newstodate.aero
Jan 03, 2024 (newstodate): In dire need for connectivity, Slovenia has been without a national carrier since the bankruptcy of Adria Airways on October 1, 2019.
Alongside visions of establishing an own new national carrier, efforts to return connectivity include luring foreign airlines to establish scheduled services with an incentive scheme.
However, as the latest tender for three years of incentives expired in November 2023, only two airlines emerged as applicants: Norwegian and Iberia, and the Slovenian Aid Granting Commission has now confirmed that bids submitted by Iberia and Norwegian for the launch of flights from Madrid and Copenhagen, respectively, to Ljubljana, are valid and eligible for subsidies.
All that remains is now for the Slovenian Ministry of Infrastructure to give its final approval for the funds to be granted to the two airlines
Norwegian will introduce services from Copenhagen to Ljubljana in 2024, marking its first entry into the Slovenian market, while Iberia will return flights between Madrid and Ljubljana, suspended since 2021.
Earlier, airBaltic was reported as mulling plans for launch of a new route between Riga and Ljubljana from summer 2024, which would be the first direct route between the two markets - but the airline eventually did not participate in the tender.
Alongside visions of establishing an own new national carrier, efforts to return connectivity include luring foreign airlines to establish scheduled services with an incentive scheme.
However, as the latest tender for three years of incentives expired in November 2023, only two airlines emerged as applicants: Norwegian and Iberia, and the Slovenian Aid Granting Commission has now confirmed that bids submitted by Iberia and Norwegian for the launch of flights from Madrid and Copenhagen, respectively, to Ljubljana, are valid and eligible for subsidies.
All that remains is now for the Slovenian Ministry of Infrastructure to give its final approval for the funds to be granted to the two airlines
Norwegian will introduce services from Copenhagen to Ljubljana in 2024, marking its first entry into the Slovenian market, while Iberia will return flights between Madrid and Ljubljana, suspended since 2021.
Earlier, airBaltic was reported as mulling plans for launch of a new route between Riga and Ljubljana from summer 2024, which would be the first direct route between the two markets - but the airline eventually did not participate in the tender.