Ljubljana related
Ex-Yu Aviation reports that former employees of Adria Airways are claiming that a foreign carrier, which cannot be named for confidentiality reasons, is planning to set up a new business based at Ljubljana Airport, one that will hire some of the staff who lost their jobs in the collapse of the Slovenian carrier. The new firm would lease aircraft and use the Air Operator’s Certificate of its foreign owner, making a rapid start to operations possible. More details can be found here, while all our stories on Adria are here
STA, 8 October 2019 - Adria Airways, a German-owned Slovenian airline in receivership since last week, ended 2018 with a net loss of EUR 18.6 million, up from EUR 5.4 million in 2017, shows the audited financial statement, which was released on Monday.
The air carrier's operating loss amounted to over EUR 16 million, up from EUR 3.3 million in 2017, with its negative working capital standing at EUR 14.2 million.
The airline's revenue, on the other hand, increased by 12.5% to EUR 179 million, of which the revenue from passengers rose by 1.5% to EUR 149 million.
By leasing its planes and flight crews to other airlines, Adria generated more than EUR 17 million in 2018, says the business report, which official receiver Janez Pustatičnik posted on the website of the AJPES agency yesterday.
The company attributed the loss to growing fuel prices (EUR 7.7 million) and to the cost of hiring planes with flight crews (EUR 5.5 million).
And while Adria carried 1.23 million passengers in 2018, up 1.5%, its occupancy seat rate dropped by 3.7 percentage points to 64%.
The financial statement also shows the company had 503 employees at the end of last year, a rise of almost 27% over the year before.
The auditor PwC gave the financial statement a qualified opinion because of Adria's manoeuvre with selling its brand in 2016 and then acquiring it back in 2018.
The auditor said Adria had actually never really lost control of its brand, so its sale was in fact presented in its books inappropriately.
The financial statement, which Adria had failed to release within the set deadline, was supposed to serve as the basis for Slovenia's Civil Aviation Agency to decide on whether the airline should keep its operating licence.
However, before the expiration of the deadline to submit it to the agency, Adria filed for receivership on 30 September, thus automatically losing the operating licence.
All our stories on Adria are here
STA, 7 October 2019 The official receiver of Adria Airways started serving notices of job termination to the airline's employees on Monday while pilots and cabin staff are reported to be interviewed with potential new employers.
The official receiver, Janez Pustatičnik told the STA on Monday that he started serving notices today, but he could not say when all of the 558 airline's employees would receive them.
Some of the staff are currently abroad, these will get termination notices by post, said Pustatičnik, who held first meetings with the employees on Wednesday, as the Kranj District Court ordered receivership for the company.
Those of the redundant workers who would like to claim unemployment benefit, need to register with the Employment Service and ask for the benefit within 30 days.
Those who register within three days after the expiry of the notice period, will be eligible for an allowance equalling 80% of the average of their salaries and the others to 60% of the average.
The receiver expects to be able to assess the scope and the duration of the receivership procedure by the time he compiles an opening report when the amount of registered claims, the size of the bankruptcy estate and a detailed state of the company's finances are clear.
The receivership was started at the request of the management of the German-owned carrier due to insolvency after the government declined its calls for aid. Unofficially, the company ran up EUR 90 million in debt.
Citing unofficial sources, the newspaper Finance reports that the Polish flag carrier LOT has conducted job interviews with Adria pilots, while cabin staff have received offers for jobs from Wizz Air, the Hungarian low-cost carrier.
According to Finance, LOT is looking for at least ten pilots for smaller aircraft, which suits Adria pilots well-being that they are licensed to fly Canadair aircraft, now rarely used planes worldwide.
Some of Adria Airways' major links have been taken over by foreign airlines, while the government has proposed legislative amendments that would make it possible to subsidise commercially unpopular links.
Speculation is also rife about potential incorporation of a new air carrier. Some media have been reporting that a foreign airline might step in and employ at least part of Adria staff.
All our stories on Adria are here
Local media are reporting that the government is considering setting up Air Slovenia, a new national carrier. This would take the place of Adria Airways, the former national airline that was sold to a Luxembourg-based investment company, “4k Invest”, in 2016, and is now in the early stages of bankruptcy proceedings, with all flights cancelled.
Adria Airways 1961 – 2018: A Brief History
Air Slovenia was proposed by Zdravko Počivalšek, the Minister for Economic Development and Technology, as establishing a new company would enable the government to provide subsidies for the carrier. While nothing is certain yet, the Minister claimed that the new national airline could launch services at the end of February 2020, with a ten to twelve aircraft and a schedule serving fifteen destinations.
All our stories on Adria are here
STA, 3 October 2019 - The government has endorsed changes to the aviation act that create a legal basis for the state to subsidise crucial air links with the country following the collapse of flag carrier Adria Airways, if this proves necessary.
In line with the proposed changes, the state could subsidise flight connections with Ljubljana if other airlines did not set up commercial flights.
The changes had been drawn up by the Infrastructure Ministry as Adria was heading for receivership.
This is one of the two possible steps the state can take in the aftermath of Adria's collapse. The other is to found a new air carrier.
Finance Minister Andrej Bertoncelj said after Thursday's session that Slovenian Sovereign Holding and the Bank Asset Management Company had been tasked with calculating the potential costs of each solution.
The option of setting up a new company was not discussed by the cabinet today.
In line with the proposed changes, subsidies would be possible for connections that are of vital importance for the country in terms of economic and social development. State intervention in such cases is also allowed under the EU legislation.
But Betroncelj added the legislative proposal was yet to be coordinated with the European Commission. A decree will need to be passed and a call for applications published to create equal opportunities for all, he noted.
The Infrastructure Ministry would be able to launch a procedure to set up an "obligatory public service" if no air carrier with a licence of an EU member state offered connections that are important for Slovenia for economic reasons.
The necessary funds would be provided by the government. The ministry could not provide an estimation of potential costs of this service yet. "We have no way of knowing which routes will not be covered by the market itself," Infrastructure Minister Alenka Bratušek told the press.
She would like the legislative motion to be pushed through parliament, so that the state can act if necessary. Bratušek said she had also proposed to coalition partners to consider supporting connections with Maribor, Slovenia's second largest city.
For now it seems that the Ljubljana airport operator, Fraport Slovenija, will manage to restore some of the crucial connections with Ljubljana.
The German Lufthansa and its subsidiary Swiss International Airlines, both of which are members of the Star Alliance, will be offering flights connecting Ljubljana to Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich, in the winter season.
The Belgian air carrier Brussels Airlines, also part of Lufthansa Group, is introducing six Brussels-Ljubljana flights a week.
Bratušek welcomed these solutions, saying she would be particularly pleased if the ticket prices will indeed be lower than Adria's.
Receivership proceedings for Adria Airways was officially launched yesterday, with unofficial information indicating the company's debt amounts to EUR 90 million.
Adria has not published its 2018 business report yet, but a document obtained by the newspaper Finance suggests that at the end of last year its long- and short-term liabilities reached EUR 21.5 million and EUR 54.6 million, respectively.
In the nine months of this year, the liabilities allegedly rose by another EUR 20 million to EUR 90 million.
Receiver Janez Pustatičnik said today that contracts for Adria's hired planes had already been cancelled. "If any real opportunity arose for continuing any potentially profitable segment, so that this would increase bankruptcy estate, we will look into it and act in line with the law."
He expects the situation to be assessed in the coming weeks. The amount of claims, which creditors can file within the next three months, will be revealed in the opening report, he said.
All our stories on Adria are here
While a number of airlines have announced new or increased services to fill the gaps created by the collapse of Adria Airways, no company has yet stepped in to serve the Ljubljana to Vienna route, with Austrian Airlines announcing that it has no intentions to do so, only serving the Slovene market via Klagenfurt. In an official statement, the company said: “Austrian Airlines will offer its passengers up to three daily connections from Vienna to Klagenfurt as an alternative to the termination of Adria Airways flight operations to Ljubljana.”
All our stories on Adria are here
STA, 2 October 2019 - The Kranj District Court launched today receivership proceedings for Adria Ariways, after the German-owned air carrier filed for receivership on Monday.
The procedure, in which creditors will have three months to file their claims, will be managed by receiver Janez Pustatičnik.
Passengers who had bought tickets for Adria's flights which were subsequently cancelled have been urged to report their claims as well.
Those who bought the tickets with their bank card can ask their banks for a refund, the Market Inspectorate said today. If their motion is denied, they can turn to the Slovenian Bank Association.
The Slovenian flag carrier, which was sold to the German turnaround fund 4K Invest in 2016, said on Monday that the proposal had been filed due to insolvency and in line with legal provisions applying in such a situation.
Adria had been struggling with financial difficulties for some time, with the problems deepening further after the sale, even though the new owner announced growth, several capital increases and a new strategic partner.
Adria ended up selling all of its planes, while several of those rented were confiscated in recent years by leasing companies due to unpaid debts. The company, which employs 558 people, also owes part of the August wages and has reportedly failed to pay the social contributions for September.
After the management filed for receivership on Monday, the Civil Aviation Agency also automatically revoked the air carrier's operating license.
Other airlines are already moving to fill the void created by Adria's collapse. The German Lufthansa and its subsidiary Swiss International Airlines, both of which are members of the Star Alliance, will be offering flights connecting Ljubljana to Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich, in the winter season.
Next to the links with Brussels and Vienna, these connections are considered crucial for Slovenia's connectivity with the world.
The Belgian air carrier Brussels Airlines, also part of Lufthansa Group, is introducing six Brussels-Ljubljana flights a week. Tickets are available for sale as of today, while the first flights are scheduled for 4 November.
Several other companies already flying to Ljubljana are also increasing the number of flights to the Slovenian capital and using bigger planes for the route to adjust to the larger number of passengers.
Receivership proceedings were also launched today at the Kranj District Court for Adria's subsidiary Adria Airways Letalska Šola, which used to train Adria's pilots. Blaž Poljanšek was appointed receiver.
Adria's school for pilots was set up in 1980 in cooperation with the Ljubljana Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Initially, it was to train only future Adria pilots, but later offered training for pilots of private sports planes as well as professional pilots of the highest ranks. It has trained more than 2,800 pilots.
Its last year's revenue topped EUR 300,000, while net lost almost reached EUR 340,000. The company also had more than EUR 840,000 in short-term liabilities.
All our stories about Adria are here
Yesterday it was Brussels Airlines and Wizz Air, and today four other carriers have announced moves to fill the gaps in the market created by Adria Airways' bankruptcy, Lufthansa CityLine, Swiss International Air Lines, Aire Servia and Montenegro Airlines.
Lufthansa plans to run two flights a day from Frankfurt to Ljubljana starting 27 October, with more details here, while the carrier will launch a new daily service from Munich on November 1, with more information here. Swiss International Air Lines will begin a five flights a week service between Zurich and Ljubljana on October 16, becoming daily on October 27, with details here.
Air Serbia is adding a a new - and third - daily flight between Ljublajan and Belgrade for the winter schedule, with the service enabling connection with the carriers flights from belgrade to Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Copenhagen, Dusseldorf, Rome, Mila, Prage, Podgorica, Stuttgart, Vienna and Zurich.
Finally, Montenegro Airlines is now offering discount fares to Adria Airways ticketholders for selected flights, with €60 getting you a one-way flight from Ljubljana to Podgorica, or from Ljubljana to Belgrade via Podgorica. The price includes 23kg of checked-in luggage, and the offer also extends to other destination the airline covers, although the cost for these routes is €90.
All our stories on Adria are here
Updated: 18:45 1 Oct. 2019
STA, 1 October 2019 - The Belgian air carrier Brussels Airlines, part of Lufthansa Group, announced it would restore its Brussels-Ljubljana route a day after Slovenian carrier Adria Airways filed for receivership. Travel agency Nomago also decided to organise several charter flights to mitigate the effects of Adria collapse on conference tourism.
Brussels Airlines, which had flown to Ljubljana a decade ago, announced six flights a week on its website today. Tickets should be available for sale as of Wednesday, while the first flights are scheduled for 4 November.
Brussels Airlines is to connect the Slovenian capital with Brussels every day a week except Saturday. Flights from Brussels are scheduled for 3:30pm and return flights for 5:55pm.
The Belgian air carrier is the first to introduce new flights to Ljubljana airport after Adria's collapse.
Adria's routes will also be partly covered by the Hungarian low-budget carrier WizzAir, which cancelled its Ljubljana-Brussels link for the 2019/2020 winter season but will restore it as of 31 March 2020.
Meanwhile, Nomago said today it was in contact with Ljubljana hotels, and all major tourism organisations and institutions hosting international events. It assured them it can expand its operations to provide for the transport of passengers through its InterCity bus service but also with additional charter flights.
According to Nomago executive director for tourism and mobility services Marjan Beltram, the network of the Nomago IntercIty services may be expanded within a month or two if necessary.
Nomago, which has the largest market share in plane ticket sales in Slovenia, has already arranged alternative connections from near-by airports for its passengers.
The receivership of Adria, which used to transport about half of all Ljubljana airport passengers, opens opportunities for other air carriers as well.
The most attractive appear to be the routes to Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich and Vienna. Two other Lufthansa subsidiaries, Austrian Airlines and Swiss International Airlines, are said to be interested in them as well.
Ljubljana airport operator Fraport Slovenija is in intensive talks with other air carriers as well and is hoping to replace the key connections soon. A comparable network of flights is to be set up in a year and a half, Fraport Slovenija said today.
Out of the 27 regular flights, 11 have been lost with the grounding of Adria's planes, of which five are crucial for Slovenia's connectivity with the world, said Janez Krašnja, the head of airline services.
According to Fraport Slovenija COO Zmago Skobir, these are connections with Brussels, Frankfurt, Vienna, Munich and Zurich. He expects them to be restored by the end of the year.
Asked whether founding a new national carrier would make sense in the current situation, Skobir said he could not comment. "I can only say that there is demand for the destinations that have been cancelled and that we have first signals that they will be replaced," he said.
Several companies already flying to Ljubljana are also increasing the number of flights to the Slovenian capital to make out for the fallout from Adria cancellations. Air France increased them from six to 13 a week, and will be using a larger aircraft to adjust to the number of passengers.
LOT Polish Airlines has raised the number of its flights from seven to eight a week and has recently been flying to Ljubljana with a larger plane, Boeing B737.
Air Serbia added Niš to the list of its routes in the summer, and adjusted to the number of passengers on the Ljubljana-Belgrade route with larger planes.
Montenegro Airlines will increase the number of its flights from four to five a week, while Russia's
Aeroflot has been using larger planes.
Turkish Airlines has made no changes yet but said it would secure larger aircraft if necessary.
A solution has however not been found yet for lights to Balkan cities. Fraport Slovenije is particularly working on setting up a connection with Skopje, which is an important business destination.
Fraport expects the airport to see 100,000-200,000 fewer passengers this year because of Adria's collapse, expecting the annual figure to stand between 1.5 and 1.7 million. But the airport still expects to end the year in the black.
Fraport Slovenija has more than EUR 4 million in claims to Adria, a part of which has been secured.
The Slovenian national postal operator Pošta Slovenije said today it had switched from Adria to other air lines and partly to Zagreb airport, while the mail for neighbouring countries and Germany was being transported by road.
Adria's collapse will be discussed by the coalition later this afternoon. Officials are expected to talk about potential steps the state can take in the aftermath of Adria's receivership.
One option is for the state to subsidise new routes and the other is to set up a new air carrier. Parties are divided as to what the best solution would be.
All our stories on Adria are here
STA, 1 October 2019 - After almost 60 years since its establishment, Adria Airways, Slovenia's flag carrier privatised in 2016, is grounded. By selling it to German fund 4K Invest, the state claimed it wanted to give the troubled company a fresh impetus, but with the management filing for receivership, the opposite scenario has happened.
March 1961 - Charter airline Adria Aviopromet is set up, operating DC 6 planes. In December of the same year, it operates the first flight with a home crew.
1964 - Adria Aviopromet gets its own airport in Brnik, after landing and taking off at Croatia's Zagreb airport.
1968 - Adria Aviopromet introduces the first regular route, between Ljubljana and Yugoslavia's capital Belgrade, and is renamed Inex Adria Aviopromet.
December 1981 - An Inex Adria Aviopromet plane crashes into Mt San Pietro in Corsica. All 180 people on board die.
1986 - The company is renamed Adria Airways. In the years to come, the number of routes grows, and so does the number of passengers.
25 June 1991 - Slovenia declares independence, and Yugoslavia's civil aviation administration soon bans Adria Airways from flying for three months.
1992 - Adria Airways relaunches its business and focusses on regular routes rather than charter flights.
1995 - The company enters a code share agreement with Germany's Lufthansa.
2004 - Adria Airways becomes a member of Star Alliance, the world's largest global airline alliance.
2010 - The airline establishes Adria Airways Tehnika, a subsidiary for the maintenance of its fleet.
2011 - Due to financial trouble, Adria Airways sells its 100% stake in Adria Airways Tehnika to two state-owned companies and is recapitalised by the state with EUR 50 million.
2012 - An international call to sell a 74.87% stake in Adria Airways is published, but falls through. The European Commission launches a probe into state aid.
2014 - The European Commission establishes that four state capital injections Adria Airways received in 2007-2011 were not in breach of EU rules.
July 2015 - A call to sell a 91.58% stake in Adria Airways is published, with an almost 70% stake held directly by the state and the rest indirectly through state assets managers.
January 2016 - A contract to sell the 91.58% stake to the German turnaround fund 4K Invest is signed. Before selling it, the state recapitalises the company with EUR 3.1 million and receives purchase money to the tune of EUR 100,000.
March 2016 - The privatisation is completed. CEO Mark Anžur hands over to Arno Schuster as the last Slovenian manager at its helm.
July 2017 - Through a subsidiary, Adria Airways takes over Swiss regional airline Darwin Airline, which in November files for bankruptcy. Swiss prosecutors then open a probe into financial irregularities.
February 2018 - Schuster resigns as CEO, and is replaced by Holger Kowarsch.
summer 2018 - Due to a shortage of staff, Adria Airways starts merging flights. Its fleet grows to 21 planes, the highest number ever.
December 2018 - Despite a capital injection of EUR 4 million from Adria Airways owners, the Civil Aviation Agency threatens to revoke its operating licence.
January 2019 - The Civil Aviation Agency finds the airline is solvent in the long-run.
February 2019 - STBE, a company said to be the owner of Adria Airways brand, is folded into Adria Airways to increase its capital.
June 2019 - Adria Airways is cancelling ever more flights.
September 2019 - Pilots threaten to go on a strike, but the two sides manage to sign a new collective bargaining agreement.
10 September - Adria Airways delivers to the Civil Aviation Agency an audited financial report for 2018. Nine days later, the agency bans it from flying with two CRJ900 Bombardier planes.
24 September - Adria Airways stops flying to all destinations expect once a day to Frankfurt and back to Ljubljana.
25 September - Adria Airways is given until 2 October to provide a financial restructuring plan, or else it would lose its operating licence.
30 September - As the government discusses Adria Airways' financial situation, Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek says receivership seems to be the most viable option. The management files for receivership as it cancels the remaining flights, and the airline loses its operating licence. Počivalšek indicates the state could set up a new air carrier.
All our stories on Adria are here
