infrastructure for a period of 99 years after the German company acquired the airport’s operator. Mr Wilson said Trieste was selected as a base after the municipal government abolished local airport taxes.
Ryanair has shown interest in Ljubljana on numerous occasions. It last held talks with the Slovenian government in January 2023. Ljubljana Airport has previously said it held talks with Ryanair noting, “We welcome all airlines that fit into our business model”. It also denied that it is an expensive airport. General Manager, Babett Stapel, noted late last year, “We would like to set the record straight - our charges aren't keeping airlines from taking flight. Market size is a key factor”. Ms Stapel pointed out that discounts are offered to new carries launching flights to Slovenia and that Fraport Slovenija's fees are competitive.
What a surprise
ReplyDeleteTypical Ryanair...
DeleteRyanair will only grow! And so can your jealousy too! Slovenia doesn't bend down to Ryanair, but it does to Germans. How much money it gives to Lufthansa? 😅 It's funny. Who benefits from it? Not many.
DeleteЗнате, мало је непрофесионално је да Рајан причао о, у овом случају, Љубљани у Трсту. Испада да је кисело грожђе или врше притисак на Љубљану. А у Загребу, где је локални превозник пупчаном врпцом везан за ЛХ, онда је то у реду и нема проблема. Барем за Вас.
DeleteIn this case Ryan CEO has right. To sell airport to foreign company for 99 years is stupid
DeleteАеродром у Љубљани није продат. Он је дат у концесију. Макар, како Ви кажете, на 99 година. Али је дат у концесију. Да ли је он, мислим на директора Рајана, порески обвезник републике Словеније, па сад нешто приговара?
DeleteNije dat u koncesiju. Procitajte clanak lepo je sve objasnjeno. Operater aerodroma je prodat (privatizovan) za sva vremena, a drzava je toj firmi odobrila da 99 godina upravlja aerodromskom infrastrukturom. Znaci nema nikakve reci o koncesiji.
DeleteДа сте мало боље прочитали видели би ово: "Словеначка влада је Фрапорту дала право да управља инфраструктуром љубљанског аеродрома на период од 99 година након што је немачка компанија преузела оператера аеродрома." Нигде не пише да су Словенци продали аеродром у Љубљани. А то што су га дали у закуп на 99 година је ординарна глупост, а и не знамо услове закупа.
DeleteAnd market size in trieste is do much bigger ghan in ljubljana, right.
ReplyDeleteYes it is actually. It is a rich city, it attracts traffic from all of Istria and western Slovenia, it has train connections to loads of Italian cities and villages in the region. Italy has huge business travel and tourism.
DeleteAnd the fees (according to Fraport website, at least) are, although not the lowest, still comparable to Zagreb
DeleteWhat Ryanair really wants is to get a shitload of subsidies to fly to LJU
09:40: right. and 100km away there are 2 ryanair bases. And no, trieste is not richer than ljubljana region. sure italy has huge business and travel tourism but not trieste.
DeleteLol, Trieste is a rich city? Maybe 50 years ago...
DeleteTrieste is named in the top three cities for living in Italy. It is a student city and has one of the biggest seaports in Europe, its the main sorce for import for Austria. So i wouldnt say that Trieste doesnt has huge bussines and travel tourism.
DeleteIt has a far higher GDP per capita then Belgrade does.
Delete@10:59 I don't think you've been to Trieste very recently... If something student city it is not, most of young students choose to study somewhere else, even in Ljubljana... and Koper is and has been the most important port for Austria for decades now.
DeleteOkay i was wrong for the import of Austria but there are many students in Trieste from all over the world and people from Asia who come to live there.
DeleteTo anonymous 11.29 Trieste university is way more multicultural and attracting more foreign students and people working in research institutions than Ljubljana. The trend that you are talking about was valid shortly before COVID time not now. Ljubljana is attracting exyugo students and bilateral collaborations that are very unsure (possible lack of funds). Trieste with all it's problems, it's still researchers city world known in certain fields. Many specialist for all around the world are arriving. Trieste is considered "secondary" in Italy it's not the capital. So It's doing well considered the geographical position.
Delete@12:22
DeleteWhat??? Chill down.
Love Trieste, I think is amazing and I cannot wait to go back. But like the rest of Italy, got devastated economically by the euro and the outflow of manifacturers to cheaper places in EU and China. So I am not necessarily sure the average person in the capital of Slovenia doesn't have more money than the average guy in Trieste. Even if you make more the taxes in Italy are absurdly high and so is the cost of live
Delete@13.50 You are right. Electricity in Slovenia is way cheaper than in Italy, most taxes are lower. In Italy there is an expensive property tax to be paid every year. Nothing of this in Slovenia. If you have many properties the amount is huge. In Italy even if you have just one big house (as first home), is counted in m2, with a nice garden the amount to be paid yearly is big. Without a reasonable income put apart for it you can't keep properties. Many Sloveniansare living in big houses with small income.
DeleteIn Italy tax for luxury cars is huge: buying and yearly. Nothing similar in Slovenia. Companies are paying bigger tax to operate in Italy.
Yes, currently life in Slovenia is way cheaper.
To be fair pensions for regular jobs in Italy are still higher and safer, on a long time scale, than in Slovenia...
DeleteLove Trieste, the city of my youth! Still, it is worth noting the fact that it's population is among the eldest in Italy. As if the rest of Italy can't still absorb Trieste's Austro-Hungarian heritage.
DeleteTRS had 700.000 passengers in 2022....
DeleteTRS had 930.000 passengers in 2023 ...
DeleteWow 930.000 pax that is huuuge for very developed city
DeleteWell isn't the Slovenian government covering 50% of Fraport's fees with their subsidy program? (which is crazy within itself since the private owner looses absolutely nothing and gets the added bonus of a new carrier).
ReplyDeleteMakes you wonder what was the point of giving the airport to private operator?
DeleteWell they built a brand new terminal
DeleteAgain, typical Balkan negativity. Just one thing as the guy above me said: they built a new terminal, an example of a clean and tidy airport. I don't think there is an airport with a more orderly building than LJU in the region, BEG is big but still too slow to be as ordered as LJU.
Delete0903, and Tesla is operated by whom exactly??
Delete^ I don't understand your comment. There is a difference between giving the airport for concession and outright selling the airport operator. If you read the article, you would understand what sort of arrangement they have in LJU and it is very rare in Europe.
DeleteCalling BS here. But it's Ryanair, hard to expect something else. I think they are flying to Burgas and Varna, both managed by Fraport. So where is the difference? Another good reason to never fly with this karikatura of an airline
DeleteThey just cover Slovenia via Trieste. Goodbye if it's dear to you.
ReplyDelete+1 most of peoples in South Slovenia uses TRS, i also i am from Koper.
DeleteIt's used as first choice by over 30% of the Slovenian market. Considered mobility of Slovenians, car driving is not a problem, with new flightsthe interest can be higher.
DeleteTrieste can be a secondary hub for travellers to Venice in case long distance tourism will boom again.
Trieste airport is so underrated.
Anon 09.18, Do you also use Pula and Rijeka?
DeleteBerlin good for slovenian passengers also spanish destinations.
ReplyDeleteBerlin is useless.
DeleteWhy?
Delete2 times per week only. Sunday and Tuesday
DeleteBerlin should be brought back urgently from LJU.
DeleteBerlin is one of the top unserved destinations lol
DeleteWhy are they lying all the time? Ljubljana's taxes are a bit lower than Zagreb's. We can all check ourselves online, all prices are published. So I don't know why they keep promoting that point.
ReplyDeleteZagreb organized a special incentive program just for Ryanair so the actual fees in Zagreb are not applicable to them.
DeleteIt's just that TRS gives more incentives, it's cheaper.
DeleteAnd Fraport offers 50% discoint on all new routes as well. And these fees can be again halfed by applying for the government's subsidies.
DeleteLjubljana's airport service charges are not published online (except for business and private flights).
DeleteAnonymous 9:05, no. The italian region abolished the tourist tax.
DeleteMy guess is Ryanair acts like a bully with LJU since they know that traffic is below average they ask to pay absolutely nothing, expecting the airport will cave in.
ReplyDeleteIt will happen eventually, and Ryanair knows it. It is waiting to be paid to fly there.
DeleteYeah seems normal Ryanair negotiating tactic. They do it with Germany as well on a bigger scale and I am sure many other airports.
DeleteHow are they acting like a bully? They are just saying they aren't planning to open a base in Ljubljana for the reasons mentioned. Did they come to LJU and throw stones at them because of their high fees?
DeleteRyanair is not bullying, they are outright lying. Saying that one of the cheapest countries in the EU is too expensive is just pure ignorance.
DeleteThere is a difference between being a cheaper country and an airport, because these two things don't have to be in coralation. That should be a common sense.
DeleteAnd in this case they are in correlation. LJU has the cheapest taxes in the region. What they should have said is "We will only fly to LJU if someone pays us to fly to LJU".
DeleteCan you post the link to those taxes and fees?
DeleteIn that case I hope Fraport caves in. I really want to have more options to fly from Ljubljana other than freaking Skopje and Belgrade.
DeleteKdo pa te sili, da letiš v SKP ali BG. Muči te le tvoja nacionalistična žilica.
DeleteSo much bs from Ryanair again. Eddie and his boss are like small children when they don´t get what they want (= getting paid to fly somewhere). They can always use Maribor if LJU is too expensive :D
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteI can only imagine what kind of terms they got in Zagreb.
DeleteRyanair is like an ugly sexist bully who says girl is ugly when she refuses to copulate wit him. There is a very good docu on Arte channel explaining the mechanics of their operations in particular how they got arround explicitely forbiden state aid for airliners (they have separate company for promoting tourism, to which local communities pay for “marketing services”).And it is hillarious to hear from Locus Ryanair pointing fingers to profit makers….
DeleteThat's not state aid.
DeleteHow come FR has no problem flying out of dozens other airports operated by Fraport in Europe?
ReplyDeleteFor example from 14 Fraport operated airports in Greece and without receiving any subsidies or preferential treatment.
Despite moaning about it but still choosing to fly there.
+100
DeleteBecause Greek destinations have a brand value and demand, which can be converted into profit despite the (relatively) high airport fees. Slovenia does not have that.
DeleteNo way.
DeleteBig doubt that any individual Greek island other than the big ones like Rhodes, Crete, Corfu get more tourists than Ljubljana in the summer
Delete"Since foreign investors are not interested in the development of the region, they are only interested in profit." OMG, what a cynical statment !!!! And Ryanair is the most charitable organisation, protecting local airports against aviation predators."
ReplyDeleteThey absolutely are. We can see how well they did with airports like Reus (which they abandoned practically overnight) and Hahn (which hasn't seen profit since Ryanair came)
DeleteThey always bitch about this and that when in reality they're simply not a healthy long term prospect for most airports
Hahn wouldn't exist with Ryanair. Reus shot themselves in the foot. Hundreds of other European airports love Ryanair.
DeleteOf course they love FR as they do not make any profits at all.
DeleteReally? HUNDREDS of European airports make no profit at all?
DeleteIf an airport is run by the smart people, they know how to live from extras and not just the pure tax. It's easy to run the building if you have thousands people visiting daily. You charge.them parking, fast check in, fast security lane, lounge, food, drinks, duty free. Once you change the model to being thankful to Ryanair traffic and making food strategy on how to make money.
DeleteI believe that era when airports lived from airport tax is over.
You can be Bergamo or Ljubljana... Now the smart ppl whose job is only commenting here will say thanks god Ljubljana is not Bergamo, but those who really travel wish it to become one. Doesn't matter how and in what price.
Young people in Slovenia have opportunities to travel abroad by plane equal to those around Mostar airport. And this is shameful.
Giving them some benefits, brings benefits to local population. Maybe not in the bubble where you live, but compare travel tradings o youth from Slovenia and from other EU states.
Good strategy* (not food)
DeleteAnon 12:07 You’re joking about Mostar right? For people in Slovenia it’s Ljubljana, Zagreb, Triest, Venice, Graz, Rijeka, Pula, Klagenfurt. These are just in a 2h radius. Many more a bit further.
DeleteAnon 10:03
DeleteOh please, the only thing FR did for Hahn was deceive travellers into flying at an airport more than 100km away from its advertised city
I don't agree with most of what Wilson said but I completely agree with him that selling your airport operator is a very short sighted move. There is a reason countries give airports up for concession and do not outright sell their operators.
ReplyDeleteFraport's taxes are not a problem. They fly to far more expensive airports. They just think they can bully LJU into paying them for flights because they think they are desperate. But Fraport isn't budging.
ReplyDeleteTrue
DeleteThat's why he says that Fraport only thinks about profits. I mean hello, what else are they supposed to think about.
DeleteBravo + 1
DeleteAlso Fraport is entirely happy with keeping LJU a feeder port for Munich and Frankfurt while they wait
DeleteHow much are the fees at LJU? Wizz and easyjet don't seem to have a problem with it.
ReplyDeleteKeep in mind that Wizz and easyjet have significantly reduced ops from LJU. Even the subsidized SKP-LJU route does not make up for all the other suspended and downgraded routes.
DeleteYep, easyjet used to fly to Milan, Berlin and STN as well, while Wizz used to fly to Charleroi.
DeleteMost LCCs need some sort of incentitive to fly to capital cities
Ljubljana is right not to accept Ryanair's ridiculous business terms.
ReplyDeleteWhile all the other states where they fly are stupid.
Delete"Since foreign investors are not interested in the development of the region, they are only interested in profit"
ReplyDeleteAnd Ryanair is doing its business out of the goodness of their heart
"We welcome all airlines that fit into our business model."
ReplyDeleteWhat is their business model?
High fees :D
DeleteFly to Lufthansa hubs and make profit off transfers
DeleteFraport management does not want to convert LJU into a LCC. I respect that.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteWell TRS is used exclusively by Slovenians so why not count that FR flies to Slovenia although via Italy and the airport that are used by both countries, there are also passengers from Austria (I have noticed the registration of the cars, those from Slovenia are the most )
ReplyDeleteFR would destroy lju. They would demand a lot of money and if they wouldn't give it to them they would pack up and leave. Well known scenario.
ReplyDeleteLike in Klagenfurt
DeleteReus, Weeze, Hahn, etc.
DeleteThese airports would not exist without Ryanair.
DeleteThe sooner corrupt bullying Ryanair go bankrupt, the better for European Aviation.
ReplyDeleteNot happening anytime soon, as they're probably one of the financially healthiest airline in Europe, if not the world.
DeleteNot probably. Their profitability is off the scale in Europe and outdone only by the US airlines.
DeleteWhat airport did Greece sell? ATH?
ReplyDelete14 airports (but not ATH), you can find the list on Fraport's Wikipedia article.
DeleteThe new ATH airport which opened in 2001 was private from the beginning.
DeleteAlso the new airport that will replace HER in central Crete and is currently under construction is private too.
Those 14 airports were not sold - they are under concession. LJU was sold.
DeleteFor Ryaanair to launch flights from Ljubljana they would have to get support not just from the airport but also from city authorities (tourism board) and even government.
ReplyDeleteNo they would not. Why are you spreading this nonsense.
DeleteBecause it already happend years ago when they flew to Maribor and is still happening now in over 25% of their destinations. They feel that when the market is small they are doing it a favour and they should be paid for it.
DeleteThat’s because LJU is a boutique airport. Legacy carriers only
ReplyDeleteIt also has boutique passenger numbers too.
DeleteInterest to fly to Ljubljana is over estimated. Nearby airports are providing the needed destinations.
DeleteLjubljana should have reacted immediately after Adria went bust. Instead of focusing so much on Lufthansa and its satellites it should have focused on getting an LCC. Ryanair could have opened a base in Ljubljana rather than Zagreb.
ReplyDeleteYou would think that when Adria went bankrupt, the airport would try anything and everything to get an airline to base planes. Instead, I think Ljubljana Airport was one of the few every to actively discourage anyone from opening a base.
DeleteWho did they discourage?
DeleteDo you not remember a small thing called COVID?
DeleteCOVID happened about 6 months after Adria went bankrupt, and if Fraport had serious plans, Ryanair would have announced a schedule for SUTT 2020.
DeleteYou snooze, you loose.
Ryanair would be an absolute hit and give a lot of airlines in LJU a run for their money. Unfortunately just a dream.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteRyanair is present at so many Fraport airports. Why should LJU be any different?
ReplyDeleteWell they say why
DeleteI'm not buying that argument, precisely because they fly to so many Fraport airports.
DeleteYears go by and always the same news about Ljubljana, it's annoying.
ReplyDeleteThey first dismantle Adria, then decide not to set up a new one. Now they refuse to subsidize LCC like others, yet wonder why LJU isnt treated equally as some tourist hotspot island.
Despite Slovenia having the worst numbers in aviation from the ex-yu republics, it is still 2nd most visited country by foreigners just behind the Croatia and far ahead of any others... I don't think they need to worry about hotspot for turists
DeleteMight be wrong but i think Ljubljana is yearly-vise most visited capital city in the EXYU region
DeleteLjubljana 2023
Delete1.1 million tourist visitors
2.3 million overnight stays
Zagreb 2023
1.3 million tourist visitors
2.5 million overnight stays
to have 1.1 MIO visitors and population of only 270.000 is amazing.
DeleteNumbers are very close for the two cities, considering LJU has like 3 times less traffic than ZAG
DeleteBelgrade 2022 (can't find final data for 2023)
Delete1.18 million tourist visitors
3.18 million overnight stays
Just behind Croatia? Croatia has 18 million foreign tourists a year, Slovenia 5 million, Serbia 4 million. How is Slovenia just behind Croatia and far ahead other republics?
Delete2023 foreign turist
DeleteSerbia: 2.134.305 (SeeNews, Jan 31 2024)
Slovenia: 4.456.800 (STA, Jan 2024)
Croatia 18 million. So how is Slovenia just behind Croatia and way ahead other ex-yu republics?
DeleteFriuli Venezia Giulia FVG (Trieste airport) is a region with a special statute. So they can and made a rule to cancel the 6.5 euro airport tax. They additionally cancelled the 2.5 euro tax..
ReplyDeleteThe rules how the FVG can manage taxes is different, in same aspects, then regions without a special statute (others with such statute are Sicilia, Sardegna, Trentino Alto Adige and Valle d'Aosta). So each departure pax cost from Trieste is 9.0 euro lower. Region Veneto (Treviso, Venezia), not a region with a special statute, can only cancel the 2.5 euro tax. Local politicians are asking for it. Treviso LC base sees a competition from Trieste. There is enough space for both of them.
Regions with special statute can make school vacations dates more freely than others etc.
By the way friday and sunday flights with Ryanair will start in June on the Trieste - Budapest route.
Trieste airport is telling Ryanair and another airlines arrivals will bring locally additional 600 jobs.
We will see. The airport has the potential(around, railroad connections etc ), location ..
During low season and not peak time, LCA at Trieste airport can count on Slovenians to fill seats on otherwise quite empty flights. A huge amount of Slovenians can take, at least short, vacations whenever they want. The only issue is money: if air tickets are cheap they will go, destination is not that fundamental.
ReplyDeleteThey are toying with Lju. They know the situation in Lju and that the people are desperate to fly with them for lower prices across Europe. They are just waiting that Slo gov gives them their millions and they will start flying.
ReplyDeleteMaribor?
ReplyDeleteThey don't care about flying to Slovenia in general, they just wanna see big subsidies thrown in their face by the government
DeleteIt’s depressing here in Lju and even if some will still defend that, I must say that 2x weekly Cph and 12 summer Crj rotations to Madrid are not exciting. No airline has a plane based here, we don’t have a national airline and the Lcc’s keep cutting rotations ( we have lost Charleroi, Berlin, Stansted and Luton is being stopped for a month or two). Even the subsidies don’t attract anything serious and we keep on getting some news about a new airline who plans to fly Maribor- Hong Kong route and have an A330 base in MBX. Even those rumours about Cyprus airways and AirBaltic stationing a plane or two in Lju apparently vanished. It’s pretty sad
ReplyDeleteCounter popular belief, that Ryanair gets direct money from the region - they are too clever to do that. Ryanair has a separate business which is dealing only with marketing, but not directly Ryanair, but the region or the airport with which they have a "contract" or better said - which sells their asses to Ryanair. Because for the benefit of bringing loads of passengers, they give Ryanair everything - they give them much lower fees (or don't charge at all), they pay hundreds of thousands for marketing of their airport/region, they give them all they ask for. Then Ryanair floods the airport and makes them totaly or in large part dependent of them. Plus, they force their staff to concentrate mostly on selling items on board and much less on providing safety. See ARTE documentary if you have the stomach.... https://www.arte.tv/en/videos/114522-004-A/ryanair-pirate-of-the-skies/
ReplyDeleteMore happy news! Wizz removed LTN-LJU for this summer. Bravo Fraport!
ReplyDelete