Ljubljana Airport targets 900.000 passengers in 2022
Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport is confident that next year will bring further growth on its way to recovery as it looks to end 2021 by welcoming a total of around 407.000 passengers, up 40% on last year but still down 75% on the pre-pandemic 2019. This figure is expected to grow to 900.000 travellers in 2022. The airport’s General Manager, Babett Stapel, believes a full recovery will be achieved in 2025, based on Airports Council International Europe modelling, but warned that new variants of the coronavirus could have an impact on the airport’s performance in the years to come. Speaking to the STA news agency, Ms Stapel noted next year should see some nineteen airlines maintain operations to Slovenia’s capital. In addition to Flydubai, which handled 4.800 passengers in its first two months of operations to Ljubljana, with plans to continue serving the city over the coming summer, next year will also see Lufthansa restore services from Munich, Finnnair return its flights from Helsinki, while Transavia France will introduce operations from Paris Orly. An airline is expected to restore flights between Niš and Ljubljana in 2022 as well, while Iberia, which introduced seasonal services this summer is likely to return next year.
Commenting on the airport’s position towards the establishment of a new Slovenian national carrier following the demise of Adria Airways in 2019, from which Ljubljana Airport is yet to recover, Ms Stapel noted, “We will support any solution that is sustainable and improves connectivity”. The Slovenian Ministry for Economic Development and Technology has turned down several offers by airlines to either establish the country’s new national airline or station aircraft in Ljubljana. 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. However, the Ministry said it had not accepted a single offer.
Ljubljana Airport’s General Manager noted her satisfaction with the recovery process so far and is hopeful travel restrictions will be eased in the future. She pointed out that demand is still relatively low and some destinations, especially in Asia, remain closed. According to Ms Stapel, the aviation industry will consolidate small and medium-sized carriers in the coming years, so there will be fewer airlines, but they will be stronger. Ms Stapel forecasts that as competition contracts, ticket prices will rise, which will be further exasperated by environmental taxes. There will also be less capacity according to the General Manager, as carriers will not fly with half-empty planes and routes under 500 kilometres will be shelved due to new green policies. With all these expected changes in the aviation industry, Ms Stapel sees airport operator Fraport Slovenija as a stable and more sustainable company, which will fully recover from the pandemic over the next five years.
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