Slovenia receives several offers for new flag carrier
The Slovenian Ministry for Economic Development and Technology has turned down several offers by airlines to either establish the country’s new national carrier or station aircraft in Ljubljana. According to the “Sierra5” portal, talks have been held with the Lufthansa-owned Air Dolomiti, low cost carrier Wizz Air, Slovenian cargo airline Solinair and the French Valljet. Recently, a carrier from the Middle East also expressed interest in establishing a new Slovenian operation. “All of the meetings were of an informative and presentational nature, in a way that would not cause or have any financial consequences for the ministry or the state of Slovenia”, the Ministry said. It added, “We received offers and proposals throughout last year and mostly during the first half of this year, just prior to Slovenia’s presidency of the Council of the EU, as well as during the first months of the presidency. We examined all of the submitted proposals and responded to them. They varied widely, from planned destination networks, the number of frequencies for each destination, as well as aircraft types for the new airline”.
The Ministry said it has not accepted a single offer. “We are still seeking the most favourable solution that would cover the needs of Slovenian passengers, as well as meet the requirements set out by the European Commission for the establishment of a new airline, which would have to involve a private investor, or several private investors, a sustainable business model etc.”, the Ministry said. Croatia Airlines is also believed to have submitted an offer to establish a base in the Slovenian capital. Talks over improving the country’s connectivity had also taken place with the likes of LOT Polish Airlines, Air Serbia, as well as the former President and CEO of the Etihad Aviation Group, James Hogan, who today heads a consultancy company.
The Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister for Economic Development and Technology, Zdravko Počivalšek, said this August that the government was still looking into ways to fill the void left by the collapse of Adria Airways in September 2019. “If we want to have better air connectivity in Slovenia, we will have to do something in this sector and find a way forward to enable progress, in cooperation with a private stakeholder. Currently, we do not have a national carrier, and air traffic is severely affected by the pandemic”, Mr Počivalšek said.
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