Anžur said that this year's results were not as good as expected. He expects the national flag carrier will break even at the end of the year, and warns that there will be no new routes should airport fees increase next year.

According to Anžur, the biggest reason for the poor performance is strong pressure to reduce ticket prices. Revenue per passenger in Europe is down this year by 7%, in Adria Airways alone by about 10%, he added.

The chairman of the country's sole airline is happy that the number of passengers increased this year by 8%, while the prices of fuel are also favourable. However, lower prices of fuel are connected with the pressure to lower ticket prices, he explained.

The STA has learned from unofficial sources that Germany's Fraport, the new owner of airport operator Aerodrom Ljubljana, wants to increase airport fees for Adria by more than EUR 1m next year. The airline currently pays EUR 10m a year in airport fees.

Anžur did not want to comment on this, while saying that in new routes to Stockholm and Berlin, planned to be introduced next year, as well as some existing routes that are still profitable, were in jeopardy.

He does not believe that fees will increase as much as 10%, because this would mean that all the restructuring efforts by Adria Airways in the last two years would be in vain. The airline is trying to reverse the trend and bring Slovenians who are using airports in neighbouring countries back to Ljubljana.

The strategy of raising fees is very short-sighted, said Anžur, who would like to see Adria Airways and Aerodrom Ljubljana working together to increase the number of passengers.

He believes that the planned routes to Stockholm and Berlin have potential. Flights to the Swedish capital twice a week would be focused on tourism, while the Berlin route, which Adria would fly three times a week, could serve as a connection for passengers from the Balkans.