STA, 25 September 2019 - Slovenian carrier Adria Airways has extended its suspension of operations at least until Friday. All flights except one daily flight to and from Frankfurt will remain grounded.

"Adria Airways continues active talks with potential new owners and principal creditors and it remains committed to achieving a positive outcome for all," reads a press release circulated on Wednesday.

The continuation of suspension adds to the woes of the company, which is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy after months of delays, cancellations and questionable management decisions.

On Monday evening it abruptly announced it was grounding all of its flights for two days, which was followed by news that creditors are stepping up to seize aircraft it is currently leasing.

Adria given a week to present restructuring plan

STA, 25 September 2019 - The Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) has given the struggling Slovenian airline Adria Airways a week to submit a confirmed financial restructuring plan or otherwise its operational licence will be revoked, CAA director Rok Marolt told the press after meeting Adria management on Wednesday.

The restructuring plan must be supported among other things with signed lease contracts for aircraft and an air operator's certificate (AOC), according to him.

The ultimatum comes after the German-owned airline suspended almost all of its operations yesterday due to financial issues, with all companies leasing the aircraft to the company reportedly threatening with withdrawals.

The decision was made at an oral hearing at the agency's seat involving representatives of Adria Airways, including officers responsible for safety and the financial director.

If Adria fails to provide the required documentation in a week, it will no longer be permitted to operate commercial flights, and if it does, the CAA will make a quick decision about whether the proof is solid enough for the licence to be preserved.

Marolt told the press conference in Ljubljana that the agency would no longer approve recapitalisations of Adria with "various merger manoeuvres, transfers of brands and similar. Even guarantees from a potential strategic partner would need to be solid."

Asked how much fresh capital Adria would need, he said that it was a "high amount of money, tens of millions of euro", adding that he would not comment on the 2018 annual report as it had not been published yet.

The management of Adria Airways has meanwhile given the owner, the German turnaround fund 4K Invest, until Monday to decide whether it will embark on financial restructuring of the company which unofficially owes up to EUR 60 million in debt.

If they decide for financial restructuring, they will have 30 days to implement it, and in the opposite case the company is likely to end up in receivership, which means automatic revocation of operational licence.

In order to regain licence, Adria would need to submit proof that it has enough funds to secure safe flight operations in the next 12 months.

The carrier is insolvent under two criteria and the only remaining criteria it meets is that it has paid out a majority of outstanding wages to employees.

A quarter of wages for August has not been paid and proof that this was done in the meantime is what the agency will expect to be on its table in a week.

The CAA also ordered Adria today to formally ground two Bombardier CRJ 900 and three Airbus A319 aircraft based on requests from the companies which have leased them to the airline.

The company's AOC currently features ten aircraft - six Bombardier CRJ 900s and four Saab 2000s, but Marolt revealed that the agency had already received requests from owners for deletion of six aircraft from the certificate.

As for safety, he said that the aircraft operated by Adria Airways were safe and added that the company's management had assured him that there were enough funds to provide safety of flights scheduled to be carried out in the coming days.

"If there were any doubt about safety, Adria would not be flying even a minute," Marolt said, adding that immediate measures would be taken if any signs of safety risks were detected by the deadline for the restructuring plan.

All our stories on Adria are here

STA, 25 September 2019 - Italian students who have started studying or have already graduated from physiotherapy in Slovenia are prevented from finishing their studies due to an amendment of the health services act adopted in 2017 which requires them to gain a B2 level certificate in Slovenian even if they are not planning to work in Slovenia.

A lot of them are thus not able to pass an examination on professional competence since the certificate is required to sit the exam and complete their studies, the students highlighted at today's press conference in Ljubljana.

They have set up Initiative 300 Italy, an action group that raises the issue of their predicament. The amendment will strip the young of their careers and future and destroy many of their lives and families as well as their financial stability and health, said the students.

They pointed out that 18 students passed the exam in professional competence with an interpreter before the law changed, while the rest have been prevented from doing that.

About 150 Italian physiotherapy graduates are waiting for the law to change, while some 30 are still studying. The Alma Mater Europaea Faculty stopped running this course in a foreign language after the amendment, causing about a hundred students to switch faculties.

The Health Ministry told the STA that the students had been misled. In 2016, the then minister endorsed an agreement that allowed students to pass the professional competence exam with an interpreter, but the new legislation does not envisage that anymore.

The remaining students have been informed about the change and thus cannot be exempted from passing the B2 level, according to the ministry.

Lawyer Mihaela Pudgar, who is representing individual students, said today that the amendment had put the students in an unequal position, making them unable to finish their studies in a language in which they were pursuing them and under the conditions that were stated at the start of their studies.

Moreover, Pudgar said that Slovenia had wrongly implemented the European directive on recognition of professional qualifications.

According to her, the 2013 directive lays down that a language certificate needs to be acquired after completing the studies, while Slovenia requires the students to submit it before that, Pudgar told the STA.

She highlighted that the country should not be preventing students who are not to work in Slovenia from finishing their education using the directive.

Pudgar added that the current legislation was in violation of the Slovenian constitution, including a ban on retroactive force of legal acts, equality before the law and the right to education.

It also violates the general administrative procedure act, which lays down that students are entitled to an interpreter, said Pudgar.

The ministry believes that the students can kick off a procedure of recognizing education gained in Slovenia in Italy, thus continuing their educational process in their home country.

However, the students said today that Italy had let them know they should first pass the professional competence examination in Slovenia.

The students have informed a couple of former health ministers about their predicament - former Health Minister Milojka Kolar Celarc, who was at the helm of the ministry when the issue emerged, and her successor, former Health Minister Samo Fakin.

They said they had been promised a withdrawal of the amendment, but that has not yet happened. They have informed current Health Minister Aleš Šabeder of the issue as well, but have not yet received a response.

They have also prepared another health services act amendment and informed President Borut Pahor and Ombudsman Peter Svetina about the situation.

Moreover, the students are deliberating to take the issue to the court if it does not get resolved before. Some of them are also considering to bring damages actions.

STA, 24 September 2019 - University of Maribor Chancellor Zdravko Kačič has come out strongly against a recent media report questioning some EUR 50 million in payments to its professors through works contracts. He said on Tuesday that Friday's TV Slovenija report was based on incomplete facts, but did affect the reputation of the country's No. 2 public university.

According to the broadcaster, auditor Ernst & Young found rather high payments to university professors and the university and its faculties' deals with companies suspicious in March 2017.

Some professors received almost EUR 30 million in various fees and another EUR 20 million was paid to university staff who were treated as external staff, TV Slovenija said.

Kačič told the university's senate the media report was based on two reports commissioned by the former chancellor with Ernst & Young - Consulting, Tax Consulting, and not with an auditor. The first was made in 2017 and the other in February 2018.

"Neither found any irregularities in the university's financial operations, but merely pointed to potential risks," said Kačič, who was in charge of the university's finances under the previous leadership.

When he became chancellor in June 2018, Kačič was not acquainted by predecessor Igor Tičar with the first report, but he did receive the second one.

After presenting it to the deans and demanding explanation from faculties, he handed all the papers to "a neutral institution to comprehensively review it and prepare a final report, which will serve for further action", he explained.

Earlier this year, the chancellor said the Institute for Business Accounting had been asked to give its final opinion. Its findings should be known next month.

"If qualified experts find irregularities ..., university institutions will take action," the chancellor's office said in a release after the senate's session.

Kačič said the idea was to present the second report to the public once it became final and contained proper findings and recommendations for further action.

As for the sum of EUR 50 million, Kačič said it referred to the works contracts for the entire period between 2010 and 2016.

"There are many such contracts. For instance, the professors teaching at the Faculty of Medicine are originally employed at the UKC Maribor hospital," he said in reference to the media report that some university staff had been treated as external staff (outsourcing) in receiving payment for their services.

Works contracts are also used for work on different projects, including for university-business ones.

"The payments on the basis of works contracts for University of Maribor staff for 2011 to 2016 amounted to EUR 21.2 million, not EUR 50 million," Kačič's office said.

"We don't want to sweep anything under the carpet, but it is inappropriate to jump to conclusions on the basis of incomplete facts," the chancellor said.

STA, 24 September 2019 - The 25th City of Women (Mesto Žensk), an international festival of contemporary arts, will kick off in Ljubljana on 1 October; however a series of events will take place as a prelude to the festival's opening, starting tonight (Monday, 24 September) with an exhibition Cheers to Women - 25 Years of Film and Video.

The exhibition launch will be held at Alkatraz Gallery in the Metelkova Mesto alternative arts centre, with the display focusing on creative endeavours of female film makers and video artists in Slovenia.

The feminist festival, running until 13 October, will be held under the slogan #HerStory, a pun referring to female, often forgotten or erased, history as well as female stories.

The events will take place at 18 venues and will include 160 participants, said the festival's programme director Teja Reba at today's press conference, highlighting that this year the festival will spread to Maribor and Zagreb as well.

Winner of Slovenia’s Most Sexist Statement of the Year Announced

"We're not talking about a special part of history which would only apply to women, but about a part of general history which is missing since mostly men's events were valued in the past," said Reba.

According to her, the time has come for "some feminist revisionism - a feminist re-interpretation of facts, events and traditions". The festival thus aims "to make visible all that has been overlooked, silenced and repressed".

The programme reminisces about the festival's past achievements, but also looks to the future by promoting up-and-coming female artists and art collectives as well as questions the existing forms of artistic expressions nowadays, said the organisers.

Highlights include a film marathon of Slovenian female film makers and video artists at the Slovenian Cinematheque as well as the opening performance of famous German theatre collective She She Pop, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary as well, at the Ljubljana Mladinsko Theatre (SMG).

The legendary duo, a recipient of this year's Theaterpreis Berlin, a prestigious German theatre prize, will put on Drawers, a performance about the German reunification process retold through the eyes of women from West and East Berlin.

Slovenia's Gender Pay Gap Relatively Low in the EU, But Rising Fastest

Eva D. Bahovec, the festival's honorary president and professor at the Faculty of Arts, said that the University of Ljubljana, marking its centenary this year, and City of Women will hold a regional symposium on Simone de Beauvoir celebrating the 70th anniversary of her influential work The Second Sex.

The artist-in-residence of this year's festival is Alicja Rogalska, a Polish-British artist who has dedicated herself to exploring the issue of erased people, left without citizenship after Slovenia declared independence in 1991.

Her exhibition Kinds of Pressure at the Škuc Gallery will analyse the global labour conditions under capitalism and its dehumanising effect, but a discussion with the artist at the exhibition opening will also touch upon her research on the erased and how to talk about an identity that was taken away.

This year, City of Women was awarded the European Cultural Foundation's annual Princess Margriet Award for Culture. The prize, honouring the festival's achievement in supporting women in culture and its intersectional feminist approach, will be presented in Amsterdam on 2 October.

You can find the City of Women website, in English, here, while a PDF guide – in English and Slovene – is here

STA, 24 September 2019 - Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek has reacted to the deepening crisis at Adria Airways by saying that the only thing that could save the air carrier was a well thought-out restructuring plan, agreed with the creditors, but added that under the given owner, the state would not invest a single euro in the company.

The minister would not specify how the restructuring of the company, which has been in the ownership of the German fund 4K Invest since 2016, could be conducted.

"Anything is possible, if you want it," he said in Ljubljana on Tuesday. "Things are not simple, and the ownership is not important there. It's absolutely necessary to examine the routes, act fast, conduct financial restructuring, reach a deal with the creditors and tap on the potential of the staff so the company can start from scratch."

Another possibility is letting the company go bankrupt, which in the short run would damage Slovenian business, not only tourism. In the mid- and long run other airlines would likely take over Adria routes. In this way, the potential and expertise of the well-qualified staff would be lost, said the minister.

The air carrier's management had already sought the ministry's help in spring. Počivalšek said that the government could have helped Adria Airways within the scope of the law in a way that would not constitute state aid.

"We could have helped them with promotion, but we demanded a clear business plan. Without knowing what is going to happen to them today, tomorrow or the day after, the state cannot give a single euro," he said, adding that the company failed to present the plan required in four months.

When acquiring the formerly state-owned company in 2016, the new owner pledged to restructure and preserve the flag carrier and to continue to develop the company in the future, which would create long-term positive effects on the state budget, economy and all stakeholders in society.

"It's more than obvious that this has not been the case, so we regret the attempts now to pin the sole blame for the company's troubles on the state," the Economy Ministry said.

"It's unacceptable that on the one hand the owner sets short deadlines for the state's response, while on the other it hasn't put forward in four months a business plan as a basis for any step the state could take."

Back in 2011 Adria Airways received a EUR 70 million injection from the state and creditor banks. The European Commission found the recapitalisation was in compliance with the EU's state aid rules for companies in troubles.

The company cannot benefit from new state aid within ten years after the last bailout. "When Adria Airways's business is healthy, the company will be able to ask for other forms of help because it cannot get them until then," said Počivalšek.

Due to a lack of liquidity Adria Airways today suspended most of its operations, except for its link to Lufthansa's hub in Frankfurt. Media have reported that Adria Airways' "ultimatum" to the government demanding up to EUR 4 million in bridging loan or guarantees expired last night.

All our stories about Adria Airways are here

Check the date at the top of the page, and you can find all the "morning headlines" stories here. You can also follow us on Facebook and get all the news in your feed.

A schedule of all the main events involving Slovenia this week can be found here

This summary is provided by the STA:

Adria Airways temporarily suspends operations

LJUBLJANA - Slovenian carrier Adria Airways suspended virtually all its flights for Tuesday and Wednesday due to a shortage of cash, in what is the biggest upset in Slovenian civil aviation in decades. The carrier, sold by the state in 2016 to the German fund 4K Invest, said "the suspension is merely temporary" and that it was looking for solutions together with a potential investor. The cancellations caused frustration for passengers at Ljubljana airport and have already begun to affect tourism. Amid calls for government help, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said the only thing that could save Adria was a well devised restructuring plan agreed with the creditors, while he ruled out giving any money to Adria under its current owner.

Bill on airline subsidies ready

LJUBLJANA - A bill that would allow the Slovenian government to subsidise selected routes to and from Ljubljana Airport has been drafted and could be adopted as early as this week, the Infrastructure Ministry said after Adria Airways temporarily suspended operations. The bill would take effect in the event Adria is grounded for good and would ensure Slovenia retains air links that are deemed vital for the country, which is also one of the conditions for clearance from the European Commission. Route subsidies are one of the only direct ways the state can help. Pure state aid is only permitted every ten years and Adria was bailed out with EUR 50 million in 2011.

Šarec deems Slovenia credible on climate change

NEW YORK, US - Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec attended the UN Climate Summit and a World Economic Forum (WEF) debate on sustainable development, held in New York on Monday as part of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. He said Slovenia was a credible country when it came to climate measures. "It is among the most ambitious countries with regard to the carbon footprint and other environmental issues," he told Slovenian reporters. Šarec said the biggest countries would have to come around and acknowledge that climate change is taking place and join the fight.

Path clear for passage of bill protecting bailed-in bank creditors

LJUBLJANA - The MPs paved the way for the passage of a bill providing recourse for junior creditors affected by the 2013 state-sponsored bailout of banks as it completed the second reading of the bill having processed all the amendments submitted at committee two weeks ago. The general purpose of the bill remains the same as originally proposed by the government: the Slovenian central bank will be subject to lawsuits by holders of subordinated bank bonds and shareholders, and liable for any damages. Finance Ministry State Secretary Metod Dragonja said the government has "sufficient arguments" for this solution in the event the legislation is challenged in court.

Cerar takes part in high-level meeting on Syria

NEW YORK, US - Foreign Minister Miro Cerar took part in a EU-hosted high level meeting on Syria, held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, condemning attacks on civilians. Addressing a meeting, which is a continuation of donor conferences in Brussels and the UN, Cerar emphasized that the solution to the Syria conflict could only be a political one. "Violation of international law and basic human rights must end. Justice must be served," Cerar was quoted by the Slovenian Foreign Ministry. The Slovenian foreign minister also held a bilateral meeting with his Moldovan counterpart Nicu Popescu about ways to enhance bilateral trade.

Business sentiment worsens

LJUBLJANA - Slovenia's business sentiment deteriorated in September to 4.8 percentage points, down 1.2 percentage point on the month before and down 3.4% year-on-year, fresh data from the Statistics Office show. The monthly decline was driven by a 0.8 percentage-point deterioration in consumer confidence, and, to a lesser extent falling confidence indicators in manufacturing (-0.4% pp) and retail (-0.2 pp). Dampened optimism in the services sector contributed the most to the year-on-year deterioration with the respective index falling by 1.5 percentage points.

Govt rejects NGOs' criticism of new fossil fuel subsidies

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Infrastructure Ministry State Secretary Bojan Kumer rejected the recent allegation by several NGOs that Slovenia is planning new subsidies for fossil fuels, arguing that such subsidies will be phased out. Slovenia's draft Energy and Climate Plan, to be sent to the European Commission, clearly says such subsidies will be phased out, Kumer said in Brussels. The draft plan says the phasing out will start in 2021, while the final target year has not been set, but Kumer believes it could be completed by 2025.

AmCham Slovenia to continue fostering ties under new head

LJUBLJANA - AmCham Slovenia's new president Sašo Berger presented his plans for enhancing dialogue and improving the business environment at a press conference in Ljubljana. A step in this direction will be made already next week, when AmCham will host an investment and development conference in Ljubljana. Berger, the CEO of S&T Slovenija, said he would strive to strengthen the ties with businesses, state and the civil society, as this was the only way to improve business environment in the country.

Sij honours 150 years of industrial ironworks in Slovenia

JESENICE - Steel maker Sij marked 150 years since the launch of industrial ironworks in Slovenian lands. Ironworks has a very long tradition in Slovenia, but the groundwork for industrial production was laid only in September 1969, when the Kranjska Industrijska Družba was established, merging several small-scale operations in and around Jesenice. The company was the predecessor of what is now Sij group, a Russian-owned employer of nearly 4,000 people, some 40% of the Slovenian metallurgy workforce.

Election officials from Balkans, East Europe meeting in Ljubljana

LJUBLJANA - Ljubljana is hosting the 28th annual conference and General Assembly meeting of the Association of European Election Officials (ACEEEO) from the Balkans and East Europe. The two-day meet, which started on Tuesday, will discuss judicial protection of electoral rights and the transparency of elections. The conference focuses on the role of election bodies and their dialogue with courts and other interest groups such as voters and political parties in a bid to secure sufficient protection of electoral rights, the Slovenian National Electoral Commission, which co-hosts the event, says on its website.

Festival promoting science kicks off

LJUBLJANA - The 25th Slovenian Festival of Science opened in Ljubljana under the banner When Science Becomes My Passion. Running until Thursday, the festival will bring an abundance of lectures, presentations, experiments and guided tours. The first day celebrated Slovenian rocket scientist Herman Potočnik Noordung (1892-1929), the second day will be dedicated to the Slovenian-born chemist and Nobel Prize laureate Friderik Pregl (1869-1930) and the third to Slovenian missionary Ignacij Knoblehar, active in southerh Sudan in the mid-19th century. The festival is hosted by the Science Foundation in cooperation with researchers of the faculties of chemistry, chemical technology and biotechnology, the National University Library, and science and research organisations from Austria, Sweden, UK, US and China.

Slovenia beat Russia to enter Euro volleyball semi-finals

LJUBLJANA - The Slovenian men's national volleyball team is in the semi-finals of the European Championship after beating the defending champions Russia in Ljubljana on Monday evening, earning the chance to win another medal after getting silver in 2015 for its best result to date. Powered by more than 11,000 fans in the sold-out Stožice Arena, Slovenia avenged the 0:3 loss to Russia in the group stage with an incredible and heroic performance which earned them the semi-final, to be played against Poland in Ljubljana this Thursday.

City of Women celebrating 25 years and telling #HerStory

LJUBLJANA - The 25th City of Women, an international festival of contemporary arts, will kick off in Ljubljana on 1 October. However a series of events will take place as a prelude to the festival's opening, the first of them being an exhibition Cheers to Women - 25 Years of Film and Video, which has just opened at Alkatraz Gallery in the Metelkova Mesto alternative arts centre. The feminist festival, running until 13 October, will be held under the slogan #HerStory, a pun referring to female, often forgotten or erased, history as well as female stories.

Sonica brings to Ljubljana some of the finest sound artists

LJUBLJANA - The 11th Sonica, a festival of contemporary electronic music and transitory art, will explore avant-garde sounds and audiovisual art as it brings some of the world's finest sound artists, an exhibition, film screenings, a sound walk and discussions to various venues in Ljubljana until Saturday. Held under the slogan Sentinels, Sonica will open with the Antiphonic Incidence exhibition at the Metelkova Museum of Contemporary Art (MSUM) tonight.

Visiting Ljubljana? Check out what's on this week, while all our stories on Slovenia, from newest to oldest, are here

If you're learning Slovenian then you can find all our dual texts here

STA, 24 September 2019 - Strapped for cash, Slovenian carrier Adria Airways suspended virtually all its flights for Tuesday and Wednesday, causing frustration among passengers and prompting calls for help from the government. The latter is adamant not to give money to the company under the existing owner, German turnaround fund K4 Invest.

"The decision to suspend aircraft operations is the consequence of the current lack of access to fresh money that the carrier needs to continue operations," the company said in a press release late on Monday, prompting speculation about a looming bankruptcy.

Although the carrier has been beset by delays and cancellations for months, media reports suggested the decision to suspend operations from Adria's bases in Ljubljana, Prishtina and Tirana followed the expiry of Adria officials' ultimatum to the government to provide a EUR 4 million loan guarantee.

The decision affected all routes linking Slovenia's capital with Amsterdam, Brussels, Copenhagen, Manchester, Munich, Paris, Podgorica, Praga, Prishtina, Sarajevo, Skopje, Sofia, Tirana, Vienna and Zurich. However, Adria did say it would fly out to Frankfurt on Tuesday and back on Wednesday.

Flight cancellations caused a lot of frustration for passengers at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport, especially among foreign visitors, many of whom did not learn about their flights being cancelled until after they had arrived at the airport.

The cancellations prompted the Polish government to dispatch its own jet to get the Polish volleyball team from the Netherlands, where they beat Germany in the quarter-finals of the Eurovolley, to Ljubljana to play Slovenia in the semis on Thursday.

Ljubljana airport operator Fraport Slovenija said it was helping passengers that had arrived at the airport for the morning flights - the suspension was announced just before midnight - and had arranged transport from the airport for them.

It is not clear how many passengers have been affected because Adria has kept communications with the media to a minimum. But the figure is likely substantial, as the suspension also affected airlines for which Adria operated flights on a contractual basis.

More details are expected tomorrow as the Civil Aviation Agency conducts a hearing in a procedure concerning the airline's operating licence. The agency's director Rok Marolt said they were closely monitoring the situation at the carrier.

Adria's woes are already affecting hoteliers, who are due to meet Ljubljana tourism officials and companies providing shuttle bus links between Ljubljana and other airports tomorrow in a bid to find solutions.

Concern over flight cancellations has also been expressed by businesses, with fears that increasing numbers of passengers will be travelling abroad from foreign airports. They urged the government to find alternative solutions.

"Tourism has already suffered major economic damage due to a low volume of lines operated by the domestic flag carrier, and in the future our wings will actually be clipped," the Slovenian Tourism Board said, urging the government to save Adria.

An appeal for a government bailout also came from Adria pilots, whose union said that the state was responsible for the situation because it sold the company "to incompetent owners" so they "expect the state will assist in the resolution of the situation".

Having struggled for years, Adria was sold to 4K Invest for a mere EUR 100,000 in 2016. It received several state-sponsored capital injections between 2007 and 2011, including a EUR 50 million cash infusion in 2011 and a EUR 38.4 million debt-to-equity conversion the same year.

Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek ruled out investing any money into the company under the current owner, which he blamed for the situation, saying that the only thing that could save Adria was a well thought-out restructuring plan, agreed with the creditors.

"It's absolutely necessary to examine the routes, act fast, conduct financial restructuring, reach a deal with the creditors and tap on the potential of the staff so the company can start from scratch," the minister said, noting that Adria could not get state aid again.

A solution whereby the state would help Slovenia preserve its carrier, Adria's expertise of 60 years, and its staff, while not helping its current owner also appears to be favoured by political parties, with the Left proposing the company be taken over by employees.

Meanwhile, the Infrastructure Ministry has drawn up a bill that would allow the government to subsidise selected air links from Ljubljana, including to Brussels. The bill could be adopted as early as this week, and, providing clearance from the EU Commission, would take effect if Adria was grounded for good.

The carrier itself said it was busy looking for solutions together with a potential investor, but previous attempts to find a strategic partner failed or turned out to be merely preliminary talks with few if any prospects of succeeding.

The decision to temporarily suspend operations came less than a week after two of Adria's leased aircraft were repossessed by their owner over unpaid debt. Media reports suggest Adria owes up to EUR 60 million in debt.

STA, 24 September 2019 - Flight cancellations by carrier Adria Airways have caused a lot of frustration for passengers at the Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport on Tuesday. Long lines have formed in front of Adria's information desks, as many passengers learnt about the cancellations only after they arrived at the airport.

Adria Airways has cancelled all of its flights scheduled for today and tomorrow, with the exception of flights to Frankfurt. The airline seems to be at a dead end, having ran out of money. The fate of what used to be Slovenia's flag carrier will expectedly be known in the coming days.

Meanwhile, at Slovenia's biggest airport passengers are frustrated about being stranded and receiving little help from the airline.

Two Americans who are supposed to fly to Texas and California via Munich later today were angered by the fact that they had not been informed about their flight being cancelled before arriving at the airport this morning.

"We've received no phone message, no email, no message whatsoever," one of them told the STA, adding that they booked their flights without any problems a week ago.

Adria personnel advised them to turn to the agency that booked their flights, but the agency sent them back to Adria. "They can't offer us a hotel, or transportation, they can't offer anything. At the same time, they can't put us on another flight because all flights are full."

They do not know what to do. They intend to contact Lufthansa once again. They flew to Europe with Lufthansa and the carrier also booked their flights with Adria. "I don't know where we'll end up. We're trying to stay calm, but we are far from happy."

A Massachusetts couple, who were supposed to return home today via Frankfurt, said they had not received any help. "They've given us information about EU rules that say carriers need to help passengers in case of flight cancellations or delays, but they don't follow the rules."

They were instructed by Adria to send them receipts proving additional cost incurred and do not know yet what they will do. They intend to go back to Ljubljana and probably stay another couple of days.

A man from Rijeka, Croatia, who has booked a flight to Tirana was very critical about being stuck at Brnik airport. "This is a disaster." He was given the passenger rights leaflet but was not offered a different flight to Tirana. But even that would not have helped him. "I need to be in Tirana today. But I won't be."

A couple from Australia, who visited family in Velenje and was supposed to return today through Frankfurt, arrived at the airport hours early after hearing about Adria's troubles on the news. Adria helped them get a different flight from Zagreb.

They said that their family had visited Slovenia at least 40 times in over six decades and had never faced anything like this.

Another passenger, who booked a seat to Stockholm, said Adria got her on a different flight, but ten hours later than scheduled.

Adria pilots hoping for state bailout

STA, 24 September 2019 - The pilots of Adria Airways have asked the state for a bailout after the carrier temporarily suspended operations due to lack of cash, making bankruptcy an imminent prospect.

"We're aware of the unenviable position, but we are confident the situation can be resolved in agreement with the state," Luka Radovic, the head of the Trade Union of Commercial Pilots, said in a press release on Tuesday.

Everyone stands to lose, not only Adria staff but also the economy in general, said the head of the union, which just recently signed a new collective bargaining agreement with Adria.

"By selling [the carrier] to incompetent owners, the state has brought us to this situation ... we expect the state will assist in the resolution of the situation," according to the union.

The union thus called on the government to extend a loan guarantee, but in doing that it should also appoint a temporary management and squeeze out the current owners.

"Adria has operated successfully before and we believe that a competent management can return it to the right path, making the search for a new strategic owner much easier," he said.

The appeal comes after Adria grounded almost all planes and temporarily suspended operations, a move widely interpreted as the end of the troubled carrier.

The company has been beset by delays and cancellations for months and has long been bleeding passengers and has apparently unsuccessfully attempted to sell itself to several potential strategic owners.

Media reports suggest Adria representatives have even asked the state and state-owned funds for money outright, going as far as giving the government an ultimatum until yesterday evening to provide a EUR 4 million loan guarantee or risk the airline collapsing.

But the government has made it clear on several occasions it cannot help Adria, which had received ample state aid less than ten years ago, without running afoul of EU competition rules.

Adria was sold to 4K Invest, a German turnaround fund, for a mere EUR 100,000 in 2016, having before that struggled for years.

It received several rounds of state-sponsored capital injections between 2007 and 2011, including a EUR 50 million cash infusion in 2011 and a EUR 38.4 million debt-to-equity conversion the same year.

All our stories on Adria Airways are here

STA, 23 September 2019 - Sales of new housing properties have dropped to the lowest level on record in the second quarter of 2019, according to data released by the Statistics Office. Meanwhile, more than 1,360 second-hand houses were sold this second quarter, the most since the second quarter of 2017. In total, sales reached highest value since 2017.

New flats are on the other side of the spectrum, as only 42 were sold, the least since new real estate sales have been recorded. But faring even worse were new houses, with only 18 of them being sold in the second quarter.

The prices of new housing properties dropped by 3.1% over the first quarter. Prices of new houses went down by 9.3%, while apartments grew by 0.3% after growing by 9% in the first quarter.

On the yearly level, prices of new real estate increased by 3.6%: flats went up by 9.3%, while houses were 6.3% cheaper.

Prices of second hand real estate went up by 1.5% over the previous quarter; houses by 2.5% and apartments by 1%. Compared to the same period last year, prices of second-hand properties were up 2.1%; apartments increased by 2.3% and houses by 1.7%.

In total, EUR 330 million deals were closed, the most since the second quarter of 2017, when the figure reached EUR 354 million.

Prices have gone up by 1.3% in the second quarter compared to the first and have grown by 2.2% compared to the same period last year.

The Slovenian national volleyball team beat Russia 3:1 last night, qualifying for the semi-finals of the Men’s European Volleyball Championship, with the teams next match set to take place in Ljubljana on 26 September when they will face Poland.

Odbojkarska zveza Slovenije (OZS) Facebook

Russia, two times world champion, beat Slovenia 3:0 in qualifiers but the two met again in the quarterfinals last night, when Slovenia managed to eliminate the champion in front of a hall full of a euphoric domestic audience.

The European Volleyball Championship takes place every two years and this is the first time it is being hosted by four countries, the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Slovenia, and also the first time the event has come to Slovenia.

Both finals, for the third and first places, will be hosted in Paris, France, meaning this Thursday is the last time the Slovenian national team will be playing at home.