Less than two weeks ago, Slovenian carrier Adria Airways said it would start a twice-weekly service the the Slovenian capital city of Ljubljana from Liverpool. Tony McDonough reports
An East European airline that has just signed up to operate its first route out of Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) suspended all of its operations on Tuesday evening.
Less than two weeks ago, Slovenian national carrier Adria Airways announced it would start a twice-weekly service the the Slovenian capital city of Ljubljana from Liverpool, starting in May 2020.
But that has now been thrown into doubt as the airline has suspended its operations due to a cash crisis. In a statement on its website, the company said the move was a temporary one. The news comes just hours after the collapse of UK tour operator Thomas Cook.
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The statement said: “Decision to temporarily cease flight operations is a consequence of currently unsecured access to fresh cash which airline needs for further flight operations.
“Company is at this point intensively searching solutions in cooperation with potential investors. Goal of everyone involved is to make Adria Airways fly again and that ceasing of operations is indeed temporarily.
“The company deeply regrets the situation and apologises to all its passengers and partners. Adria Airways suggests to its passengers and partners to follow the on-line announcements at www.adria.si.”
Last year leading aviation analyst Alex Macheras reported that Adria was fighting for survival and had been ordered by Slovenia’s Civil Aviation Agency to provide proof of its financial stability. Click here to read his article.
The route to Ljubljana from Liverpool is due to operate on Saturdays and Wednesdays using an 86-seat CRJ900 aircraft. Adria, which is a Star Alliance member, was the fourth new airline to announce operations from Liverpool taking the total up to nine.
LBN has contacted Liverpool John Lennon Airport for comment.