Wizz Air launches state-backed Slovakian domestic route
Slovakia’s two largest cities are connected by air again after more than six years, as Wizz Air launched its new Bratislava–Košice service on Friday morning. The state-supported route aims to improve domestic mobility, though it also highlights decades-old shortcomings in Slovakia’s road and rail infrastructure.
A new daily connection with strong early demand
The Hungarian low-cost carrier won a government tender to operate the roughly 400-kilometre connection, using a 239-seat Airbus A321. The service runs every day, with two flights on Mondays and Fridays and one flight on all other days. Tickets start at around EUR 20 one-way, G7 writes.
The inaugural flight from Košice to Bratislava departed with 233 passengers, filling 97% of seats, according to Košice Airport. Bookings remain strong, with around 80% of tickets already sold for the coming weeks.
Slovakia’s transport minister, Jozef Ráž (Smer-SD), welcomed the development, calling it a fulfilment of his promise: “For the first time in more than six years, Slovakia’s two biggest cities have an air connection again. It is a fast and safe way to travel from one end of the country to the other.”
Airport officials expect the flights to serve mainly business travellers and people visiting family, but they also anticipate a boost to domestic tourism.
Why fly 400 km? The answer lies in history and infrastructure delays
The new route is not merely a mobility project — it is a symptom of long-standing transport challenges that date back well before Slovakia’s independence.
For over 150 years, a succession of different state entities shaped the region’s transport network according to different political priorities. Since 1993, major transport projects have faced terrain-related difficulties, as well as political, legal and corruption-related disputes, slowing progress.
The D1 motorway, intended to link Bratislava with Košice, has been under construction since 1972, yet its full completion is still years away. The most difficult section — between Turany and Hubová, requiring multiple tunnels — only entered tendering last summer. The government now hopes to finish the motorway by 2030, while the air route’s state support runs until 2028.
Rail has fared no better. Slovakia’s national rail operator discontinued the Bratislava–Košice InterCity service a year ago; the journey previously took 4 hours 45 minutes. An earlier attempt to connect the cities by air — a Prague–Košice service with a Bratislava stopover operated by ČSA — collapsed by 2019 due to poor profitability.
Environmental questions and time-saving doubts
Although the flight itself takes only 50 minutes, door-to-door travel time remains significantly longer due to airport transfers and security checks. This raises the question of whether the route can realistically compete with improved rail services in the long term.
Environmental concerns also linger: prioritising domestic flights over rail investment conflicts with broader European climate goals. Similar short-haul flights exist elsewhere in Europe — such as Vienna–Graz — but these are often geared toward supporting long-haul connections rather than domestic mobility.
A strategic change for Wizz Air
The route fits Wizz Air’s wider strategic pivot. The airline will close its Vienna base next year, shifting resources to Bratislava, and has already wound down its joint venture in the UAE. The carrier is narrowing its focus to Central and Eastern Europe and airports with lower operating costs, while preparing to expand its fleet to 250 aircraft.
Wizz Air’s network chief, András Szabó, called the new route a “key step in improving domestic air connectivity”, emphasising that the airline is “proud to be part of this development”.
Košice Airport director Thomas Dworschak also hailed the launch: “This is a major leap for mobility — not only for business travellers and students, but also for family visits and domestic tourism.”
Political support and regional expectations
Slovak political leaders were quick to appear on the first flights. Parliamentary Speaker Richard Raši (Hlas-SD) praised the investment, noting that many Eastern Slovaks regularly travel to Bratislava for work or administrative matters.
Regional leaders in Košice also expressed optimism, arguing that the route could help stimulate economic activity in the country’s east, which continues to lag behind the capital.