Approximately 13.07 million passengers passed through Prague’s Václav Havel Airport in 2016, up by 1 million y-o-y. In Vienna, by comparison, the traffic volume doubled, but passenger numbers increased by only a mere 577,000. Meanwhile, 19 new lines were launched in Prague, and nine new carriers started their business at the airport, including two Chinese and one Canadian company. In 2016, passenger numbers increased by 8.7 percent, while in 2015, the figure was up by 9.7 percent. Václav Řehoř, chairman of Czech Aeroholding, expects the passenger volume will grow by 5 percent in 2017. Czech Airlines has introduced five new lines, while the low-cost carrier SmartWings will have three new seasonal lines. Ryanair is rolling up a massive expansion, with plans to start two new lines in March and an additional eight to open this fall. Brno dispatched 417,000 passengers in 2016, down by 49,000 y-o-y.
