Ljubljana in talks with EU airline over small base

Ljubljana Airport’s General Manager, Zmago Skobir, has said talks are underway with a carrier from the European Union to set up a base in the Slovenian capital. Speaking to the “Sierra5” portal, Mr Skobir said, “It is no secret that we are working on having at least one of the EU airlines set up a smaller base at the airport. We believe this would be the fastest and most effective way to improve our country’s air connectivity”. He added that talks were also being conducted with low cost airlines but ruled out Ryanair, which will set up a base in nearby Zagreb this September.

Although Mr Skobir did not mention the names of any carrier, it is believed LOT Polish Airlines will establish a mini base at the airport. It has filed for slots to operate seasonal one weekly services from Ljubljana to Podgorica, Brač and Olbia from late May, although these plans are preliminary and subject to change. Even though it has not put tickets on sale for its newly planned flights out of Ljubljana, its timetable for services between the Polish and Slovenian capitals change on May 29, indicating that the inbound and outbound service will not be operated by the same aircraft. The Slovenian government recently met with LOT executives in Poland to discuss the country’s air connectivity.

Slovenia has seen one of the biggest declines in passenger numbers in Europe last year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, with the trend continuing during the first quarter of 2021. It handled 18.364 passengers during the January – March period, down 90.4% on last year. Commenting on the results, Mr Skobir noted, “Statistics and analysis must be put into context. Air traffic in Slovenia is exclusively international in nature (there are no domestic flights). We are among the countries that had the longest and strictest lockdowns and Slovenia does not have traffic generated by expatriates, nor can it rely on mass tourism”.

EX-YU Aviation News

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