Fraport

Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport saw a significant increase in passenger transport in the first two months of the year and is optimistic about the summer season given that some carriers have announced they will return.

The 14 regional airports run by Fraport saw record arrivals figures in 2022, with domestic arrivals up 3.4% and international arrivals up 7.2% compared to the pre-pandemic period (2019).

The figures emerged after a meeting Tuesday between Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias and Fraport Greece CEO Alexander Zinell.

Greece's 14 largest regional airports, managed by Fraport Greece, reported a million more passengers last year than in 2019. In total, passenger traffic reached 31 million passengers, or 3.4% from the record year of 2019, sources have told Kathimerini, though uncertainty is clouding the new year.

The airport in the province of Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast, will be expanded to serve more passengers, while Russian tour operators plan to use the airport for connecting flights to third countries in winter.

The resurgence of tourism, what many call Greece's heavy industry, signals the total recovery of the Greek economy, as everything shows that revenues will exceed those of  2019, which was a record year.

Specifically, travel receipts - according to industry authorities - may even top 20 billion euros, a level that even the most optimistic pundits did not expect.

Brnik – As mass staff shortages have forced many air carriers in Europe to cancel flights, only some individual flights have been so far cancelled at Slovenia’s main international airport Ljubljana. Airport operator Fraport Slovenija meanwhile acknowledges this could quickly change if the situation abroad escalates.

High booking rates and increased sales at airports at levels better than 2019, according to the Ministry of Tourism, indicating a very good season for 2022. However, the Minister of Tourism, Vassilis Kikilias is planning legislative initiatives aimed at preserving and promoting traditional elements of Greek tourism that are also a magnet for our foreign visitors.

Ljubljana – Low-budget airline Wizz Air has relaunched a direct air route between Ljubljana Airport and London Luton Airport after more than a year and a half of suspension due Covid-19. The carrier will operate three flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between the two destinations.

Brnik – Fraport Slovenija’s new managing director Babett Stapel, who took over at the helm of the company operating Ljubljana’s international airport in October, is optimistic about the airline industry and airport’s future. She sees the industry’s recovery, providing connectivity, and increasing staff numbers as key challenges post-pandemic.

Brnik – A solar power plant has been installed on the roof of the parking garage at the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport recently. As the airport said on Tuesday at the commissioning ceremony, this is another step towards reducing carbon dioxide emissions, which has been a strategic goal of the airport since 2013.