Brnik, 14 January (STA) - The Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport recorded 1,812,411 passengers last year, which is 7.7% more than in 2017 and a new record. Planes transported 0.4% more cargo or 12,378 tonnes, the airport manager Fraport Slovenija said on Monday.
Passenger numbers exceeded the 2017 figure already in November last year.
At the end of 2018, Fraport Slovenija forecast even better results and 1.82 million passengers but this was not realised because the struggling carrier Adria Airways transported fewer passengers than planned.
Fraport Slovenija business manager Zmago Skobir told the STA last December that the airport would likely follow the upward trends expected throughout the industry this year. However, the strong growth will taper off and become more stable.
When acquiring the state-owned Aerodrom Ljubljana in 2015, the German airport operator Fraport promised to invest in infrastructure, development and jobs.
Currently it is getting ready to build a new terminal. The construction is expected to start in the spring and be completed by the end of 2020, about six months before Slovenia assumes the EU presidency in the second half of 2021.