Košice Airport has a very special reason to celebrate. It is celebrating the centenary of the first commercial flight from Košice. To mark the occasion, a special Czech Airlines flight from Prague landed in Košice today. The aircraft was greeted by a ceremonial water arch provided by the Košice Airport Fire and Rescue Service.

The first flight took place on May 5, 1924, along the Prague - Bratislava - Košice route. It was a single-engine biplane of the A.14 type, which was a modified version of the German aircraft Brandenburg CI developed during the First World War. Its maximum speed was 170 km/h. The wings and fuselage were made of wood and covered with canvas. It weighed just 933 kg and had an open cockpit with two seats in tandem - one for the pilot and one for the passenger.

To mark its 100th anniversary, Košice Airport organized a gala evening for partners and supporters at the National Theatre in Košice, where four people were honoured for their lifetime contributions to the development of the airport. We are delighted to have symbolically thanked long-time airport director Marta Horváthová, journalist and photographer Radomír Mlýnek, President Rudolf Schuster, and Milan Polášek in memoriam, a long-time representative of ČSA in Košice.

Košice Airport is also releasing a commemorative publication entitled "One Hundred Years above Košice", which traces the history of local aviation to the present day. The publication will be available to the public at the Regional Information Point and the Visit Košice Information Centre.

Thomas Dworschak, CEO and Chairman of the Management Board of Košice Airport, said: "Over the course of a hundred years, the world in general and the world of aviation in particular have changed immensely. Today is a time to pause and thank the generations of colleagues who have made the history of Košice Airport. At the same time, we look forward to another centenary, which we enter with determination to meet the many challenges that lie ahead. With our experienced and motivated team of employees and the support of our shareholders and all our partners, we will continue to develop air connections throughout eastern Slovakia, from Sobrance to the High Tatras and Liptov, constantly improving the quality of our services in cooperation with our partners.

Over the past century, Košice Airport has developed into a leading regional hub, known for its wide range of routes, quality services and experienced and dedicated staff. It has become a real gateway to the world for the whole of eastern Slovakia. Thanks to air connectivity, the entire region is flourishing and becoming more attractive to tourists and foreign investors. In 2023, Košice Airport experienced the most successful year in its history, with a total of 625,053 passengers passing through its gates. This represents a 15% increase compared to 2022 and a 12% increase compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019. Košice Airport is among the European leaders in terms of the pace of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. On average, European airports have not yet returned to their pre-pandemic performance levels.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed today between Košice Airport and the Košice Self-governing Region, signalling a commitment to increased cooperation to improve air accessibility within the region, particularly for inbound tourism.

"We are constantly looking for new opportunities to expand the range of air connections from Košice. I believe that closer cooperation with the Košice Self-governing Region will help us to more actively realise our ambitions and contribute to the long-term sustainable development of the region," said Thomas Dworschak, Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of Košice Airport.

Dušan Keketi, Minister of Tourism and Sport, said: "Košice Airport is extremely important for this region as the gateway to eastern Slovakia. It is owned by the renowned Vienna Airport and we are proud to celebrate this historic milestone together. Congratulations to the four people who have been honoured for their contribution to the development of the airport.Košice Airport serves thousands of flights a year and last year it handled a record 625,000 passengers. I believe that this year we will exceed that number. Inbound tourism is key for us because it brings not only travellers, but also new opportunities and development to the region. A well-functioning and stable airport plays a crucial role in this. Once again, best wishes to Košice Airport!