The government is passing the job of looking after regional airports in Poprad, Zilina and Sliac to local municipalities by transferring the state’s majority stakes to them.
The Ministry of Transport, which administers the stakes, wants to push through the plan by the end of 2013, with minister Jan Figel to present the concept for the airports’ future to the cabinet at its next session. The state’s minority stake in Piestany airport is also to be transferred to local authorities, and the process should be complete by the end of 2011.
Sliac airport was given a EUR 5 million injection from NATO and only relaunched commercial operations in April this year.
If the local municipalities are not interested in taking over the airports, their operation will most likely be leased out to private investors, although the state may even decide to sell off its stakes.