Prague Exceeds 17 Million Passengers in 2025, Approaching Historic Record
Prague's Václav-Havel airport closed out 2025 by surpassing the 17 million passenger mark, a remarkable result that brings it close to its pre-COVID-19 pandemic attendance levels. With 17.75 million passengers recorded, the Czech airport posted significant year-on-year growth of 8.5%, outperforming the European average.
Despite an aviation environment marked by geopolitical tensions, delays in the delivery of new aircraft and technical challenges for some fleets, the Prague hub demonstrated impressive resilience. The exact number of passengers was 17,750,528, a figure described by the operator as «virtually equivalent to the operational record for 2019».
Growth above the European average
The increase of 8.5% over the period 2024-2025 clearly outstrips the average growth of 4.5% observed at European Union airports, according to data from the association Airports Council International (ACI). Excluding routes to Ukraine, Belarus and Russia, which are currently suspended, passenger traffic in 2025 would even be 9% above 2019 levels.
Jiří Pos, Chairman of Prague Airport's Management Board, highlighted the challenges of the past year: « The year 2025 has not been an easy one for the development of air links, with a number of external factors affecting our operations, from the geopolitical situation to delays in aircraft deliveries and technical problems with certain aircraft.« . He was nevertheless pleased to have succeeded in « almost equals 2019 record" .
Fleet Optimization and Environmental Impact
The year 2025 saw a 7% decrease in aircraft movements compared to 2019, with 140,545 takeoffs and landings. This trend can be explained by airlines' decision to opt for larger-capacity aircraft and higher load factors. This strategy improves productivity while limiting the environmental footprint per passenger, an increasingly crucial approach in the airline industry.
Top Destinations: London in the lead, Paris and Amsterdam in the spotlight
In terms of destinations, London confirmed its status as the leading stopover from Prague, attracting over 1.3 million passengers despite a slight decline of 3%. Paris follows close behind with some 730,000 passengers (+11TP4Q), confirming the attractiveness of the French capital. Amsterdam rounded out the top three with 657,000 passengers (+11TP4Q). Istanbul recorded impressive growth of 23%, reaching 587,500 passengers, while Frankfurt saw its traffic increase by 22% to 536,000 passengers.
At the country level, the United Kingdom with 2.2 million passengers, ahead of Italy and Spain. These figures attest to the importance of leisure travel and city breaks for Prague's international clientele.
A dense network operated by major carriers
In 2025, 84 airlines served 194 destinations from Prague. International traffic accounted for 58.5% of the total, up 1.5 points on 2024. The main carriers by volume include Ryanair, Smartwings, easyJet, Wizz Air and Lufthansa, which provide extensive connectivity to Europe and beyond.
Long-haul expansion: Asia and America within flying distance
The year 2025 saw the opening of 19 new destinations, including several long-haul routes considered strategic. Etihad Airways inaugurated a regular service to Abu Dhabi, strengthening ties with the Middle East. Air Arabia has relaunched its flights to Sharjah after a six-year hiatus, offering a new gateway to the United Arab Emirates. Air Canada launched a seasonal service to Toronto, improving accessibility to the city for North American customers and connecting passengers.
Towards Asia, Asiana Airlines has introduced a daily service to Seoul, offering travellers an alternative to traditional European hubs. In addition, more than 70 existing routes have benefited from additional capacity, whether through increased frequencies or the use of larger aircraft.
Outlook 2026: Even More Destinations and Connections
For 2026, Prague Airport anticipates even more dynamic traffic, with a target of 18.9 million passengers. New destinations will be added to the network, bringing the total to 195, served by 85 confirmed airlines.
Among the new features expected, American Airlines will launch a daily seasonal service between Prague and Philadelphia, operated by Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. This offer promises over 100 connections in North America via the Pennsylvania hub.
The summer program will also be expanded with new leisure lines from’Eurowings to Ibiza, Brindisi and Faro, an AJet service to Bodrum, and new routes Wizz Air to Chișinău, and easyJet to Newcastle.
Smartwings confirms its confidence in the potential of the Czech capital by basing its ninth Boeing 737 MAX in Prague. These developments testify to the vitality of the Czech airline industry and the growing attractiveness of Václav-Havel airport as a European hub.
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