Czech carrier Smartwings used the 4 July holiday lull to unveil two new seasonal routes that will link Prague with Venice-Treviso (TSF) and Bergen (BGO) from late October 2026. The announcement, published in industry outlet Travel & Tour World, broadens the airline’s winter 2026/27 network to 39 destinations and underscores its strategy of chasing short-break demand from Central Europe’s fast-recovering outbound leisure market.
![Smartwings adds Venice and Bergen to Prague winter schedule, boosting Czech connectivity]()
Before you lock in those city-break flights, don’t forget the paperwork: VisaHQ’s Czech Republic portal lets travelers from more than 200 nationalities instantly check Schengen visa requirements for Italy and Norway, generate up-to-date document checklists, and even book courier submission—all in one streamlined workflow that saves time ahead of Smartwings’ inaugural departures.
The twice-weekly Prague–Venice service targets weekend city-breakers and the MICE segment; Venues on the Venetian mainland have been aggressively courting Central European conference traffic with off-season discounts. Meanwhile, the Bergen flights open up Norway’s winter fjord tourism and serve the growing expatriate workforce in the North Sea energy sector, many of whom transit Prague because of its lower fares and liberal visa-exemption for crew rotations. Smartwings, which returned to profitability in 2025 after post-COVID restructuring, will operate both routes with 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The airline expects to carry 32,000 passengers on the two sectors during the first winter, generating an estimated CZK 280 million in additional tourism spend for Czechia and partner regions, according to Prague Airport’s route-development team. For mobility managers the new services translate into more one-stop options: Bergen offers onward Widerøe and SAS links to smaller Norwegian oil towns, while Venice connects to ItalRail high-speed services serving Milan and Bologna. Travel buyers should watch for promotional fares; Smartwings traditionally releases a 96-hour flash sale about three months before launch. The carrier’s expansion also reflects the airport’s broader push to diversify beyond its pre-pandemic dependence on transfer traffic from Russia and Ukraine. With STARLUX launching Taipei flights in August and flyadeal inaugurating Riyadh and Jeddah services this week, Prague is positioning itself as Central Europe’s most connected mid-sized hub—a boon for Czech-based multinationals moving talent in and out of the country.
Before you lock in those city-break flights, don’t forget the paperwork: VisaHQ’s Czech Republic portal lets travelers from more than 200 nationalities instantly check Schengen visa requirements for Italy and Norway, generate up-to-date document checklists, and even book courier submission—all in one streamlined workflow that saves time ahead of Smartwings’ inaugural departures.
The twice-weekly Prague–Venice service targets weekend city-breakers and the MICE segment; Venues on the Venetian mainland have been aggressively courting Central European conference traffic with off-season discounts. Meanwhile, the Bergen flights open up Norway’s winter fjord tourism and serve the growing expatriate workforce in the North Sea energy sector, many of whom transit Prague because of its lower fares and liberal visa-exemption for crew rotations. Smartwings, which returned to profitability in 2025 after post-COVID restructuring, will operate both routes with 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The airline expects to carry 32,000 passengers on the two sectors during the first winter, generating an estimated CZK 280 million in additional tourism spend for Czechia and partner regions, according to Prague Airport’s route-development team. For mobility managers the new services translate into more one-stop options: Bergen offers onward Widerøe and SAS links to smaller Norwegian oil towns, while Venice connects to ItalRail high-speed services serving Milan and Bologna. Travel buyers should watch for promotional fares; Smartwings traditionally releases a 96-hour flash sale about three months before launch. The carrier’s expansion also reflects the airport’s broader push to diversify beyond its pre-pandemic dependence on transfer traffic from Russia and Ukraine. With STARLUX launching Taipei flights in August and flyadeal inaugurating Riyadh and Jeddah services this week, Prague is positioning itself as Central Europe’s most connected mid-sized hub—a boon for Czech-based multinationals moving talent in and out of the country.
