Setting up a national airline would result in huge losses
Setting up a national airline would result in huge losses, according to an analysis by the Ekonomická univerzita Bratislava. The analysis was ordered by the Transport Ministry to review an idea by coalition party SNS. EU norms ban state subsidies for airlines and a national airline would have a hard time competing with private rivals. The initial investment would come to €130-175m, and the analysis does not expect losses to be brought down before the 5th year of operations.
Slovakia set up a national airline in 1998, but it went bust, much as private airline SkyEurope.