Prague Airport Launches Summer Season With More Destinations and New Long-Haul Routes

With the start of the summer flight schedule, Prague Airport is significantly expanding its offering: more destinations, additional connections and technological improvements are set to further strengthen travel demand. At the same time, developments remain difficult to predict due to geopolitical uncertainties.

Václav Havel Airport Prague will switch to the summer flight schedule on Sunday, 29 March, which will run until 24 October. A total of 183 destinations will be served – 15 more than last year. During the summer season, 77 airlines will operate at the airport, while seat capacity is expected to increase by around six per cent year-on-year.

According to CEO Jiří Pos, further developments remain dependent on external factors. “At present, due to the current geopolitical situation, it is very difficult to estimate the impact on the upcoming summer season. We are in regular contact with individual airlines and will continuously assess their specific operational and economic constraints, as well as their impact on overall passenger demand,” explains Jiří Pos, CEO of Prague Airport.

Foto: Prague Airport

At the same time, Pos highlights the strong European connectivity. In addition to extra flights on existing routes, new connections are also being introduced – including to classic holiday destinations such as Ibiza and Bodrum. The airport is also further expanding its long-haul offering: from 21 May, American Airlines will launch a new service to Philadelphia. In August, another long-haul carrier, STARLUX Airlines, will begin flights to Taipei.

Overall, the number of flights will be increased on more than 30 routes. Etihad Airways plans to introduce daily flights to Abu Dhabi but will initially operate a reduced schedule due to the situation in the Middle East. The new Taipei connection by STARLUX is set to operate three times weekly from August and increase to four flights per week from October. Air Canada (Toronto) and China Airlines (Taipei) are also expanding their services.

Among European connections, Smartwings in particular is expanding its network, including additional flights to Valencia, Málaga and Paris, as well as new destinations such as Barcelona, Rome and Porto. Low-cost carriers are also increasing their offerings: Ryanair is expanding numerous routes, Pegasus Airlines is increasing frequencies to Istanbul, and Wizz Air is launching new routes including Skopje, Iași and Timișoara.

On the Prague Airport website, passengers can find a detailed overview of available connections, including a list of airlines operating flights to specific destinations.

Foto: Prague Airport

Faster screening and more automation

At the same time, the airport is investing in more efficient passenger processes. At Terminal 2, two additional CT scanners will be installed in early May, bringing the total to eight devices. The technology enables faster security checks, as electronic devices and liquids no longer need to be removed from hand luggage.

In addition, the airport is increasingly relying on automated processes: in selected departure areas, so-called self-boarding gates are being introduced, allowing passengers to scan their boarding passes themselves. The number of self-service bag drop counters is also being expanded, with a total of 32 such stations to be available in future.

The airport expects more than twelve million passengers during the summer season – an increase of 6.6 per cent compared to the previous year. Ahead of the peak travel period, an information campaign will also be launched, providing travellers with practical tips for preparing for their journey.