Košice International Airport () is an international airport serving Košice, Slovakia. It is the second largest international airport in Slovakia. It is located to the south of St Elisabeth Cathedral, above sea level, covering an area of . It serves both scheduled and charter, domestic and international flights.
Košice Airport operates 12 direct flights to the following destinations - Prague (Ryanair), Warsaw - Fryderyk Chopin Airport (LOT Polish Airlines), Zürich (Swiss International Air Lines), Vienna (Austrian Airlines), London - to London Luton Airport (Wizz Air) and London-Stansted Airport (Ryanair), Liverpool (Ryanair), Dublin (Ryanair), Zadar (Ryanair), Bratislava (Wizz Air), Malaga (Ryanair), Rome (Wizz Air). More than 300 destinations are available with a maximum of one change.
On September 13, 2023, the airport announced the arrival of the new airline Swiss International Air Lines, which will operate a direct route from Košice to Zurich starting from June 2024. The start date was later pushed forward to March 27, 2024.
During the summer flight schedule of 2024, the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair will fly from Košice to the Croatian city of Zadar twice a week. Additionally, a direct route to Dublin will also be resumed from the summer flight schedule of 2024.
With the launch of the 2025 summer flight schedule, Ryanair’s direct route from Košice to Zadar has been reinstated. The first flight took off on April 1, 2025.
History
Construction of the airport began in 1950s near the suburb of Barca. In 1954, construction began on the first part of the new passenger terminal, hangar and new control tower. In 1955, direct flights began between Košice and Prague. The power supply was enhanced by more powerful transformers in 1962. Increasing traffic required a larger passenger terminal by the mid 1960s. The foundation of the SNP Air Force Academy in 1973 strengthened aviation in the then republic of Czechoslovakia. Between 1974 and 1977, the runway was increased by , the power supply rebuilt and a lighting system installed to meet CAT II ICAO specifications. Military aviation at the airport stopped in 2004.
Another extensive reconstruction of the runways and equipment area took place in 1992-1993. In 2001, the construction of a new terminal began, which was opened in 2004 and in 2005 was awarded the title Construction of the Year 2005. In 2004, the business company Letisko Košice - Airport Kosice, a.s. was established, in which a strategic partner joined in 2006. In 2007, the handling area was expanded, which increased the number of stands.
After the completion of the new terminal, the airport was privatized; currently the largest share (66%) of business in the airport is KSC Holding, a. s., whose majority shareholder is Vienna-Schwechat Airport, and the remaining share (34%) is owned by the Slovak Republic.
Airport charges
Košice Airport charged fees comparable to nearby airports in Vienna, Prague and Budapest in 2011. To attract new carriers and fly new routes from Košice, the airport offered a 50% discount on fees.
Terminals
The total area of Terminal 1 is , of which more than is designed for the travelling public. Facilities include international and domestic departure and domestic gates, aviation and travel agencies, a nursery, a quiet room, and comfortable business lounge. There are also restaurants, car rental booths and small shops.
Airlines and destinations
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The following airlines operate scheduled services to and from Košice Airport:
Statistics
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Passengers
! Change
! Cargo (tonnes)
|-
! 2012
| 235,754
|
|
|-
! 2013
| 237,165
| 0.6%
|
|-
! 2014
| 356,750
| 50.4%
|
|-
! 2015
| 410,400
| 15.0%
|
|-
! 2016
| 436,696
| 6.4%
| 88
|-
! 2017
| 496,708
| 13.7%
| 106
|-
! 2018
| 542,026
| 9.1%
| 65
|-
! 2019
| 558,064
| 3.0%
| 38
|-
! 2020
| 96,428
| 82.6%
| 5
|-
!2021
|168 742
| 73.3 %
|
|-
!2022
|542,864
| 12%
|
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Busiest charter routes to and from Košice Airport (summer 2023)
|-
! Destination
! Number of passengers
! Airlines
|-
| Antalya
| 77,483
| Smartwings, Freebird, Travel Service
|-
| Larnaca
| 24,920
| Cyprus Airways,Smartwings
|-
| Hurghada
| 18,941
| FlyEgypt, Air Cairo
|}
Busiest routes
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Top ten busiest routes from Košice in 2024
|-
! Rank
! Airport
! Passengers
! Airlines
|-
| 1
| Antalya
| 96,506
| Corendon Airlines, Freebird Airlines, Smartwings, Tailwind Airlines
|-
| 2
| London Luton
| 92,392
| Wizz Air
|-
| 3
| Vienna
| 86,345
| Austrian Airlines
|-
| 4
| Prague
| 81,725
| Ryanair
|-
| 5
| London Stansted
| 78,091
| Ryanair
|-
| 6
| Liverpool
| 38,941
| Ryanair
|-
| 7
| Warsaw–Chopin
| 31,234
| LOT Polish Airlines
|-
| 8
| Larnaca
| 28,896
| Smartwings, TUS Airways
|-
| 9
| Dublin
| 27,700
| Ryanair
|-
| 10
| Zurich
| 27,297
| Swiss International Air Lines
|}
Ground transport
Košice Airport can easily be accessed by car, taxi or bus as it is located from the city centre.
Bus
Bus 23 is operated by the local public transport company. It connects the airport and the station square, where you can find a bus and train station. The bus route passes through the city center and it takes about 20 minutes.
Car
The airport lies directly adjacent to the highway which leads to the ring road. Passengers driving their own cars can park at the airport parking lots. You have a choice of 3 parking lots: short-term parking P1, long-term parking P2, long-term parking P3 for parking during longer journeys, the minimum parking time there is 8 hours. Your car will be monitored by a camera system throughout the parking period. Car rental facilities are also available at the airport.
References
External links
- Košice International Airport (official site)
- Accident history for KSC at Aviation Safety Network