The Slovenian government is seeking a solution to what has become one of the former Yugoslavia’s least busy airports - Maribor. In 2024 it handled just 2.330 passengers. While Maribor does not have commercial flights, neither does Portorož on the country’s coast, however, it managed to welcome almost 22.782 travellers last year despite a smaller catchment area. The majority of Maribor Airport’s passenger traffic is generated through charters carrying sports teams. Efforts to find a concessionaire for Maribor Airport in 2023 were unsuccessful, despite a promising joint proposal from SIDrone aviation school and locksmith Ključavničarstvo Kunc.
SiDrone is making another bid to manage Maribor Airport, having recently presented its strategy to the National Assembly last month. The plan includes setting up a maintenance hub for both passenger and cargo planes and collaborating with neighbouring airports. SIDrone has expressed a desire for a long-term commitment to Maribor Airport, aiming for a partnership of at least ten years. In recent years, discussions have taken place between the Slovenian government and representatives from the leisure giant TUI Group, who showed interest in establishing a maintenance base at the airport.
Since 2019, Maribor Airport has been under the management of DRI, a state-owned consulting and engineering firm, following the early termination of a fifteen-year lease by Chinese investors in 2017. A significant hurdle for potential investors has been the absence of a spatial plan that would allow for airport expansion. The former Chinese concessionaire criticised the government for not fulfilling promises regarding this plan. Post-pandemic, the Slovenian government held talks with budget airlines such as Ryanair, Wizz Air, and easyJet, encouraging them to consider Maribor as an alternative to Ljubljana, which has been criticised for its high fees. However, none of these carriers have committed to Maribor under the current terms, although Ryanair briefly operated there fifteen years ago.
Had locals in Maribor continued giving subsidies to Ryanair who knows where the airport would be now.
ReplyDeleteCould have done wonders for that part of Slovenia.
DeleteYes, everyone knows that drunk British tourists that spend 7€ per night in a hostel bring prosperity to a region.
DeleteStupid comment at 0913
DeleteI feel like Maribor could have attracted LCCs if they made a bit of an effort.
DeleteI'm British and have stayed several times in Maribor, but didn't get drunk nor could I find anywhere for €7 per night... Keep on with your lazy stereotypes if you wish, but in reality you are talking about a very small percentage of Brits who couldn't spell Maribor, let alone find it on a map. The culture of the city not to mention Pohorje would attract the curious and respectful, not the Benidorm crowd.
DeleteSlovenia is a high income country. It's not an cheap holdiday destination. Average net salary is €1800 which is very similair to Spain and Italy
DeleteI remember fondly the Ryanair stewardess announcing that we would shortly be landing in Haribo.
Delete😂
DeleteFirst of all they need to establish LJU airport... Maribor and Portoroz are wet dreams!
ReplyDeleteSo the talks with TUI have failed?
ReplyDeleteQuite literally just ask Fraport if they are willing to oay 1€ of consession per year, and give it to them
ReplyDeleteFraport is terrible in Ljubljana, but if you give them the airport some MRO will be established and we might get 3 weekly flights to Frankfurt
For anyone wondering what the real problems are: The ministry for infrastructure says you need a new DPN (spatial plan) before allowing any new investment into new infrastructure on the airport but they will only start thinking about the new DPN once a new airport operator is found. The tender for the new airport operator has not been put out and only the ministry knows why. To add spice, the last tender had such strict requirements that basically only Fraport and Vinci could apply. Even FWAG that manages Vienna, Malta and Košice did not meet the requirements to apply.
ReplyDeleteWhy did they do that? That's crazy
DeleteThe current minister for infrastructure is in place to block any serious infrastructure development. The same can be seen on railways and roads where there are plenty of projects prepared with fully completed paperwork and guaranteed financing in the national budget and yet the tenders are not being published.
DeleteShame :(
DeleteBratušek destroyed Slovenian aviation during her previous tenure and now that she's Minister of Transport she's doing it again. Nothing new
DeleteIt's quite disappointing to see such a lack of progress at Maribor Airport. The government really needs to step up its game.
DeleteWhy not give subsidies for JU to launch two weekly flights?
ReplyDeleteOtherwise MBX should be shut down if there is no real demand. Slovenia is too small to make it with so many airports. Portoroz makes sense because of high yielding private flights.
Subsidies are available via the tender. JU did not apply. The only way for it to happen would be if the Serbian Government pushed JU to do so
DeleteJU is not eligible as an airline coming from outside the EU.
DeleteSuch a sad outcome for this airport. Hopefully they manage to find a partner.
ReplyDeletePity. Nice terminal and infrastructure
ReplyDeleteTrue. It's a shame that such a nice terminal is going to waste.
DeleteRyanair or Wizz would really be the only option for this airport in terms of passenger flights.
ReplyDeleteI remember reading here back in 2017 the Chinese wanted to land wide bodies in Maribor ;)
ReplyDeleteIt’s a pity that the government and previous concessionaires couldn't fulfill their promises regarding the expansion plans. While wide bodies were a pipe dream, the Chinese did actually have solid plans to expand the airport.
DeleteThey may as well shut it down. An airport for 2,000 passengers...
ReplyDeleteSomething drastic needs to be done to make better use of the infrastructure.
DeleteYou cannot just shut up the airport thinking you solved the problem. The infrastructure is there and it costs money to keep it, but also to demolish it. Outing a chains on the door would mean all is collapsing in couple of years, so you have to pay the guard as to secure iz etc... Repurposing it would be necessary but no matter the costs airport is best as an airport.
DeleteOr we should get Berane 2.
Hopefully, SIDrone’s new plan can revitalize the airport and attract more traffic
ReplyDeleteDoubt anything will come of it. The government just holds talks with everyone but does not do anything.
DeleteThere’s definitely potential there waiting to be unlocked.
ReplyDeleteThe strategic location of Maribor could be a major asset if managed correctly. It's all about finding the right niche or market to serve.
DeleteIf only Adria was still alive... They could fly to Southend
ReplyDeleteIf Maribor could tap into the cargo or charter markets more aggressively, it might just turn its fortunes around.
ReplyDeleteFor that you would need to have someone run the airport with an actual intent of making something of the airport.
Deletetough situation for Maribor
ReplyDeleteIt has been tough at MBX since 1991.
DeleteAnd before 1991 it was amazing?
DeleteWheather it was amazing I don't know but it had three airlines serving it and had scheduled domestic and international routes. Don't really understand why you are so triggered. Their pre 90s passenger statistics will tell you everything.
DeleteTimes have changed. Move on.
DeleteMove on from what? I just said the airport has been constantly in trouble and underutilised since 1991, which is a fact. Still trying to figure out why are you so triggered by what I wrote...
DeleteIt should be a MRO base and an aircraft graveyard with occasional cargo flights
ReplyDeleteGraveyards are normally in much drier regions (France / Spain, Nevada) - it makes no sense to build it in this region.
DeleteThey were busiest during Covid when some airlines parked their planes there.
DeleteSlovenia in terms of crucial infrastructure is definitely not a success story and Maribor Airport is one of the examples, that proves it perfectly.
ReplyDeleteTrue unfortunately. And not very understandable considering the country's relative wealth.
DeleteI am British.. love Slovenia and use EasyJet to LJu often. Slovenian always tell me that Maribor doesn't need an airport because " yoh can drive to so many places for flights". Met 4 last week who drive to Venice to get long haul flights???
ReplyDeleteI think SiDrone is managed by former Adria crew manager.
ReplyDelete