Passenger transport at Ljubljana airport has returned to pre-epidemic levels, the airport's operator said on Thursday as it announced the winter schedule featuring 12 carriers proving links to 14 destinations. The number of passengers in the first three quarters rose by 174% year-on-year.

Babett Stapel, managing director of operator Fraport Slovenija, wrote in a press release that the successful summer season had again brought the familiar bustle of travellers to Ljubljana airport.

She hopes that the airport will be close to one million passengers by the end of the year, more than double of what was recorded last year.

The September figure brought a 82% increase compared to last year with 118,000 passengers recorded, just shy of the projected 120,000. Freight transport was also up by 7.4% in September year-on-year.

Five carriers providing passenger transport will be stepping up their number of flights in the winter season, while the remaining seven will mostly preserve their current regimes.