Prague Václav Havel Airport expects to handle 18.6 million passengers in 2026 – a 5 % increase over last year and the highest number in its history – thanks to an unprecedented wave of airline launches and frequency boosts, according to an analysis published on 20 October by aviation data platform Air Service One. Over the past 12 months eleven new airlines have joined the airport’s carrier roll-call, collectively announcing 33 brand-new destinations and more than 20 additional routes to existing cities. Stand-out developments include STARLUX Airlines’ Taipei–Prague service, the Taiwanese carrier’s first European route, and VietJet Air’s forthcoming Hanoi flight, underscoring the Czech capital’s growing appeal as a Central-European gateway for Asia. Short-haul expansion is equally vigorous: Wizz Air alone is adding 13 new cities, while Ryanair, Smartwings and easyJet are layering extra capacity on high-yield intra-European markets. For corporate travel managers the uplift means better connectivity and more competition on fares, particularly on niche city-pairs such as Bergen, Poprad and Yerevan that were previously one-stop journeys. Airport management says the strategic focus now shifts to securing nonstop links to Shanghai, Delhi/Mumbai and additional U.S. hubs such as Newark and Chicago. Greater long-haul diversity would not only spread risk but also support the Czech government’s ambition to attract high-value FDI and conferences outside Prague. Business travellers should monitor slot availability for the coming winter-summer transition: many of the new routes begin as seasonal services that could become year-round if load factors stay strong. Companies with regional headquarters in Prague may wish to renegotiate airline corporate deals ahead of the 2027 RFP cycle to lock in capacity and pricing.
Source: Air Service One
