Václav Havel Airport Prague says it is on track to surpass its pre-pandemic traffic peak, projecting 18.6 million passengers for calendar-year 2026—up 5 % on 2025. In a briefing released ahead of this week’s Routes World forum, the airport highlighted an “unprecedented” twelve-month expansion that saw 11 new airlines and 33 brand-new destinations added to the timetable. Long-haul connectivity is leading the charge. Asian newcomers STARLUX (Taipei) and VietJet (Hanoi via Almaty) both chose Prague as their maiden European stop, while American Airlines returned with Philadelphia and Air Arabia reinstated Sharjah. Within Europe, ultra-low-cost carriers are fuelling volume: Wizz Air alone will open 13 routes this winter, and Ryanair has earmarked Palermo and Turin. Capacity increases on 40 existing sectors—including Emirates’ restoration of double-daily Dubai—round out the growth story. Airport management says its strategic focus now shifts to wooing Chinese carriers once China’s bilateral caps are eased, and to landing a direct link to India—Delhi or Mumbai—by summer 2027. In North America the priority is year-round service to Newark and Chicago, routes with strong Czech diaspora and corporate demand. For corporate-mobility teams the message is clear: Prague is no longer a peripheral gateway. With seat supply up and competition intensifying, average long-haul fares have fallen 8 % year-on-year, according to MIDT data shared at the briefing. The wider network also gives assignees more one-stop choices to secondary Asian and Middle-Eastern cities, reducing reliance on congested hubs such as Frankfurt. Travel managers should review contracted carriers ahead of the IATA summer 2027 season, when further Asian entrants are expected. The airport’s B2B department is offering incentive rebates on routes that carry at least 60 % point-of-sale traffic from Czech companies—an opportunity for organisations willing to channel volume through Prague.
Source: Air Service One
