The Slovenian Ministry of Infrastructure has issued a contemporary tender to spice up the nation’s air connectivity, offering monetary incentives for airways to introduce new scheduled companies from the nation’s airports. The state will present subsidies protecting as much as 50% of airport expenses for a most of two years from the beginning of operations. Eligible prices embrace touchdown, take-off, parking, passenger processing and floor dealing with expenses at Slovenian airports. In contrast to a direct low cost, carriers should first pay the total airport charges and can then be reimbursed upon submitting invoices.
Airways should submit functions by March 6, 2026 at 23:59 native time, though a further deadline has been points for August 31. The federal government hopes this spherical of tenders will assist Slovenia shut its connectivity hole and strengthen hyperlinks with precedence markets. The earlier public calls garnered blended outcomes. Luxair, airBaltic, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Iberia, Eurowings, Cyprus Airways and Air Albania utilized over the 9 earlier tenders., though not all certified for the subsidies.
Solely airways registered and based mostly within the European Frequent Aviation Space (ECAA) are eligible for the subsidies. The ECAA is made up of states which might be a part of the European Union, in addition to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Iceland, Macedonia, Norway, Kosovo and Montenegro. The Slovenian authorities is primarily concentrating on the introduction of flights to Vienna, Copenhagen, Madrid, Prague, Berlin, Rome, Stockholm, Oslo, Barcelona, and Lisbon, though all locations throughout the ECAA are eligible. Purposes should embrace an in depth marketing strategy exhibiting that the route can turn out to be worthwhile past the subsidy interval. This plan ought to embrace projected passenger numbers, profitability forecasts, and advertising and marketing methods. If no marketing strategy is submitted, carriers should present a binding written declaration committing to function the route for at the very least so long as the interval of assist.
Airways could function supported routes seasonally slightly than year-round, supplied they adjust to the submitted marketing strategy. Candidates should additionally set the utmost one-way economic system fare (excluding taxes and baggage charges), which shall be assessed if a number of carriers apply for a similar route. The ministry has clarified that assist can’t be mixed with subsidies from different states for a similar route, and if an airline ceases operations with out fulfilling obligations, the monetary help have to be repaid in full. In case of a number of candidates for a similar route, these providing stronger connectivity on the vacation spot airport or working inside the popular time blocks will acquire further factors.
The Slovenian authorities plans to proceed providing subsidies to airways to encourage the launch of latest routes to the nation. Talking on the initiative, Andrej Rajh, State Secretary on the Ministry for Infrastructure, mentioned not too long ago, “Our aim is to develop the subsidies through the years, and we’re dedicated to creating it occur. The plan is to maintain this going even into the subsequent 5 to seven years, with comparable quantities allotted”.
