The renowned Routes Europe Awards 2026 are being hosted in Prague. Prague Airport has won in the category for airports that accommodate 5 to 20 million passengers a year, and for the very first time, it has also been named the “Overall Winner”. This award is determined by votes from airlines, highlighting the quality of collaboration with carriers, the development of flight routes, and the marketing efforts made by airports.

In the category for European airports serving 5 to 20 million passengers annually, Prague Airport outperformed competitors such as Larnaca, Thessaloniki, Vilnius, and Glasgow. As the “Overall Winner,” Prague Airport excelled in the overall evaluation at this year’s European Routes event. “In the face of tough competition from other European airports, winning both awards is a remarkable achievement that we highly value. It confirms our long-term strategy, which emphasizes fair and open partnerships while actively pursuing attractive business opportunities to enhance air connectivity. Our focus is not just on launching new routes but also on increasing seat availability and frequency for existing flights, which will enhance the accessibility and competitiveness of our airport for years to come. We sincerely thank all of our airline partners for their ongoing cooperation, trust, and recognition. We deeply appreciate this partnership as a commitment to the future, ensuring that we can continue to strengthen our relationships with dedication while pursuing projects that yield tangible outcomes,” says Jiří Vyskoč, the Executive Director of Aviation Business Development at Prague Airport.

Last year, Prague Airport helped launch 46 new routes, which included 24 new destinations. Additionally, 12 new airlines began operations at Prague Airport, bringing the total number of airlines to 89. Flight frequencies and seat capacities increased on over 55 existing routes, leading to an overall capacity growth of 7% compared to the previous year. These achievements highlight the increasing confidence that airlines have in the Prague market. In 2026, passengers can fly to nearly 200 destinations from Václav Havel Airport Prague.

Prague Airport also continued to follow its strategy of expanding long-haul flight connections. In 2025, new routes were launched to Seoul (with Asiana Airlines), Abu Dhabi (with Etihad Airways), Toronto (with Air Canada), and Sharjah (with Air Arabia). There have also been announcements regarding new long-haul routes that will begin this year, including flights to Philadelphia (with American Airlines) and Taipei (with STARLUX Airlines).

This year, Prague Airport secured the Routes Europe Awards in its category for the second time, having first won this honor back in 2012 in Tallinn. It has also received special acknowledgment as one of the highly commended finalists in its category in previous years—specifically in 2013 and 2016. Additionally, representatives from Prague Airport’s aviation sector have celebrated victories at the global airport-ranking Routes World Awards a total of four times.

The award for this year was presented during the Routes Europe 2026 international forum, which was held from May 18 to 20 in Rimini, Italy. This conference gathered key players in the aviation industry, including airports, airlines, and tourism support organizations, among others.