Traffic at Prague Airport is growing, this year it could handle up to 9.6 million people
“Thus, despite the suspension of flights to Ukraine and Russia, the airport estimates that it should handle up to 9.6 million passengers for the whole year. It is a million more than predicted at the beginning of the year, “said Jiří Pos, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Prague Airport. Before the crisis, the airport handled 17.8 million passengers a year, up from 4.4 million last year.
According to this, the improving situation around the covid-19 pandemic, when the Czechia and other countries relaxed a number of restrictions, contributed to the faster recovery of traffic, which has intensified especially in recent weeks. Carriers are now reporting higher aircraft occupancy, he said. Airlines have also made less use of cancellations in recent months. Another factor that has accelerated traffic is, according to the boss, the great interest of passengers in holiday destinations.
According to him, Amsterdam leads from the destinations to which it flies from Prague, followed by Dubai and Paris. Of the countries, the busiest connections are Great Britain, then to Italy and Spain.
The airport increased estimates of the number of passengers handled despite the suspension of flights to Ukraine and Russia, which was originally expected to be used by about half a million passengers for the whole year. According to Pose, especially in the case of Russia, this is not such a big impact, because even before the escalation conflict in Ukraine, visa restrictions and non-recognition of the Russian vaccine in Europe complicated transport.
But Pos also warned that the situation could change quickly. According to him, the reason may be the current spread of the conflict in Ukraine and also growing consumer spending, which may weaken people’s desire to travel in the future. “Then the further development of the pandemic may be unpredictable,” said the head of the airport.
Vaclav Havel Prague Airport will offer direct flights to 148 destinations during the summer season. There will be new or renewed connections to New York or Riyadh, and many other places are increasing in frequency. Before the crisis, 190 localities were flown from Prague in the summer.