The scheduled route from the North Rhine-Westphalia region to Switzerland will be operated eleven times a week, the route to Austria four times and the one to the UK three times a week, the company said in a press release on Tuesday.

Commercial director Christian Schneider welcomed the new base and routes in "this economically strong region" with major European cities as a very important step for Adria.

"We're happy that we can intensify our presence in the German market and that Paderborn is already our fifth destination in Germany," he said.

Adria CEO Holger Kowarsch was meanwhile quoted by news portal EX-YU Aviation News as saying that the company was looking for new opportunities abroad because of Slovenia's small market.

"In the long-term, we are focussing on growth, so we're not limiting ourselves to the existing bases," he told the news portal last week.

Cooperation with Adria was also welcomed by Paderborn-Lippstadt airport director Marc Cezanne, saying there was a big demand in the region for links with the three European cities.

According to EX-YU Aviation News, some 700,000 passengers pass through Paderborn-Lippstadt a year, mostly during summer months, when many fly to Turkey and Greece.

Adria will fry from the German airport with Saab 2000 planes.