Slovenia to decide on new national carrier by mid-2023
The incoming Slovenian Minister for Infrastructure, Alenka Bratušek, has renewed hopes of the country establishing a new flag carrier, three and a half years following the collapse of the former national airline Adria Airways. Ms Bratušek noted that a task force is examining the feasibility of setting up a new state-backed carrier. "I believe that somewhere by the middle of the year we will be able to come up with an answer based on sound facts and data”, she said. Ms Bratušek, who was the Minister for Infrastructure when Adria Airways declared bankruptcy in September 2019, campaigned during last year’s election with the promise of establishing a new national carrier.
Ms Bratušek previously said she repeatedly warned against the sale of Adria Airways to the German capital fund 4K Invest, noting that the then government of Slovenia should have found a strategic partner within the aviation industry that would have ensured the long-term existence and development of the carrier. Key people at 4K Invest are under investigation over their role in Adria’s collapse and are accused of fraud and theft. The General Manager of operator Fraport Slovenija, Babett Stapel, said last year, “I cannot decide whether Slovenia or the state should establish a national carrier. However, I can say that if it is established, it will be more than welcome on our part. We support any development that is sustainable and increases connectivity”.
Slovenia’s current political establishment has direct links to Adria. The carrier’s former CEO, Klemen Boštjančič, who led the airline in 2011 and 2012, now serves as Slovenia’s Finance Minister. Mr Boštjančić implemented wide-scale cost cutting measures at the airline, which stabilised the carrier’s finances. However, it came at a cost, with the company diminishing its route network, resulting in a major plunge in passenger numbers. Furthermore, Rok Marolt, who was the head of the Slovenia Civil Aviation Agency, and served as Adria’s Chief Operating Officer in 2012, is the country’s Secretary General at the Ministry for Finance. Slovenia’s President, Nataša Pirc Musar, had a short stint as a member of Adria’s cabin crew and recently expressed her deep regret at the airline’s collapse.
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