Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport anticipates moderate but consistent growth in passenger numbers, a trend expected to continue in the coming years, driven primarily by increased frequencies to key hubs and added capacity. “We are pleased with how passenger traffic is recovering in line with expectations”, airport operator Fraport Slovenija told the “Večer” daily. “If we exclude transfer passengers, which amounted to approximately 200.000 and 300.000 travellers annually, who passed through our airport without entering Slovenia thanks to the now-defunct national carrier, we will reach our 2019 passenger levels this year”. The operator added that regaining those transfer passengers is unlikely, as more nonstop flights have since been established between Western Europe and the Balkans.
Government incentives have played a significant role in network expansion, enabling the launch of routes to Luxembourg, Riga, Copenhagen and Dusseldorf. “We hope the latest incentive tender will further improve Slovenia’s air connectivity”, the airport operator noted. The Slovenian government has received two applications in its eighth round of subsidies designed to boost the country’s air connectivity. According to the Ministry of Infrastructure, both bidders have been asked to revise their proposals, which are expected to be made public in June. Local media suggest that Wizz Air and airBaltic may be among the applicants, possibly proposing routes to Tirana and Las Palmas. None of the involved parties have officially confirmed the reports. Meanwhile, the government has also held separate discussions with Croatia Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines regarding their potential expansion into the Slovenian market.
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Fraport Slovenija emphasised that it continues to actively support airlines through a comprehensive marketing strategy and a competitive incentive program. One recent success story is the arrival of KLM, whose extensive network via Amsterdam significantly enhances Ljubljana’s global connectivity. Despite a weaker first quarter, Fraport Slovenija anticipates handling around 1.5 million passengers by year’s end. “We’re now entering the height of the season, with a record 24 airlines offering more than 170 weekly departures to 26 destinations”, the operator concluded.
During the first half of the year, Ljubljana’s largest carrier based on capacity is Lufthansa with 145.840 seats, followed by Turkish Airlines, Swiss and Air Serbia. Its largest airline based on the number of operated flights is also the German flag carrier with 1.473 services, followed by Air Serbia, Turkish Airlines and Swiss. While Istanbul has the most available capacity during the January – June period, Frankfurt has the most flights. On the other hand, easyJet is the largest low cost carrier by seat capacity at Ljubljana Airport, followed by Transavia and Wizz Air.
