As passenger numbers proceed to develop and Ljubljana Airport expands its route community, infrastructure and airline portfolio, its operator, Fraport Slovenija, is positioning the airport for long-term, sustainable improvement. In an interview with EX-YU Aviation Information, Fraport Slovenija’s Managing Director, Jürgen Deischl, discusses the airport’s efficiency, future route improvement priorities, the impression of modifications throughout the Lufthansa Group, competitors from neighbouring airports, ongoing infrastructure investments and his imaginative and prescient for strengthening Ljubljana Airport’s function as Slovenia’s major worldwide gateway.
EX-YU Aviation Information: Ljubljana Airport has seen robust passenger development to this point this 12 months. What are your expectations for the rest of 2026?
We stay optimistic for the rest of 2026. Demand for air journey to and from Slovenia stays robust, our community continues to increase, and passenger site visitors has largely returned to pre-pandemic ranges. Excluding the switch site visitors traditionally generated by the previous hub operations in Ljubljana, site visitors is already above pre-pandemic ranges, demonstrating the energy of Slovenia’s underlying origin-and-destination market.
What is especially encouraging is that that is now not a restoration story. Ljubljana Airport has entered a brand new section of sustainable development. Since 2023, we have now considerably expanded our route community, strengthened and diversified our airline portfolio, and improved Slovenia’s connectivity for each inbound and outbound travellers.
On the identical time, we stay real looking. The aviation trade continues to face geopolitical uncertainty, fleet constraints, trade consolidation and rising price pressures. On this surroundings, competitiveness is changing into an more and more necessary success issue. Continued development will rely upon enhancements in effectivity, productiveness and innovation, supported by constructive cooperation between trade stakeholders and policymakers.
Ljubljana Airport is nicely positioned for this problem. With trendy infrastructure, accessible capability and a diversified airline base, we’re assured in our capacity to maintain development and additional strengthen Slovenia’s connectivity within the years forward.
Which markets stay on the prime of your goal listing for future route improvement?
Our route improvement priorities are guided by one precept: we need to construct a balanced, resilient and commercially sustainable community for Slovenia. This implies strengthening connectivity by means of key European hubs, whereas additionally creating engaging direct point-to-point providers the place there’s confirmed demand. Germany, Italy, chosen markets in Jap and South-Jap Europe, and extra leisure and city-break locations stay necessary areas of focus. On the identical time, long-haul connectivity – both direct sooner or later or by means of robust one-stop partnerships – is a strategic precedence, particularly the place we see important untapped demand.
From an inbound perspective, the USA stays significantly related as one in all Slovenia’s most necessary abroad supply markets. Extra broadly, we see important potential in enhancing entry from North America, the Center East and Asia, the place Slovenia is more and more recognised as a high-value, sustainable and genuine vacation spot. The important thing level is that we aren’t chasing routes for the sake of bulletins. We’re pursuing routes that may be commercially viable from an airline perspective, add actual connectivity worth, and strengthen Ljubljana Airport’s function because the pure gateway to Slovenia and the broader area.
Ljubljana has efficiently diversified its airline portfolio for the reason that collapse of Adria Airways. Going ahead, is the airport seeking to entice extra low price carriers (and routes) or is your focus totally on giant hub carriers that may present switch choices to passengers?
For us, route improvement just isn’t about selecting one airline mannequin over one other. A profitable airport requires a balanced airline portfolio. Community carriers present entry to international markets by means of their hub methods, whereas worth carriers stimulate demand and increase direct European entry. Constitution and leisure airways complement the providing by serving necessary vacation markets.
The energy of Ljubljana Airport right now lies on this steadiness. Moderately than counting on a single airline, phase or enterprise mannequin, we have now constructed a diversified and resilient community that helps development and strengthens Slovenia’s worldwide accessibility.
Our goal is to develop site visitors that creates lasting worth for passengers, airways and the broader Slovenian financial system. That is totally aligned with Slovenia’s positioning as a high-value, sustainable vacation spot fairly than a mass-tourism market.
We due to this fact welcome any airline – community, worth, leisure or hybrid – that may contribute to this goal and is ready to construct a commercially viable partnership.
The market has essentially modified over the previous decade. Whereas connectivity is delivered by means of a distinct mannequin right now, Ljubljana has efficiently rebuilt its community and diminished dependency on any single airline. Resilience now comes from diversification, sound partnerships and a route portfolio that serves each Slovenian travellers and worldwide guests.
Slovenia is changing into more and more engaging to airways. A powerful financial system, high-yield passenger base, rising tourism sector and strategic location on the crossroads of Central Europe, the Alps-Adriatic area and South-Jap Europe create a compelling market alternative.
Ljubljana Airport additional helps this with accessible capability, no structural slot constraints, environment friendly infrastructure and dependable operations. Whether or not an airline chooses to determine a base is finally its determination. Our function is to offer the correct business and operational surroundings.
Strategically, the label “base” is much less necessary than the result. What issues is sustainable capability development, robust year-round market entry and continued improvement of inbound tourism. If an airline sees Ljubljana as a long-term platform for serving Slovenia and the broader area, we will surely welcome that.
Lufthansa’s ongoing restructuring and community optimisation are anticipated to have implications for Ljubljana as nicely. How assured are you that the Munich route will likely be maintained in some type over the long run?
You will need to distinguish between Lufthansa Group as a strategic associate and the way forward for Lufthansa’s personal operations on the Munich route.
We stay extremely assured in Lufthansa Group’s long-term dedication to the Slovenian market. By Lufthansa, SWISS and Brussels Airways, the group continues to play an important function in connecting Slovenia with main European and international markets.
The present developments on the Munich route ought to primarily be seen within the context of Lufthansa’s fleet and community restructuring fairly than a weakening of demand. Following the discontinuation of Lufthansa CityLine operations, Lufthansa has fewer regional plane ideally suited to markets similar to Ljubljana. Plane such because the CRJ900 provided a superb match when it comes to capability, frequency and economics, whereas bigger Airbus narrowbody plane are more difficult to deploy effectively in a market of Slovenia’s measurement.
For that reason, I’d not interpret the latest modifications as a strategic reassessment of Ljubljana. They’re primarily the results of fleet allocation choices inside a a lot bigger community. Lufthansa at the moment plans to keep up seasonal summer time operations on the Munich route, whereas no winter operation is at the moment foreseen. Naturally, we’d welcome a return to year-round Lufthansa service given Munich’s significance for each enterprise journey and international connectivity.
Our view is that the difficulty just isn’t demand from Slovenia, however the availability of plane which can be economically suited to markets of this measurement. The underlying market fundamentals stay robust. On the identical time, Ljubljana Airport is right now way more diversified than prior to now. Airways similar to SWISS, Brussels Airways, LOT Polish Airways, Air France-KLM, Turkish Airways and Air Serbia present different hub choices and assist guarantee community resilience.
Germany stays one in all Slovenia’s most necessary financial companions, and strengthening air connectivity between our two international locations stays a precedence. Whether or not that is delivered by means of Munich, different Lufthansa Group hubs, a broader mixture of community carriers or additional direct connections sooner or later is finally much less necessary than guaranteeing dependable and aggressive entry to international markets for Slovenian travellers and companies.
Many Slovenians proceed to make use of airports in neighbouring international locations, together with Zagreb, Venice and Trieste. How important is that this leakage right now?
Some degree of cross-border airport use is pure in a rustic of Slovenia’s measurement and placement. On the identical time, leakage stays important in sure market segments, significantly the place particular locations, frequencies or airline merchandise should not but accessible from Ljubljana.
We’re surrounded by a number of worldwide airports inside driving distance, and passengers right now evaluate schedules, costs, airline merchandise and comfort very actively.
However I’d not body this solely as a leakage problem. It’s also a regional alternative. Ljubljana Airport itself attracts passengers from neighbouring areas, significantly from elements of Austria, Italy and Croatia. The actual query is due to this fact: how will we make Ljubljana probably the most engaging airport alternative wherever we are able to compete?
Our reply is evident: by increasing the route community, providing dependable and environment friendly operations, sustaining a high-quality passenger expertise, and dealing with airways and tourism stakeholders to construct direct demand for Slovenia. Totally different airports within the area play completely different roles. Some are extra centered on volume-driven low-cost site visitors.
Ljubljana’s place is completely different: Slovenia is a high-value, sustainable vacation spot, and our airport technique displays that. Sustainable development doesn’t imply low development. It means development that may be maintained over the long run whereas preserving service high quality, airline profitability, operational resilience and vacation spot attractiveness. We would like development, however not simply any development. We would like connectivity that helps tourism, enterprise, the financial system and the long-term positioning of Slovenia.
So sure, leakage exists. However the pattern is that Ljubljana Airport is changing into stronger, extra seen and extra aggressive. Our activity is to transform extra of the area’s demand into sustainable site visitors by means of Ljubljana.
Jürgen Deischl, Managing Director Fraport Slovenija
Which routes may assist recapture outbound Slovenian travellers at the moment utilizing overseas airports?
For a rustic of round two million inhabitants, Slovenia may be pleased with the extent of connectivity it has achieved. As we speak, Ljubljana Airport is served by 24 airways providing 30 direct locations, offering a broad and diversified community for a market of our measurement. The progress made in recent times can be mirrored in worldwide benchmarks, with Slovenia recording one of many strongest enhancements in air connectivity throughout the EU+ area in accordance with ACI Europe’s Connectivity Report 2025.
After all, there are markets the place extra frequencies or new routes would assist retain extra Slovenian outbound demand. Chosen German and Italian markets stay related. We additionally see alternatives in elements of Jap and South-Jap Europe, in addition to in stronger long-haul connectivity by means of main hub partnerships.
However I’d body the chance extra broadly. The target just isn’t merely to “recapture” each Slovenian passenger who makes use of a overseas airport. The larger strategic alternative is to additional strengthen Ljubljana because the airport of alternative for Slovenia and the broader area, serving outbound travellers, inbound guests and worldwide enterprise flows alike.
For this reason inbound site visitors is so necessary. When airways see robust inbound demand, route economics enhance, frequencies turn out to be extra sustainable, and Slovenian passengers profit as nicely. In the long term, the best strategy to cut back leakage just isn’t by specializing in leakage alone, however by repeatedly strengthening the general attractiveness, connectivity and competitiveness of Ljubljana Airport.
Fraport Slovenia has invested closely in infrastructure, together with the brand new terminal and taxiways. May you give us an summary of present infrastructure improvement and plans for the long run?
Over the previous decade, Ljubljana Airport has undergone a significant transformation. The brand new passenger terminal was an necessary milestone, and we have now continued to spend money on airside infrastructure, operational resilience and repair high quality.
Our most necessary present infrastructure venture is the excellent reconstruction of the primary apron. This venture is being delivered whereas the airport stays totally operational, which makes it operationally demanding but in addition strategically necessary. It’s not merely a pavement renewal venture. Protecting roughly 37,000 sq. metres, it modernises one of many airport’s most important operational belongings, improves operational effectivity and adaptability, and prepares the airport for future development. As soon as accomplished, the apron will present capability for 22 Code C plane stands, 4 Code D stands and a couple of Code E stands, giving us a robust platform for additional community improvement and future site visitors development.
Importantly, this funding is being delivered whereas sustaining regular airport operations, demonstrating each the resilience of the airport and our dedication to supporting airline development with out disruption. We’re additionally investing in additional sustainable and environment friendly airport operations. This contains electrification of floor operations, fastened and cellular electrical floor energy infrastructure, car electrification and broader decarbonisation measures.
On the identical time, the apron funding additionally creates the muse for future digital apron options and smarter airport operations. Ljubljana Airport already advantages from an environment friendly and compact airport format. Trying forward, our focus just isn’t solely on concrete and asphalt. We’re creating a wiser airport ecosystem the place digitalisation, automation, buyer expertise and operational effectivity are simply as necessary as bodily infrastructure.
We would like passengers and airways to expertise Ljubljana as environment friendly, dependable, simple to make use of and distinctly Slovenian. There are additionally broader aviation alternatives round cargo, logistics and plane upkeep. The latest developments round plane upkeep in Ljubljana underline that the airport just isn’t solely a passenger gateway, however a part of a wider aviation ecosystem.
Our imaginative and prescient is evident: Ljubljana Airport needs to be a contemporary, environment friendly and sustainable gateway for Slovenia and the airport of alternative for the broader area.
