Slovenia's state investment firm SDH said last week it would start exclusive negotiations over Ljubljana airport with Germany's Fraport.

Fraport, who is the operator of Europe's third-largest airport in Frankfurt, was the highest bidder in the tender process. SDH said that the talks would continue for a limited period.

Fraport would beat France's Vinci, which said last month it was bidding for Ljubljana airport.

In June 2014, we reported that more than twenty companies have expressed interest to purchase a 75.5% stake in Ljubljana Jože Pu?nik airport.

China Southern Airlines, Munich Airport, Zurich Airport, French engineering and consulting group Egis, VINCI and Italy's SAVE were among the firms who submitted interest for the asset.

In late March KPMG, the financial advisor in the sale process, had requested EOIs from interested parties.

The airport is located near the village of Brnik, 24 km northwest of Ljubljana and 9.5 km east of Kranj on the road between Kranj and Mengeš. It serves as the homebase for Adria Airways, the Slovenian flag carrier. The airport has a 3,300 m × 45 m paved runway.

The airport handled 1,321,100 passengers in 2013, representing a 10.2% rise in traffic figures compared to the previous year. It is currently the only airport in Slovenia with scheduled air traffic. The airport has seen an almost 13% increase in passenger numbers in the first quarter. In addition, it reported a net profit of €857.000 during the first three months, up 5.4% year-on-year, as revenue rose almost 6% to 7.13 million euros.

A second phase of the expansion plan, which had been planned to begin in 2013, but was postponed indefinitely by minority shareholders of Aerodrom Ljubljana, includes the construction of a completely new airport terminal. It will be built right next to the old one.

The new terminal building will expand over 32,000 m2. The capacity of T2 will be 2.5 million passengers annually. T2 will only be used for Schengen traffic, and non-Schengen traffic will flow through the new part of the old terminal. This will create some redundant space in T1, which will be converted for commercial purposes. The opening of T2 was originally planned for May 2015 but the new date is currently unknown.