HONG KONG—Prague Airport (PRG) is forecasting passenger growth of nearly 9% this year to 17.8 million as it builds on a series of new long-haul and European routes.
Jiri Vyskoc, executive director of aviation business development, says new services launched this year are already reshaping the airport’s network. Among them, Etihad Airways began flights from Abu Dhabi in April, Air Canada inaugurated Toronto Person service in May, Asiana Airlines launched a route to Seoul Incheon in June and Air Arabia is scheduled to start daily Sharjah service in December.
Transatlantic connectivity is also set to deepen. Air Canada has already announced that Toronto flights will rise from three to 4X-weekly in peak summer 2026, while American Airlines plans to launch daily Philadelphia–Prague service in May 2026 using Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
On the European side, PRG has welcomed new services to Beirut, Bordeaux, Cork, Iasi, Marrakech, Podgorica, Skopje, Toulouse, Trieste, Vilnius, Yerevan and Zagreb, alongside Aer Lingus’ forthcoming Cork–Prague flights starting Oct. 23.
Vyskoc says the airport’s route development priorities include Asia and the Americas. “Among the priority destinations where we see the highest potential for developing direct scheduled flights from Prague are Hanoi, Bangkok, New Delhi, and strengthening connections with the U.S. and Canada,” he tells Routes. Hamburg and Bergen are also identified as targets within Europe.
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Prague’s incentive scheme and marketing support remain central to that strategy. Vyskoc says the airport rewards partner airlines through “transparent, performance-based benefits” designed to promote and sustain passenger growth.
However, growth is not without challenges. Vyskoc points to aircraft delivery delays and maintenance backlogs as significant headwinds, limiting airlines’ ability to add capacity despite strong demand. “Many route development opportunities have been postponed due to a shortage of available aircraft,” he says.
Airport capacity constraints are also a challenge. Peak-hour slot availability is tightening, adding pressure to deliver on modernization projects already underway. “Our main priority is to successfully manage all planned infrastructure modernization and airport expansion projects,” Vyskoc says.
In August, the airport reopened its main runway after four and a half months of renovation, which added a new taxiway, upgraded drainage, installed a new lighting system and resurfaced about 50,000 m² (538,195 ft.2). PRG also continues to prepare for a new parallel runway, which would expand hourly movements and relieve pressure during peak times.
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