newstodate.aero

Nov 07, 2023 (newstodate): Slovenia has been without a national carrier since the bankruptcy of Adria Airways on October 1, 2019, and remains in dire need for air connectivity.
   Efforts to return connectivity to former levels have been following two strategies: one is to establish a new national Slovenian carrier; another is to lure foreign airlines to establish scheduled services with an incentive scheme.
   While the first option remains under scrutiny by external consultants called in, the second option is also being actively pursued.
   According to Slovenian media, the Slovenian government held talks earlier this month with representatives from the Latvian carrier airBaltic that is to launch flights from May 2, 2024, between Riga and Ljubljana based on Slovenia's sumptuous state subsidies covering half of the airport charges at Ljubljana.
   Slovenia's Ministry for Infrastructure and the Ministry for Economic Development and Technology have urged airBaltic to consider the possibility of the opening of a new base in Ljubljana with strong state support from the country's side.
   airBaltic reportedly put the idea on the shelf, claiming that the airline "currently" has no plans for opening a base at Ljubljana, noting such action would require substantial financial and organizational investments.
  So far, airBaltic has opened one non-Baltic base at Tampere, in Finland, and is to launch a seasonal base on the Canary Islands.
   In any case, airBaltic is not to engage in new business ventures on this side of the launch of the IPO expected in 2024.
   Hopes are that the sale of shares on the exchange will produce a surplus to be invested in airBaltic's future plans for development under a new business strategy to be formulated after the IPO.
   A new strategy might see airBaltic developing plans for a new network with Transatlantic flights and orders for new aircraft with long-range capabilities - and even new bases outside the Baltic region.