The company had to write off the investment in subordinated bonds of Factor banka and Probanka banks, two small private banks which are under supervised liquidation, which reduced the company's profit by EUR 1m.

Profit before taxes stood at EUR 2.4m, which is 3.6% less than in the same period last year, but 37.7% above plans.

The good results are a consequence of a significant growth in passenger and cargo transport and cuts in operating costs, the company said.

The number of passengers in the first half of 2013 stood at 575,463, which is more than planned and a 7% increase year-on-year.

In the first eight months, a total of 860,000 passengers went through the Jože Pučnik Ljubljana Airport, which is 7% more than in the same period last year and 5% more than planned.

Cargo transport also saw a boost in the first half, as a total of 8,910 tonnes of cargo went through the airport, which is 9.3% more than in the same period last year. The company fulfilled 54.3% of the annual cargo plan in the period.

Aerodrom Ljubljana is on the list of 15 companies the government wants to sell; earlier this month, its shareholders holding 73.34% of the stock signed a shareholder agreement and the state-run SOD fund started the selection of a financial adviser in a move that officially launched the company's privatisation.