The first airBaltic flight from Riga touched down at Ljubljana airport as the Latvian flag carrier launched scheduled flights between the two capitals on 25 April.

AirBaltic will fly between Riga and Ljubljana twice a week, expectedly until the end of 2025.

Around two-thirds of the Airbus A220-300 aircraft's 148 seats were full on the first flight. The plane was piloted by Slovenian captain Ana Manevski.

The new route is the second of the four that are being introduced at the airport under a subsidy scheme designed to boost Slovenia's air connectivity.

State Secretary at the Infrastructure Ministry Andrej Rajh sees the arrival of a new carrier as proof that the ministry's efforts are bringing results.

Last September, Luxair introduced scheduled flights from Luxembourg, and budget carrier Norwegian will start flying between Ljubljana and Copenhagen on 29 April.

In the summer, Spanish flag carrier Iberia will start operating flights to Ljubljana from Madrid.

Intensive talks are underway to connect Slovenia and Cyprus, while a fifth public call is being drafted to improve Slovenia's air connectivity.

"The results of our work are tangible. Traffic at Ljubljana airport has increased by 30% compared to last year. The airport expects to nearly reach pre-pandemic results by 2025," said Rajh.

Babett Stapel, director of airport operator Fraport Slovenija, thanked the ministry for good cooperation, stressing that the Luxembourg route was well received.

Maria Radchenko, airBaltic's regional director for the Balkans, said Ljubljana was becoming a very popular destination for their passengers this season.

She is confident that Slovenians too will choose to visit "the hidden jewel of the Baltics" and enjoy the beauty of Riga and other Baltic capitals.

Similarly, Vladislavs Korjagins from the Latvian association of tour operators and travel agents, noted increasing interest among Latvians in Ljubljana and Slovenia.