DALLAS — Slovenia has recently announced a new round of subsidies to encourage airlines to establish new routes to the country.

This initiative follows Slovenia's recent ranking as having the second-worst air connectivity in Europe, according to Airports Council International Europe. The Ministry for Infrastructure has launched its fifth call for tenders, aiming to bolster Slovenia's air connectivity.

Between 2023 and 2026, the government allocated €16.8 million in airline subsidies, only using €1.1 million of this amount. The funding covers up to 50% of the costs associated with new routes.

Previous rounds of funding have produced mixed outcomes. Airlines such as Luxair (LG), airBaltic (BT), Norwegian Air Shuttle (DY), Iberia (IB), and Cyprus Airways (CY) have participated, although CY still needs to provide complete documentation.

Luxair has been awarded 257,960 euros for its flights from September 14, 2023, to May 31, 2025. BT will receive 284,408 euros for flights from May 2, 2024, to October 31, 2025.

Norwegian Air Shuttle has been granted 557,518 euros for services between April 29, 2024, and October 31, 2025, while IB will get 18,774 euros for its flights from July 29, 2024, to September 5, 2024.

The new routes are predominantly seasonal, with airBaltic maintaining year-round services and LG operating through the previous winter and summer. However, it will reduce flights in the upcoming winter.

The subsidies are available only to airlines registered within the European Common Aviation Area (ECAA), which includes EU member states and several non-EU countries such as Albania, Norway, and Serbia. 

Furthermore, the Slovenian government is particularly interested in establishing routes from cities like Vienna, Copenhagen, Madrid, and Berlin.

Airlines interested in applying must submit their proposals by September 16, and the evaluation will be conducted privately by the Aid Granting Commission within fifteen days of the deadline.