Adria Airways posts 2018 growth
Adria Airways handled 1.23 million passengers in 2018 in spite of operational issues it faced during the second half of the year, which resulted in the cancellation of numerous flights and bad press. The Slovenian carrier registered a 1.5% increase in traveller numbers when compared to the year before. The airline's busiest year to date remains 1987 when it welcomed 1.740.000 passengers on board its aircraft. The company handled 157.931 travellers from its secondary base in Pristina, down 10.9% on 2017. The airline is expected to report its financial results in September. Slovenian media have estimated that Adria's net loss will range between thirteen and fifteen million euros. The airline itself has only said the loss would be "significant" but has given no indication of an exact figure.
The airline has discontinued a number of unprofitable routes from the Slovenian capital in 2018, and has continued to do so into the new year. Out of the seven new routes introduced last year, all but one have been suspended, while services to Moscow and Dusseldorf were discontinued this month and its base in Paderborn has been shut down. The carrier has said it will further work on reducing risks in 2019. The airline recently signed a Letter of Intent for the acquisition of fifteen Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft, which are to be delivered from April onwards. This is on top of the three Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft Adria signed up for in June of last year, to be provided by lessor Regional One. Asked whether the order is still valid following the carrier's shift to Russian-made aircraft, Adria simply noted, "The order of the CRJ900 is still an option for us".
Adria's CEO, Holger Kowarsch, recently said, "We will work hard to position Adria Airways as a stable business for further growth. We already achieved substantial development and we will continue to expand the potentials of this company and build it into an even stronger airline in the future". The carrier will be recapitalised with ten million euros from its part-owner by the end of next month. "We see huge potential in the company, with our priority being to stabilise our operations and restore the trust of our passengers. There is a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we are confident that we will succeed", Mr Kowarsch added.
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