Slovenia will decide on a new national carrier by the middle of 2023
Three and a half years after the collapse of the former national carrier Adria Airways, the future Slovenian Minister for Infrastructure Alenka Bratušek has renewed hope that the country will establish a new national carrier. Bratuškova pointed out that the working group is examining the feasibility of establishing a new state carrier. “I believe that somewhere by the middle of the year we will be able to come up with an answer that will be based on weighty facts and data,” she said. Bratušek, who was the Minister of Infrastructure when Adria Airways was declared bankrupt in September 2019, campaigned during last year’s elections with the promise of establishing a new national carrier.
Before that, Bratuškova said that she had repeatedly pointed out the sale of Adria Airways to the German capital fund 4K Invest, while warning that the then Slovenian government should find a strategic partner within the aviation industry that would ensure the long-term existence and development of the company. carrier. Key people of 4K Invest are under investigation for their role in the collapse of Adria and are accused of fraud and theft. Babett Stapel, the general director of operator Fraport Slovenia, said last year: “I cannot decide whether Slovenia or the state should establish a national carrier. But I can say that if it is established, it will be more than welcome from our side. We support any development that is sustainable and increases connectivity.”
The current Slovenian political establishment is directly connected to Adria. The former chairman of the board Klemen Boštjančič, who led the carrier in 2011 and 2012, is now the Slovenian finance minister. Mr. Boštjančić implemented extensive cost-cutting measures at the airline, which stabilized the carrier’s finances. However, this came at a price as the company reduced its route network, resulting in a large drop in passenger numbers. In addition, Rok Marolt, who was the head of the Civil Aviation Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, and in 2012 was the Chief Operating Officer of Adria, is the Secretary General of the State at the Ministry of Finance. The President of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar, was a short-term member of Adria’s cabin crew and recently expressed her deep regret for the collapse of the airline.