Foreign carrier eyes new Slovenian airline
Former Adria Airways employees who were tasked with looking into rescue initiatives for the flag carrier have said a foreign airline has plans to set up a new company at Ljubljana Airport. The airline, which cannot be named at this point for confidentiality purposes, has proposed to register a Slovenian company and employ former Adria staff. The newly established carrier would use the Air Operator’s Certificate of its foreign owner while all aircraft would be leased. Former Adria personnel believe this is the best way to quickly establish a new airline. It has been reported that an offer has already been submitted by the carrier to Ljubljana Airport.
In 2015, Adria Airways itself helped establish a new airline in Estonia following the demise of Estonian Air. For a year following the foundation of Nordica as the successor to the bankrupt carrier, Adria was its most important partner, providing it with a booking system, as well as operational services and staff training. Nordica has since suspended scheduled flights, with several routes taken over by LOT Polish Airlines but continues ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance lease) operations for foreign airlines, among which was Air Serbia this summer. Latvia’s airBaltic recently outlined its growth strategy until 2025 which will include the opening of new bases across Europe, while LOT has said it will put a greater emphasis on the Balkan region. The Polish carrier, which boasts a base in nearby Budapest, is said to have already contacted a number of Adria pilots over job opportunities.
Meanwhile, Adria Airways staff are being served with job termination notices as the company’s bankruptcy proceedings get underway. In its 2018 financial report published this week, Adria Airways registered a net loss of 18.573.706 euros in 2018, its last full year of operations. It marks the company’s second biggest loss in its history, and a significant increase from a net loss of 5.4 million euros in 2017. Despite this, the company’s CEO, Holger Kowarsch, said in the report, “Regardless of the adverse impacts, we strive for continued growth and stable operations. The national carrier is an important part of Slovenian identity, as well as an indispensable element in establishing the country's business relations with the world, developing tourism and science. Therefore, we will continue to strive to keep Adria Airways an important partner of the Slovenian narrative”. The full financial results can be viewed here (in Slovenian, PDF document).
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