China calls for Slovenia flights

China has proposed for the establishment of nonstop flights to Slovenia, signalling a push to strengthen ties and enhance collaboration in trade, tourism, and cultural exchange. The announcement came during a recent visit by Slovenia’s Minister for the Economy, Tourism and Sport, Matjaž Han, to China along with a high-powered business delegation. Ling Ji, China’s Vice Minister and Deputy China International Trade Representative of Commerce, said the country would work on “establishing an air bridge” between the two countries, noting that introducing flights would significantly enhance convenience, as well as encourage greater movement of people and goods.

There have never been scheduled nonstop flights between the two countries. In 2013, Ljubljana Airport held talks with China Southern Airlines, upon the initiative of the airport’s CEO at the time, while a year later, the airline expressed interest in acquiring a stake in then flag carrier Adria Airways, as well as Ljubljana Airport. The government eventually settled to sell Adria Airways to a German turnaround fund, while the airport operator was sold to Germany’s Fraport. In 2016, the Chinese Embassy in Ljubljana launched an initiative for flights between the two countries to be established, with a proposal for Hainan Airlines to operate its service from Beijing to Prague via the Slovenian capital. Ultimately, the airline launched operations to Belgrade via Prague. In 2017, the Slovenian government advanced discussions with the Civil Aviation Administration of China after a carrier expressed interest in introducing flights between Xi’an and Ljubljana. However, the proposed service never materialised.

Chinese carriers have significantly ramped up their presence in Europe, flooding the continent with capacity and cheap fares as European airlines retreat from China over increased costs fuelled by the ongoing flight ban through Russian airspace. Chinese carriers have launched nonstop flights to smaller European markets, including Luxembourg, while recent permit requests have unveiled plans by Chinese carriers to introduce operations to the likes of Bucharest. Just over 34.000 Chinese tourists visited Slovenia last year with 66.570 overnight stays. Chinese tourists on average spend just two nights in Slovenia. Last month, China waived visa requirements for Slovenian citizens, enabling passport holders to visit the country for up to sixteen days without a visa. China is Slovenia’s most important trading partner in Asia. Almost 5.000 Slovenian importers and 500 Slovenian exporters do business with the country