Brnik/Frankfurt - Slovenia's Jože Pučnik Airport Ljubljana saw a total of around 422,000 passengers last year, an increase of 46.4% compared to 2020, according to data released on Monday by the airport's German operator Fraport, which operates the Slovenian airport through its subsidiary Fraport Slovenija.

The Covid-19 pandemic has still had an impact on business, said Fraport CEO Stefan Schulte, according to reports by the German news agency dpa. The Jože Pučnik Airport recorded 75.5% less passengers in 2021 compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019.

However, Schulte added that passenger traffic had been gradually recovering over the past year, with a threefold increase in the period from April to December 2021 in comparison to 2020.

The Jože Pučnik Airport also recorded an annual increase of 8% in cargo and airmail volumes in 2021, and over 45,000 passengers travelled through the airport in December. Fraport expects demand for air travel to increase significantly again in spring.