Adria Airways
Adria Airways d.o.o. was the flag carrier of Slovenia, operating scheduled and charter services to European destinations. The company's head office was at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport in Zgornji Brnik, Cerklje na Gorenjskem, near Ljubljana. On 30 September 2019, the airline declared bankruptcy, ceasing all operations. Since Adria's collapse, Slovenia has not had a flag carrier.
History
Early years
The airline was founded in March 1961 as Adria Aviopromet. In August, the company purchased two DC-6B from KLM and flew their first commercial flight with a Dutch crew. At the same time, the first Adria crew and technical teams were trained by JAT Yugoslav Airlines and the air force. Adria carried out its first flight with a domestic crew in December 1961. At the same time all other activities necessary for the company were set up and organised, from the commercial to the accounting department.During the following years, Adria gradually acquired a market with tourist flights from Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia to airports on the Adriatic coast. In 1964, flights to the United States and Canada were added in order to meet the needs of expatriate organisations. Adria also carried out a considerable number of flights for the United Nations.
With the opening of the new airport in Ljubljana in 1964, Adria relocated its base from its previous headquarters in Zagreb.
The DC-6B aircraft gradually became non-competitive on the market. The company fell into a serious crisis in 1967, which ended with a bankruptcy procedure at 1968. After a compulsory settlement, Adria continued its operations largely thanks to the efforts of the president of the Slovenian Chamber of the Commerce and Industry of the time.
In December 1968, Adria merged with the Serbian company InterExport based in Belgrade and changed its name from Adria Aviopromet to Inex-Adria Aviopromet. The fleet renewal began.
1970s
In 1969, the first jet aircraft was purchased, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 with 115 seats. Thus began a period of modernisation of the fleet, which allowed Adria to increase its share on the tourist flights market. In September 1969 the first scheduled service was established on the Ljubljana-Belgrade route. In March 1970, Adria had four Douglas DC-6B and a Douglas DC-9-30 with one more on order.Business saw a considerable increase. Adria, in addition to expanding the number of its own aircraft, occasionally also leased aircraft.
In 1972, Adria renewed its transatlantic flights to the United States and Canada with Douglas DC-8-55 aircraft. However, it withdrew from that service next year.
In the late 1970s, Adria was awarded as most punctual carrier on the charter flight market. The greatest commercial successes of that period were achieved on the German market which was also the largest at that time, in a productive partnership with Grimex Company. The number of flights to Great Britain, France, Spain and Scandinavia also increased. During that period, Adria also introduced flights within Yugoslavia.
The company paid a great deal of attention to education. It founded a professional education centre and assisted in setting up an aviation course at the engineering faculty in Ljubljana. Special emphasis was given to the development of safety awareness, as three accidents occurred during the last decade.
1980s
Inex-Adria Aviopromet entered the 1980s as a respectable company with confirmed success on the tourist market and scheduled internal flights.In May 1981, Adria purchased three new McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft. Unfortunately, one of them crashed into a mountain in Corsica in December, killing all aboard.
In 1982, Adria got a new leadership which focused on the education of the flight crews, technical staff and other professional personnel as well as on ensuring safety.
In that period, the business remained focused on charter flights to the Adriatic. Flights for guest workers in Germany and Switzerland, which were connected to internal flights, became an important part of the business. At the end of 1984, the first scheduled international flights were also established on the Ljubljana–Belgrade–Larnaca route.
Prospects for the development of air traffic were very good, so in 1984, Adria signed a contract for the purchase of five Airbus A320 aircraft. Also two new Dash 7 aircraft were bought for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo.
In December 1985, Adria had four McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30, two McDonnell Douglas DC-9-50, one McDonnell Douglas MD-81, three McDonnell Douglas MD-82 and two de Havilland Canada Dash 7 aircraft. A year later another MD-82 joined the fleet.
Due to a commercial law restructuring programme, in 1986, Adria left the Inex group, becoming an independent company and changing its name to Adria Airways. Later, Adria became a member of IATA.
In 1989, the first new Airbus A320 arrived. It was 43rd A320 made by the Airbus and the first one to be powered by the new IAE Engines.
1990s
As Yugoslavia began to break up, the tourist industry on the Adriatic slumped, which was also felt by air carriers.In 1991, Adria had 13 aircraft: three Airbus A320s, four MD-82s, one MD-81, three DC-9-30s and two Dash 7s. Two A320s, expected to arrive in June 1991, were sold to other airlines.
Flights began in 1992, when Adria Airways re-established its activities on a truncated market. The majority of charter destinations from Western Europe to the Adriatic coast had become inaccessible as they were now situated on the territory of other countries. The fleet was too big, so many aircraft were leased out across the globe.
Adria Airways became Slovenia's national air carrier and its operational structure changed. From being largely a charter airline it transformed itself into a scheduled operator. Adria began to set up a network of scheduled flights around Europe to serve the needs of an independent Slovenia. Later in 1992, the company joined the Amadeus global travel distribution system. A period of restructuring and rehabilitation of the company began.
In the next years, Adria's A320s were mainly leased out, as well as MD-82s. An MD-81 and an MD-82 were sold in 1994. The other three MD-82 and a DC-9-30 were sold at the end of 1995. As part of an ownership restructuring, in February 1996, the Government of Slovenia obtained a 100% share in the company.
In 1996, in line with the administration's rescue programme, a rehabilitation procedure was started the aim of which was to enable the company to run on market principles. The main emphasis was on the rationalization and modernization of the operations and the adaptation of the fleet to market requirements. The number of employees has been reduced from 931 to 618. In 1996, the fleet consisted of three Airbus A320 with 168 seats, two DC-9-30 with 105 seats and two Dash-7 with 46 seats. Adria started a corporation with Lufthansa later in 1996.
In April 1997, Adria ordered two new Bombardier CRJ200LR planes with an option for one more. Planes were delivered in 1998 when two Dash-7 and two DC-9-30 left the fleet. Another CRJ200LR arrived in late 1998. Bombardier CRJ200LR were chosen as the best option for flights operated from Ljubljana, which allowed for more flights to be flown directly and more frequent. CRJ200LR are in 48 seats configuration which give space for a larger baggage compartment needed for charters. In 1999, Adria's fleet consisted of three Airbus A320, which were now operating back home, and three CRJ200LR.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the airline head office was in Ljubljana.
2000s
Adria started to connect Balkan cities with Western Europe via its hub Ljubljana in the late 1990s. Cities like Sarajevo, Skopje, Ohrid, Tirana were connected with Scandinavia, United Kingdom, Germany and France. After the Kosovo War ended in 1999, Adria was the first airline fly to Pristina in the winter period of 1999. In March 2000, the 4th new 48 seats Bombardier CRJ200LR arrived.Maribor, the second largest city in Slovenia was connected with Munich for a short period of time in the summer of 2000. There were 5 weekly flights around noon.
In 2001, Adria Airways recorded a large decrease in the number of annual passengers as a result of the September 11, 2001 attacks. In the winter of 2001, Adria started flying in the EU market, starting with the Vienna-Frankfurt route. In July 2002, Bombardier Aerospace selected Adria as the first authorized heavy maintenance facility for CRJ aircraft in Europe.
In the spring of 2003, Adria leased a Bombardier CRJ100LR with 50 seats from Bombardier; the lease lasted until January 2011. In August 2004, Adria was among the first airlines in the world to obtain an IOSA certificate. The 6th Bombardier CRJ200LR with 50 seats was leased from GECAS. On 18 November 2004, Adria Airways joined the Star Alliance.
In 2005, 7th brand new CRJ200LR with 50 seats was delivered to Adria. Adria ended with a loss of around €10 million and a new CEO was announced later in 2005. Tadej Tufek became the new CEO in 2006. Two Boeing 737-500 aircraft were leased from Ukraine International Airlines and Cirrus Airlines to fill the gap between the A320 and CRJ200. An A320 was leased to Afriqiyah Airways until late 2009 while another joined Afriqiyah in the winter of 2006 until the summer of 2008. In 2006, the company recorded a minimal profit and transported its first annual millionth passenger since the late 1980s.
In 2007, Adria ordered two Bombardier CRJ900 which were delivered in May. During the summer the fleet consisted of an Airbus A320, a Boeing 737-500 leased from Ukraine International Airlines, two Bombardier CRJ900LR and seven Bombardier CRJ200LR aircraft. In November 2007 Adria announced the purchase a new CRJ1000 NextGen and two new CRJ900 NextGen aircraft. Adria ended the year with a small profit.
In 2008, Adria converted its CRJ1000 NextGen order into a 5th CRJ900 and made a loss of €3 million again.
In March 2009, Adria Airways signed a letter of intent with Airbus to purchase a new Airbus A319 aircraft, in order to replace the Airbus A320 fleet. The seating configuration of the aircraft chosen was of 135 seats. Two Airbus A320 were sold to Myanmar Airways International in 2009, S5-AAC in October and S5-AAB in December. In November 2009 new headquarters at Ljubljana Airport were opened. A loss of €14 million was made in 2009.