STA, 3 November 2021 - The increasing demand for flights between Ljubljana and Belgrade has prompted Air Serbia to expand the number of flights by two to nine a week as of 14 November, the Ex-Yu Aviation portal has announced.

Fraport Slovenija, the operator of the Ljubljana airport, said that 13 airlines offered 14 direct air links to 12 countries around the world in the winter season, which started last weekend and which will last until 26 March 2022.

As of 14 November, Air Serbia, the flag carrier of Serbia, will add additional flights on Fridays and Sundays to the existing schedule of one flight from Ljubljana to Belgrade a day.

Brussels Airlines, which operates four flights a week from the Ljubljana airport, will switch to six flights a week in December, in addition to two flights a week to the Charleroi airport operated by the budget carrier Wizz Air.

Flydubai flies three times a week to Dubai, Turkish Airlines five times a week to Istanbul, and EasyJet four times a week to London Gatwick. As of mid-December, Wizz Air will operate flights from Ljubljana to London Luton three times a week.

Currently, the largest number of flights from the Ljubljana airport in a week is operated by Lufthansa, which flies to Frankfurt two times a day.

Aeroflot flies to Moscow three times a week, Air France offers eleven flights a week to Paris, Air Montenegro flies twice a week to Podgorica, LOT Polish Airlines six times a week to Warsaw, and Swiss Air Lines four times a week to Zürich.

STA, 24 September 2021 - Budget carrier FlyDubai launched scheduled flights between Ljubljana and Dubai on Friday in what is a culmination of ten-year efforts by the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport. The connection will also be important for connectivity with Asia and Oceania.

FlyDubai will operate three flights a week with a Boeing 737 max to offer the first direct flight connection between Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates.

Flying under the Emirates brand, passengers will be able to easily continue their journey from the Dubai hub.

According to Zmago Skobir, the head of Fraport Slovenija, which manages the Ljubljana airport, negotiations with FlyDubai and its owner, the Emirates, started in 2012.

A key breakthrough in the talks was the closing of an agreement on air transport between Slovenia and Dubai.

FlyDubai CEO Ghaith Al Ghaith said the Slovenian government, agencies and the airport had been very persistent, so the company decided to give the connection a try although some of Slovenia's neighbouring countries already have a direct link to Dubai.

Jeyhun Efendi, senior vice president of commercial operations & e-commerce, said FlyDubai started flying to this region ten years ago, first to Belgrade, Serbia. Other connections followed, and just yesterday the link with Zagreb, Croatia, was restored after being suspended during the epidemic.

Al Ghaith said that because of the Expo Dubai now was a good time to set up new connections. He is confident that the new route, currently envisaged in the winter schedule, would stick.

He sees great potential, since both Slovenia and Dubai are attractive tourist destinations and Dubai is also a hub with over 200 flights to different exotic destinations.

Bookings and reservations of the flights are promising. About 100 passengers arrived in Ljubljana with the first flight today and 80 flew to Dubai, which is fighting the Covid-19 pandemic with high vaccination rate and frequent testing.

The lowest price for a return ticket was EUR 280, but due to high demand prices have already climbed to around EUR 400.

The arrival of FlyDubai is very important for Slovenia's connectivity with Dubai and wider, Skobir said. "Asia and Oceania are at least as accessible through Dubai as they are through Istanbul," he said. Apart from Slovenians, he is also counting on passengers from Austria and Italy.

Efendi said the last couple of years had been very weird for the aviation industry. "Now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and this connection comes exactly at a time when travel is being resumed."

Infrastructure Ministry State secretary Aleš Mihelič also welcomed the new connection, saying that Slovenia managed to get some new connections recently despite the challenging times.

It took a lot of effort, money and energy to make sure Slovenia remains connected to the world, he said, adding that the government had lowered airport tax to Fraport Slovenija and granted it EUR 5 million in special aid.

Skobir said the money had been spent on current operations and the finishing of the new passenger terminal. So far the company has lived off its accumulated profit and fresh revenue, but next year a short-term loan will probably be needed, as air traffic is still picking up relatively slowly.

"If all goes well, we expect 400,000 passengers this year, which is only 20% of the 2019 figure," he said. Next year, the number should double.

STA, 20 August 2021 - British Airways is relaunching flights between Ljubljana and London's largest airport Heathrow today, the operation of the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport said on Friday.

Passengers will be at first able to fly to Heathrow on Fridays and Sunday, with another two weekly flights added at the end of August, on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Janez Krašnja, head of airline management at Fraport Slovenija, is happy that "one of the most popular routes among Slovenian air passengers is returning to Ljubljana".

He welcomed "a stronger tourist and economic connection between Slovenia and Great Britain", hoping flights will become more frequent once the Covid situation improves.

Low-cost airline Easyjet is meanwhile planning to introduce a Ljubljana-London route on 8 September, with two weekly flights to Gatwick airport.

Flydubai is another airline expected to fly from Ljubljana airport next month, expectedly on 24 September, offering direct flights to Dubai.

Despite a slow lifting of coronavirus restrictions for global travel, the number of airlines and destinations at Ljubljana airport is growing.

By the end of October, a total of 15 scheduled routes are expected to be operated.

Fraport Slovenija finds it encouraging that the number of flights on the existing routes is constantly growing, while the winter season is also expected to be promising.

Compared to the last season, charter flights also increased this season, with Greek islands, Turkey's Antalya, Djerba in Tunisia, Egypt's Sharm-El-Sheikh and Hurgada among the most popular destinations.

A return to pre-coronavirus level in Europe is however impeded by the current health situation, with crossing borders being burdened with a number of restrictions.

Still, Fraport Slovenija is optimistic as demand for air travel is recovering. "It is encouraging that Ljubljana airport recorded more than 66,500 passengers in July as this year's busiest month, a rise of 211% compared to July 2020."

STA, 3 August 2021 - Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport has a new flight connection to Madrid since Monday, operated by the Spanish air carrier Iberia. It will fly to the Spanish capital twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, until the end of August. Airport operator Fraport Slovenija would like to see the route become year-round as soon as possible. 

The first Iberia aircraft was welcomed at Ljubljana Airport on Monday with a short ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the establishment of the connection. Return fares to Madrid are to start at EUR 115.

According to Janez Krašnja, head of airport services at Fraport Slovenija, Iberia's Airbus A320 brought just over 140 passengers to Ljubljana, while around 70 passengers flew back to Madrid.

Although Iberia will only operate flights on this line in August, the Ljubljana airport operator expects that, following the example of other similar carriers such as British Airways, good results in the first season will lead to more flights in the coming years.

Krašnja is counting on Iberia to increase the number and frequency of flights and extend the season to the coming summer. "Our ambition is to make the route year-round as soon as possible," he stressed.

The Spanish market is of particular importance both economically and in terms of tourism, and Fraport Slovenija considers it particularly important that passengers will now have the option of numerous connecting flights via Madrid.

Madrid is one of Europe's major aviation hubs. This will allow Slovenian passengers to fly all over the world using Iberia's route network, especially to Latin America.

Fraport highly appreciates the new route and is pleased to have been able to launch it in these difficult times. According to Krašnja, this means that Slovenia is becoming a stronger and more popular destination, which encourages the operator to strive for more success.

Madrid is the 12th destination available from Ljubljana Airport, with at least three more expected by the end of September. "Considering the current epidemiological times, this is a good number and we are satisfied with it," said Krašnja.

Victor Moneo, Iberia's director of business development and sales for Latin America, pointed out that the launch of a new route was always exciting, but in the current situation where the world is facing the coronavirus, it was truly a cause for celebration.

"Nobody had foreseen such a dark pandemic scenario", he said, but also pointed to the bright side. In recent months, Iberia has shown that it is able to adapt to a rapidly changing environment and is characterised by its flexibility and agility.

Iberia has prepared for a recovery, which is evident in the summer season as new destinations are being opened, with Ljubljana number 114. Ljubljana is special, Moneo said, because it was the first destination to have been chosen with the help of followers on social networks.

The Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) was also happy to welcome a new airline at Ljubljana Airport. According to the head of the STO Italy Office, Aljoša Ota, the new routes are the ones that can bring a new impetus to Slovenian tourism.

In the past, Spain was a destination served by the now-defunct Adria Airways, which operated flights to Madrid and Barcelona, and the low-cost carrier Vueling, which had been flying to the Catalan capital in the summer of 2010.

STA, 6 July 2021 - The Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport has seen traffic tick up at the start of the summer tourism season. Scheduled flights to eleven destinations and charter flights to twenty destinations are currently available, with 2,000-2,500 passengers passing through the airport daily.

On Tuesday scheduled flights between Ljubljana and Tivat were formally launched, a three times a week service operated by Montenegro Airlines.

Janez Krašnja, head of airline management at airport operator Fraport Slovenija, said six more destinations would be added in the coming months.

"Barring any fundamental changes in the epidemiological situation, we will have 17 scheduled lines this summer, which is a good achievement for the first year of recovery," he said.

The current daily number of passengers is a significant improvement over the peak of the epidemic, but it represents only a third of the normal daily number before the pandemic.

The airport operator fears what autumn and winter will bring. "Tourism and air traffic are practically the biggest victims of the pandemic, we sincerely hope there will be no fourth wave to sweep away the returning traffic," Krašnja said.

A setback came recently when a new government regulation determined that passengers from all countries on Slovenia's red list, including Egypt, Tunisia, UK and Ireland, had to quarantine on arrival.

Krašnja said such decisions reduced the speed of recovery of the aviation sector and were a big blow for the airport. There have not been many cancellations as yet and with indications that the restriction may be eased, Krašnja hopes it will not have too much of an impact on air traffic.

"We are hoping there are no more obstacles like this and that passengers can enter our country just like they can enter other countries in the region ... The fewer the obstacles, the more demand there will be," he said.

STA, 29 June 2021 - Air carriers keep returning to Ljubljana airport as, after more than a one-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a Brussels Airlines aircraft touched down at Brnik again on Monday. The flag carrier of Belgium currently operates three flights a week to and from Ljubljana, and the number of flights is expected to increase.

Brussels Airlines thus returns to Ljubljana airport just as Slovenia is to assume the six-month EU presidency.

At first, the largest Belgian airline will be operating flights on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays, and the schedule is due to expand depending on the demand, the airport operator Fraport Slovenija announced on Tuesday.

Fraport Slovenija director Zmago Skobir welcomed the direct link with Brussels, saying that "we are happy that Brussels Airlines has responded to the demand for flights resulting from the Slovenian presidency of the Council of the EU."

Skobir hopes that cabin occupancy in the initial period will be good and that the airline will add extra flights.

To be welcomed in the afternoon for the first time at Brnik is the Air Montenegro carrier, which will for the time being connect Ljubljana and the Montenegrin seaside resort of Tivat twice a week.

In September, the carrier intends to expand the offering with flights to the capital of Podgorica.

Eight other carriers currently operate flights from Ljubljana: Aeroflot to Moscow, Air France to Paris, Air Serbia to Belgrade, LOT Polish Airlines to Warsaw, Lufthansa to Frankfurt, SunExpress to Antalya, Transavia to Amsterdam and Turkish Airlines to Istanbul.

According to Fraport Slovenija, the existing providers are to be joined over the summer by Wizz Air (Brussels-Charleroi), British Airways (London Heathrow) and Easyjet (London Gatwick), Swiss International Airlines (Zürich), Israir (Tel Aviv), Iberia (Madrid) and Flydubai (Dubai).

The company added that the number of charter flights was also expected to increase, with the most attractive destinations being the Greek islands, Antalya, Djerba, Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, Barcelona, Madeira and Tenerife.

STA, 1 May 2021 - Ljubljana will be connected to Brussels with regular flights during Slovenia's presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of the year. The routes will be operated by carriers Brussels Airlines and Wizzair, Slovenia's permanent representation in Brussels has said.

Between 31 May and 30 October, Brussels Airlines will be operating six flights a week between the Jože Pučnik Airport Ljubljana and the Brussels Zaventem airport. The carrier will fly every day of the week bar Saturday.

Wizzair will be flying between the Jože Pučnik and the Charleroi airports every Monday and Thursday as of 31 May.

After traffic to and from the Ljubljana airport was slashed by the coronavirus pandemic and no direct routes to Brussels have been re-established, the government has made a considerable effort to ensure good connectivity during the presidency.

The press release also said that they were now working on securing flights to Brussels at appropriate hours of day, as well as to other destinations across Europe.

STA, 29 April 2021 - Spanish airline Iberia will operate a Ljubljana-Madrid route this summer, after its social media followers chose Ljubljana in an online campaign. In August, it will be flying between Spain and Slovenia twice a week, the company said on Thursday.

This was the first time that Iberia asked its social media followers about their preferences. The users of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter chose Ljubljana from among seven destinations, with the Slovenian capital receiving 38% of the votes.

Nearly 4,720 people took part in the campaign, which saw the Azores take second place, while the Greek island of Zakynthos placed third.

Iberia will be flying to 113 destinations this summer. The prices for a return ticket between Madrid and Ljubljana will start at EUR 115.

STA, 21 February 2021 - Some 180 passengers are due to fly to Tenerife from Slovenia's main international airport today, as the first charter flight this year is to be operated from Ljubljana airport by Croatian air carrier Trade Air. Slovenian tour operators say that despite the coronavirus pandemic, interest in tourist travel is increasing.

There are more charter flights to come during the winter season at Ljubljana airport but the Tenerife one is so far the only tourist charter flight, Fraport Slovenija, the operator of the airport, told the STA.

The epidemiological situation permitting, Fraport hopes there will also be many more charter flights in the summer season than there were last year's.

Passengers on today's flight, organised by tourist agency Palma, travel to the Canary Islands with several tour operators, which say demand is huge.

The new normal of travel is related to all the precautionary coronavirus protocols, which our clients who want to travel have no problem with, Kompas told the STA.

Palma said people were eager to travel, so those inquiring about their package holidays were not dissuaded by the restrictions in their destinations.

Relax said that while they were still closed, demand for their package holidays abroad was increasing on their website by the day.

Slovenians are currently most interested in Slovenia, Croatia and the Mediterranean, but also in more exotic destinations such as the United Arab Emirates or Maldivas.

According to Kompas, people now tend to decide on travelling at the very last moment when they can already anticipate what protocols will be in place.

Despite the many uncertainties, the tour operators are preparing for more busier spring and summer months as usual.

"We plan long in advance but we decide momentarily. The safety and health of our passengers always come first," Kompas said.

The Foreign Ministry meanwhile urges caution, advising citizens not to travel abroad if possible or postpone it until the epidemiological situation has improved.

It said it would not be able to provide assistance to those who might get stuck as a result of coronavirus-related decisions by countries where they travel.

STA, 3 February - Russian flag carrier Aeroflot has announced it will restore flights between Ljubljana and Moscow next week. It is to operate one flight a week until the end of the winter schedule. Currently only three carriers fly from Ljubljana airport - Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines and Air Serbia.

Aeroflot's first flight is scheduled for next Friday, 12 February, the operator of Ljubljana airport, Fraport Slovenija, told the STA.

According to web portal Sierra5, the resuming of flights to Ljubljana is yet to be approved by the Russian aviation authorities.

After an absence of 15 years, Russian flag carrier Aeroflot returned to Ljubljana airport in October 2018. As the Covid-19 epidemic started, all of its flights were suspended. Only one charter flight to Russia was organised last November for young Russian athletes.

At present, Ljubljana airport is connected only to Frankfurt through Lufthansa, Belgrade through Air Serbia and Istanbul through Turkish Airlines.

According to web portal Ex-Yu Aviation, Slovenia will record the biggest drop in commercial flights in Europe this month. Compared to last February, air traffic is expected to drop by 90%.

Fraport Slovenija is counting on more traffic in the summer season starting at the end of March. Several carriers announced flights to and from Ljubljana in that period, including Wizz Air with flights to Belgium's Charleroi, Transavia with flights to Amsterdam, Easyjet flying to London's Gatwick and Polish LOT with flights to Warsaw.

Air France is to resume flights to Paris at the end of this month.

The summer schedule is also to include Easyjet's flights to London's Luton, Swiss flying to Zurich, Lufthansa with flights to Munich and Brussels Airlines flying to Brussels.

In May, the Turkish-German carrier SunExpress is to start flying to Antalya again, and Israeli carrier El Al is to set up a connection to Tel Aviv.

British Airways is expected to restore flights to Heathrow at the end of May, while Finnair is to start flying to Helsinki in June.

Fraport Slovenija noted that the situation in the world was changing on a daily basis, so the plans were not final yet.

Slovenia has offered subsidies for foreign air carriers to fly to Ljubljana. Eight airlines - Turkish Airlines, Swiss Air, Air Serbia, Montenegro Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France, Wizzair and LOT - won the subsidies worth almost EUR 1 million in the first call for applications in November 2020.

Montenegro Airlines has since gone bankrupt as a result of Covid-19.

Under the terms of the scheme, the recipients of the subsidies will have to operate scheduled flights to at least one airport in Slovenia twice a week in the 2021 summer season, between 28 March and 30 October.