Slovenia’s Adria Airways has seen a 20-percent decline in traffic on its Ljubljana-Moscow route due largely to the geopolitical upheaval in Eastern Europe. Now flying a pair of Airbus A319s, a single A320, six Bombardier CRJ900s and two CRJ200s, the airline expects a 10-percent increase in passenger traffic this year throughout its network. Unfortunately for CEO Mark Anzur, the airline’s only route into Russia has seen a precipitous decline since soon after the annexation of Crimea in March 2014.

Speaking with AIN at this week’s European Regions Airline Association general assembly in Barcelona, Anzur explained that at least 10 percent of tourist traffic into Slovenia comes from Russia, and virtually all of it on Adria Airways. However, the Kremlin stopped paying for health care for citizens traveling to Slovenia for the curative properties of its spas and hot springs. Instead, Russians now travel to similar facilities in Crimea, effectively under decree of the Russian government.

Still, tourism accounts for about 12 percent of Slovenia’s GDP, followed by pharmaceuticals and the automobile industry, explained Anzur. Most visitors come from Western Europe, and fleet plans reflect a need for higher capacity airplanes to accommodate expected growth. Anzur said he expects to add “five or six” airplanes by 2016, some potentially larger than its A320. Plans call for wet leasing additional A320-family airplanes next year. Meanwhile, by March next year he plans to remove both CRJ200s from scheduled service, scrapping one and using the other for charter.