Limited air service to Ljubljana expected in June
Brnik, 12 May - Although the ban on international air passenger transport with Slovenia was lifted today, passenger flights from Slovenia's airports are not expected before June as most air carriers have cancelled their flights until the end of May. However, Lufthansa, Swiss and Brussels Airlines have already opened bookings on June flights.
Brnik
Ljubljana airport.
Photo: Tamino Petelinšek/STA
File photo
Currently, it is possible to book flights connecting Ljubljana with Frankfurt, Munich, Brussels and Zurich by the three carriers, all part of the Lufthansa group, which plans to restart at 20% of capacity as of 1 June, according to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency.
The business newspaper Finance says that the three airlines will probably offer one flight per day.
Serbian flag carrier Air Serbia, which will restore flights on 18 May, is also expected to start flying to Ljubljana in June, but in a limited scope at first, writes the web portal Ex-Yu Aviation.
Easyjet is also expected to gradually start flying again in June but its plan to launch a new route between Ljubljana and the Luton airport this summer has been abandoned.
Turkish Airlines, which was one of the most active foreign carriers at Ljubljana airport, will also start flying again in June and then gradually increase operations until October.
Finish Finnair and British Airways have suspended their plans for summer flights to Helsinki and Heathrow for the time being.
Ljubljana airport expects more action in July, but everything will depend on the epidemic-related developments in Europe and the economic recovery.
The airport stresses that it will take a long time before it returns to last year's passenger numbers.
The government decided last night not to extend restrictions for air travel again, allowing resumption of passenger flights from the EU and third countries to Slovenia's international airports.
In a press release, the Government Communication Office said the ban, which was imposed on 17 March, was no longer necessary or sensible because following strict safety measures in individual countries air carriers were not providing flights anyway due to a lack of demand.
Slovenia does not have an air carrier since Adria Airways went into receivership last year.
Fraport Slovenija, which operates Ljubljana airport, welcomed the decision, saying that the lifting of the ban would help airlines plan flights.
Before the epidemic, 17 carriers were expected to operate 22 routes to 15 countries in the summer.