Slovenia

Slovenia’s Adria Airways seeks strategic investor following restructuring

Slovenia’s Adria Airways this year plans to search for a strategic investor, hopeful it can attract interest from other airlines after completing a restructuring and recapitalisation in 2011. But the flag carrier, which has emerged as a significantly smaller and less ambitious entity, still faces significant challenges as it joins several Eastern European carriers in trying to sell stakes in adverse market conditions.

The Slovenian Government sold just under 30% of Adria Airways in Sep-2011 to a group of four banks as part of a debt for equity swap. The agreement also included a EUR50 million cash infusion from the Government, which has had to pump capital into the Ljubljana-based carrier multiple times over the last several years to cover continued losses. But the banks, which include two Slovenian and two international banks, are considered short-term investors and only agreed to the deal as it was seen as the only alternative to avoiding bankruptcy. The four banks are expected to sell their stakes at the first opportunity while the Government is also eager to further reduce its share, which now stands at just over 70%.

Phoenix Aircraft Leasing has E190 on its 'wish list'

Phoenix Aircraft Leasing is a small leasing company based in Singapore that has six aircraft on lease to TRIP, Air Bagan, Myanmar Airways International, Régional and Adria Airways. In a wide-ranging interview, Managing Director Tony Griffin spoke to CAPA about his "wish list", the C Series and COMAC 919 and the possibility of the A321neo replacing the B757.

Narita sees 60% pax decline since Japan earthquake; UK budget shakes shares

The outlook after the Japanese earthquake was still not entirely clear this week even as Narita International Airport Corporation stated all operations at the airport had returned to normal, and Delta reported it was operating its “normal” 40 flights a day to Japan.

Slovenia, Colombia and Eastern Europe among the hottest emerging markets for European travellers

The overall numbers may be small, but the growth in seating capacity is spectacular from Europe to a number of emerging markets around the world this summer. Headlining this list is Slovenia, Tajikistan and Georgia in Eastern Europe; El Salvador, Panama and Colombia in Latin America; Rwanda, The Gambia and Togo in Africa; and Cambodia and Vietnam in Asia.