Slovenia to sponsor flights to Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich

The idea died mid-December. It is «very unlikely» that a new national airline will be founded, then said Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec. Many of the routes formerly operated by Adria Airways are now served by foreign airlines, he said. The country’s accessibility therefore was guaranteed.

Previously, the government had tried to create a new national airline, Air Slovenia. It should have started as early as the end of February 2020 with a fleet of ten to twelve aircraft and a route network covering 15 destinations. Ljubljana had hoped for help from Lufthansa. But in Frankfurt they turned their backs on the idea.

Too few frequencies

Instead, Lufthansa Group expanded its own offering. Brussels Airlines now flies from Brussels to Ljubljana, Lufthansa from Frankfurt and Munich and Swiss from Zurich. Other airlines have also launched connections to the Slovenian capital.

However, Slovenia is not yet entirely satisfied with the current situation. Matej Pirc, head of the state-owned bank Asset Management Company BAMC, told the news agency STA that there are complaints regarding the frequencies to Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich. They are considered insufficient, according to the financial company, which takes care of crisis-ridden important Slovene companies.

Three regional airlines under discussion

Therefore Pirc is now holding talks with «three regional airlines» on behalf of the government to increase the number of flights to the four Lufthansa hubs. The providers would receive financial support from the government. This would mean a much lower risk than when founding a national airline, the manager said. In addition, the state funds would only flow for a certain time.