Ljubljana Airport outlines network development plans
Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport has defined its priorities for the expansion of its network a month following the demise of its main customer Adria Airways. Speaking at the Gorenjski Finance Forum, the airport’s General Manager, Zmago Skobir, said, “Out of the 29 routes operated by Adria, nine remain unserved. These can be divided into destinations within the former Yugoslavia and those in the West. It is certain that some routes are unlikely to resume soon, and some even never, such as Pristina and Tirana. Destinations in the West, which are much more important to the Slovenian economy and tourism industry, are relaunching. These include Frankfurt, Zurich, Munich, and Brussels. Vienna is slightly more difficult, but I am sure it will be launched soon”. He added, “Adria discontinued operations at the end of September. Within a week we had announcements for new flights. This was a great success for us, as we were able to respond quickly and maintain connectivity. We are now working on improving the scheduling of these new services. However, it will take some time, as aircraft are not readily available. We are working hard, and we will certainly have more convenient schedules in the near future”.
Commenting on replacing Adria’s network within the former Yugoslavia, Mr Skobir said, “Flights to and from Tirana and Pristina did not play a key role in the Slovenian economy and tourism sector. Skopje is a different story, and we will work hard to resume this route. Belgrade and Niš are already served by Air Serbia, which has increased both frequencies and capacity. Other destinations in the region are well connected via Belgrade”. Mr Skobir previously noted the airport expects for Czech Airlines to launch services from Prague while flights to Copenhagen would resume “sooner or later”.
The airport’s aspirations to secure nonstop services to the Gulf have not been diminished by Adria’s collapse. “The East continues to be another big market for us which is mostly served through Turkish Airlines. In my opinion, we do need flights to the Arabian Peninsula, which would act as a transfer point to other destinations. These are primarily Dubai and Doha. We have been working hard on this matter over the past six years, and we expect progress very soon”, Mr Skobir said.
The airport reiterated it would be hit by the bankruptcy of its primary customer in the short-term but that it should rebound within a year and a half. During the summer of 2019, Adria Airways had the most Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) on flights from Ljubljana to Frankfurt, Brussels, Tirana, Paris, Skopje, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Zurich, Pristina, Munich and Podgorica.
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