Slovenia allocates 5.6 million euros for the introduction of new routes
The government has adopted a bill that allocates EUR 5.6 million in subsidies to air carriers for the introduction of new routes and the increase of frequencies on existing routes. The state will provide a list of new destinations for which it will offer subsidies, and a public call will be published soon. Only continuous operation will be funded. In addition, airlines will be eligible for subsidies if they increase the frequency of flights on existing services. The incentives will amount to up to 50% of the carrier’s airport fees in Slovenia. It is about dealing with complaints filed mainly by low-cost carriers that the fees at the Ljubljana airport are too high.
The bill needs the consent of the European Commission, as it is state aid. “We have already forwarded the law to them. We are acting quickly, as we want to complete the process before the summer season, which starts at the end of March,” said future Minister of Infrastructure Alenka Bratušek. Economic Development and Technology, Matjaž Han, said: “We have secured a source of financing for air connections in Slovenia for a period of three years. The aim of the bill is to improve Slovenia’s air connectivity by maintaining existing and encouraging the establishment of new regular air connections to and from Slovenia.
The Slovenian Ministry of Infrastructure recently wrote: “It is crucial for Slovenia to join global trends. As an export-oriented economy, we can only be competitive with a physical presence on world markets, which is guaranteed by regular and reliable airlines. Solid air connections are important for the tourism sector, as we want to attract as many foreign guests from more distant markets to Slovenia as possible. This segment is also of great importance for congress tourism.” He added that additional short-term measures should be implemented, namely subsidizing additional new lines and encouraging increased frequencies to the most important destinations for our economy and tourism.
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