ADRIAAIRWAYS (ADRIAAVIOPROMET)(1): Yugoslavia (19611968). This carrier is formed by the Yugoslav government in March 1961 to provide charter and inclusive-tour services. Flight operations begin in March 1962 with 4 ex-KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines, N. V.) Douglas DC-6Bs purchased with a grant from the government of Slovenia. In 1963-1967, destinations are developed throughout the Middle East, Southern Europe, and North Africa. In 1968, the airline is reorganized and made part of the Interexport trading organization and renamed Inex Adria Airways (Inex Adria Aviopromet). Orders are placed for jet equipment.
ADRIA AIRWAYS (ADRIA AVIOPROMET) (2): Kuzmiceva 7, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia; Phone 386 (61) 133 4336; Fax 386 (61) 323 356; Http://www. adria. si; Code JP; Year Founded 1986. In May 1986, Adria is separated from the Interexport trading organization and returns to its original name and private business. President Janez Koci-jancic’s fleet now includes 4 McDonnell Douglas MD-82s, 1 MD-81, 2 Douglas DC-9-51s, 2 DC-9-32s, and 2 de Havilland Canada DHC-7-102s. During the year employment climbs by 13.1% to 749.
Enplanements jump 14.5% to 1,450,413 as freight traffic rises 19.5% to 3.6 million FTKs. Revenues climb 21.9% to $98.6 million as expenses move upward only 13.3% to $85.7 million. Operating profit swells to $12.9 million and net gain is up to $2.78 million.
Airline employment rises 12% in 1987 to 839. Bimonthly Belgrade to Tel Aviv flights begin on December 1.
Although passenger boardings climb 19.6% to 1,733,594, cargo plunges 43.9% to 2.02 million FTKs. Revenues ascend 17.4% to $115.8 million, expenses grow 11.8% to $95.9 million, and the operating profit is $19.9 million. A net $9.4-million profit is earned.
The workforce is increased another 10.8% in 1988 to 930 and the fleet is increased by the addition of another DC-9-32. Orders are placed for 5 Airbus Industrie A320-231s.
Customer bookings fall 18.5% to 1,412,700 and freight is down by 39% to 1.22 million FTKs.
The payroll grows by 4.2% in 1989 to 922 as the first A320-231 joins the fleet in May and enters service on behalf of the company’s main tour operators. It is the first of its type to be equipped with IAE V2500 engines. In celebration, the airline adopts a new corporate logo and livery.
A joint venture is entered into with Air France in June on a route from Ljubljana to Paris. During the fall, a DC-9-32 is leased to ZAS Airline of Egypt, S. A.E., which employs it to fly charters between Aswan and Abu Simbel during the winter holiday season.
Passenger boardings decline another 14.7% to 1,204,966 while freight drops 29.1% to 868,000 FTKs. Revenues total $123.3 million and profits of $27.65 million (operating) and $1.8 million (net) are generated.
Company employment grows a slight 1% in 1990 to 931 as two more A320-231s join the fleet, which now also includes 4 MD-82s, 1 MD-81, 3 DC-9-32s, 1 DC-9-33CF, and 2 DASH-7-102s.
Customer bookings rally and grow by 21.4% to 1,462,619 while freight increases 50% to 1.3 million FTKs. Although revenues climb 3% to $134.7 million, expenses skyrocket 41.2%, leaving an operating loss of $10.97 million and a net loss of $14.2 million.
The payroll is cut 5.7% in 1991 to 878 and the fleet now includes: 3 A320-231s, 2 of which are placed into storage; 2 out-of-service DHC-7-102s; 2 DC-9-32s; 1 out-of-service DC-9-33CF; 1 MD-81; 4 MD-82s; and 1 Gates Learjet 35A. The outbreak of the June civil war in Slovenia is disastrous. An estimated $100 million in damages are incurred in July when a pair of Yugoslav Air Force fighter planes attack the company base at Ljubljana Airport. Damaged, to one degree or another, are 1 each A320, DC-9,2 DASH-7s, the hangar, operations building, storage facilities, and technical base.
The carrier virtually collapses during the summer. On October 25, the Federal Secretariat of Transport and Communications of the Yugoslav federal government orders Adria grounded and its license suspended because of the civil war. Company officials claim that the move is politically motivated and is designed to close down “the national carrier of an independent country,” Slovenia.
Passenger boardings prior to cessation are down 52.3% to 697,053 while freight falls 6.6% to 1.21 million FTKs. Revenues decline 35.5% to $86.9 million and with expenses higher, a $29-million operating loss is suffered.
The workforce grows 2.5% in 1992 to 900 as the carrier is officially designated the national “Airline of Slovenia.” On January 16, its license to fly is restored by the new government and operations resume.
The Yugoslav civil war continues to adversely impact the airline as its customer bookings plunge 52% to 333,228. Freight traffic does, however, grow 13% to 1.88 million FTKs. Expenses exceed income and there are losses: $24.05 million (operating) and $55.31 million (net).
In 1993, the new president, Peter Grasek, oversees an employee population of 693, down 5.6% from the previous year. The fleet now includes 3 Airbus Industrie A320-231s that are leased to Cretan Airlines, S. A. in Greece, 4 MD-82s, 2 each DC-9-32s and DHC-7-102s, and 1 each DC-9-33CF, MD-81, and Learjet 35A. From its base at Ljubljana, the company undertakes scheduled passenger and cargo flights to London, Manchester, Moscow, Paris, Rome, Skopje, Split, Tirana, Vienna, and Zurich.
Some charter flights are also undertaken and, in October, the company begins code-sharing with Deutsche Lufthansa, A. G. on the route from its base to Frankfurt.
Passenger boardings increase by 29.4% to 431,143 while freight skyrockets 94.4% to 3.7 million FTKs. Revenues swell 32.9% to $90 million, but expenses are up 16.2% to $107.25 million. Still, the operating loss is cut to $16.58 million and the net loss declines to $32.62 million.
The workforce is cut another 1.4% in 1994 to 683. During the year, new routes are extended from Ljubljana to Copenhagen and from Tirana to Istanbul. Plans are made to begin, during the next 12 months, flights from Ljubljana to Prague and Barcelona.
Customer bookings accelerate 17.2% to 505,399 while cargo declines 4.8% to 3.54 million FTKs. With expenses down 0.2%, but revenues up 9.2% to $99 million, Adria is able to reduce its operating loss to $7.96 million and its net downturn to $9.09 million.
Fourteen employees are hired in 1995, an increase of 2.1% in the personnel staff. New flights begin as planned from Ljubljana to Prague and Barcelona, as well as to Amsterdam. In December, an agreement is signed with Deutsche Lufthansa, A. G. that provides for joint ground handling, shared passenger lounges, and code-sharing on services from Ljubljana to Munich.
Passenger boardings move ahead by 8.5% to 547,511 while freight recovers, growing by 3% to 3.65 million FTKs. Operating revenues inch up 2.5% to $101.52 million, but costs are also higher, by 1.2%, to $108.19 million. The operating loss is shrunk to $6.67 million and the net loss falls to $7.83 million.
The workforce is cut back by 7.9% in 1996 to 642 and the fleet now includes the 3 A320-231s, 2 each DHC-7-102s and DC-9-32s, and 1 Learjet 35. Flights begin to Tel Aviv.
Although enplanements soar 8.5% to 594,148, cargo traffic is level at 3.64 million FTKs. Unfortunately there are losses yet again: $6.1 million (operating) and $12.6 million (net).
Airline employment falls another 8.3% in 1997 to 593. A pair of Canadair CRJ-200LRs is purchased in February, while an option on a third is also taken. The value of the two firm orders is $43 million.
Several new routes are introduced and these help passenger boardings to climb 5.7% to 628,565. Freight is down again, dipping 5.6% to 3.57 million FTKs. Revenues dip 1.4% to $93.98 million, but expenses also decline, falling 7.8% to $93.5 million. Although the operating profit is just $471,674, there is a $1.4-million net gain.
The firmly ordered Canadairs are delivered in January and February 1998. The option is also taken up at this time and the third CRJ-200LR arrives in November.
Enplanements for the year accelerate 10% to 693,000, but cargo traffic falls another 3% to 3.45 million FTKs. Revenues of $110.8 million are generated and a $3.3-million net profit is posted.
A NATO bombing campaign is undertaken against Yugoslavia, beginning on March 24, 1999, in an effort to force that government to change its policies toward the ethnic Albanians in the province of Kosovo. While Operation Allied Force continues, Adria is unable to operate to Belgrade or, initially, into Bosnia.
With the beginning of the summer schedule on March 28, flights to London and Paris become daily, while frequencies to Amsterdam and Copenhagen become thrice weekly. A bus service, operated on a route from Brnik Airport to Ljubljana and back, is upgraded the same day.
At an April 12 Ljubljana news conference, CEO Grasek tells reporters that the continuing Kosovo crisis has depressed the airline’s income by $51,000 per day. An expected decision on whether or not to purchase a fourth Canadair CRJ-200LR from Bombardier must consequently be postponed until June 1.
Flights to Sarajevo resume on April 19, while on April 24, a new weekly roundtrip route is opened to Dublin. Wednesday roundtrips commence on May 12 from Ljubljana to Kristianstad, in southern Sweden.
The weekly service to Tel Aviv becomes twice weekly on June 30 through the addition of a Saturday seasonal roundtrip, which will continue to be offered through September 29.
A CRJ200LR is chartered from Air Littoral, S. A. in July for use until a follow-on order for another Canadair can be placed in late September.
Service from Ljubljana to Tirana, halted during the Kosovo crisis, is resumed at the end of October.
During the year, customer bookings accelerate 12.6% to 780,000 and freight climbs 20.2% to 4.15 million FTKs. Revenues are up 3% to $99.53 million, while costs slide 1.1% to $94.48 million. The operating gain surges to $5.05 million and there is a $71,000 net profit.
Airline employment stands at 578 at the start of 2000, a 1.2% decline. Following a two-year route suspension, A320-231 roundtrips are resumed on May 26 between Ljubljana and Rome.
When British Airways, Ltd. (2) withdraws from its London to Ljubljana route in October, Adria is left as the sole carrier flying to the Slovenian capital from the U. K.
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