Smartwings, a.s. (formerly Travel Service, a.s.) is a Czech airline with its head office on the property of Václav Havel Airport Prague. It is the biggest airline in the Czech Republic, and it operates scheduled and chartered flights, mainly to leisure destinations. The airline also provides aircraft on wet and dry leases to other airlines, and operates charter flights through several subsidiaries: Smartwings Poland, Smartwings Hungary and Smartwings Slovakia.
Although Smartwings previously acquired Czech Airlines in 2017, following the latter's bankruptcy and a major corporate restructuring in October 2024, Czech Airlines was transformed into a holding company, and Smartwings became its wholly owned operating subsidiary. In December 2025, it was announced that Pegasus Airlines had reached an agreement to acquire the holding company.
Pegasus Airlines completed the acquisition of Czech Airlines (ČSA) and the Smartwings Group on 1 October 2026.
History
Foundation and early years
Smartwings was founded in September 1997 under the name Travel Service Airlines a.s. and focused on charter flights mainly for Czech tour operators. The first airliner was a Tupolev Tu-154M but in 2000, the air carrier received its first Boeing 737-400 with which own operations were started.
In 2004, Travel Service launched the brand Smart Wings for low-cost flights. Travel Service leased two Boeing 737-500s from Lufthansa which were primary intended for Smartwings flights. Both aircraft were painted in the new Smartwings livery. Former Czech president Václav Klaus attended the opening ceremony, which was held on 1 May 2004. In 2007, the company carried 2.2 million passengers, and a year later about 2.3 million passengers. In 2014, it carried 4.3 million passengers, about 1.2 of them on regular flights under the brand name Smartwings.
On 18 September 2007, the Icelandair Group acquired 50% stake in the carrier, and purchased further shares to bring its holding up to 80% by April 2008. In December 2008, it reduced its holding to 66% by selling shares to the other shareholders, Unimex.Annual Report of Travel Service 2007 In 2009, their stake was further diluted to 50.1% through a new share issue; they also sold a portion of their stake to fellow owners, reducing their holding to 30%. In 2009, Icelandair spun its 30% stake in Travel Service into a new company, which was taken over by Icelandair's creditors. Chinese investment group CEFC China Energy then held a 49.9% stake in Travel Service.
In 2013, Travel Service cancelled its order for a Boeing 787 Dreamliner and purchased a Boeing 737 MAX 8 instead.
Development since 2017
Travel Service owned 98 percent of Czech Airlines; it bought 64% from Prisko and Korean Air in 2017. Before, it owned 34%, bought in 2014. After Czech Airlines went through business restructuring, Smartwings retained 30% of the company.
In October 2017, it was announced that Travel Service planned to transfer its branding from an airline to a holding company, and would move all of its operations under the Smartwings brand.Travel Service Rebrand In 2018, it was announced that the Travel Service livery would be replaced by the Smartwings livery. Also in that year, deliveries of the new Boeing 737 MAX began.
Travel Service was renamed Smartwings, the name of its former low-cost subsidiary, on 10 December 2018.
In March 2019, Smartwings announced plans to create a German subsidiary by late 2019, and to transition its Czech Airlines subsidiary to an all-Boeing 737 fleet.austrianaviation.net - "Smartwings establishes German subsidiary" (German) 7 March 2019 However, these plans have not materialized, and Czech Airlines maintains its Airbus fleet. In February 2021, Smartwings announced the return of their stored Boeing 737 MAX to service by the end of the month, the first European airline to resume operations following the flying ban lasting over 20 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.aero.de (German) 9 February 2021
In February 2024, then owner CITIC – which bought its shares from CEFC – sold all of its shares in Smartwings to Czech-owned Prague City Air, which also owns the majority in Czech Airlines.ch-aviation.com - Smartwings becomes fully Czech-owned company 27 February 2024 In October 2024, Smartwings took over all flight operations of Czech Airlines, continuing to operate them under the Czech Airlines brand, while Czech Airlines was restructured as a holding company.ch-aviation.com - Czechia's CSA to become holding co, Smartwings to run ops 16 May 2024
In December 2025, it was announced the Turkish low-cost airline, Pegasus Airlines has signed an agreement to acquire both Czech Airlines and Smartwings in a deal worth €154 million (3,8 billion CZK).
Pegasus Airlines completed the acquisition of Czech Airlines (ČSA) and the Smartwings Group on 1 October 2026.
Destinations Smartwings serve over 40 destinations in over 25 countries from their hub at Václav Havel Airport Prague. The airline primarily focuses on leisure destinations across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Country City AirportAlbaniaTiranaTirana International Airport Nënë TerezaBahrainManamaBahrain International AirportBelgiumBrusselsBrussels AirportBulgariaBurgasBurgas AirportVarnaVarna AirportCape VerdeBoa VistaBoa Vista International AirportSalAmílcar Cabral International AirportCroatiaSplitSplit AirportDubrovnikDubrovnik AirportCyprusLarnacaLarnaca International AirportCzech RepublicBrnoBrno-Tuřany AirportOstravaLeoš Janáček Airport OstravaPardubicePardubice AirportPragueVáclav Havel Airport PragueKarlovy VaryKarlovy Vary AirportČeské BudějoviceČeské Budějovice AirportEgyptEl AlameinEl Alamein International AirportHurghadaHurghada International AirportMarsa AlamMarsa Alam International AirportMersa MatruhMarsa Matruh International AirportSharm El–SheikhSharm El–Sheikh International AirportEstoniaTallinnTallinn AirportFranceNiceNice Côte d'Azur AirportParisCharles de Gaulle AirportToulouseToulouse-Blagnac AirportGermanyCologneCologne Bonn AirportDüsseldorfDüsseldorf AirportGreeceAthensAthens International AirportAraxosPatras Araxos AirportCorfuCorfu International AirportChaniaChania International AirportHeraklionHeraklion International AirportKalamataKalamata International AirportKarpathosKarpathos Island National AirportKavalaKavala International AirportKefaloniaKefalonia International AirportKosKos International AirportKythiraKythira Island National AirportLemnosLemnos International AirportMytileneMytilene International AirportPatrasPatras Araxos AirportPrevezaAktion National AirportRhodesRhodes International AirportSamosSamos International AirportSantoriniSantorini International AirportSkiathosSkiathos International AirportThessalonikiThessaloniki AirportZakynthosZakynthos International AirportHungaryBudapestBudapest Ferenc Liszt International AirportDebrecenDebrecen International AirportIsraelTel AvivBen Gurion AirportItalyBrindisiBrindisi AirportCagliariCagliari Elmas AirportCataniaCatania–Fontanarossa AirportComisoComiso AirportLamezia TermeLamezia Terme International AirportNaplesNaples International AirportOlbiaOlbia Costa Smeralda AirportRomeRome Fiumicino AirportVeniceVenice Marco Polo AirportKenyaMombasaMoi International AirportNorwayBergenBergen Airport, FreslandOmanSalalahSalalah International AirportMuscatMuscat International AirportPolandWarsawWarsaw Chopin AirportGdańskGdańsk Lech Wałęsa AirportRzezsówRzezsów-Jasionka AirportKatowiceKatowice AirportPoznańPoznań-Ławica AirportWroclawWroclaw AirportPortugalFunchalMadeira AirportLisbonLisbon AirportPonta DelgadaJoão Paulo II AirportPortoPorto AirportQatarQatarHamad International AirportRomaniaBucharestBucharest Henri Coandă International AirportSenegalDakarBlaise Diagne International AirportSlovakiaBratislavaBratislava AirportKošiceKošice International AirportPopradPoprad-Tatry AirportSpainAlmeríaAlmería AirportAlicanteAlicante-Elche Miguel Hernández AirportBarcelonaJosep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat AirportBilbaoBilbao AirportFuerteventuraFuerteventura AirportIbizaIbiza AirportLanzaroteLanzarote AirportLas PalmasGran Canaria AirportMadridMadrid–Barajas AirportMálagaMálaga AirportMenorcaMenorca AirportMurciaRegión de Murcia International AirportPalma de MallorcaPalma de Mallorca AirportSanta Cruz de La PalmaLa Palma AirportTenerifeTenerife South AirportValenciaValencia AirportSwedenStockholmStockholm Arlanda AirportSwitzerlandGenevaGeneva AirportTunisiaDjerbaDjerba–Zarzis International AirportEnfidhaEnfidha–Hammamet International AirportMonastirMonastir Habib Bourguiba International AirportTurkeyAntalyaAntalya AirportDalamanDalaman Airportİzmirİzmir Adnan Menderes AirportMilasMilas–Bodrum AirportTanzaniaZanzibarAbeid Amani Karume International AirportUnited Arab EmiratesDubaiAl Maktoum International AirportDubai International AirportRas Al KhaimahRas Al Khaimah International AirportUnited KingdomBirminghamBirmingham Airport
Codeshare agreements Smartwings has codeshare agreements with the following airlines: Air Europa Eurowings Israir Starlux Airlines
Fleet
Current fleet
, Smartwings operates the following aircraft: +Smartwings fleetAircraftIn serviceOrdersPassengersNotesJYTotalAirbus A220-3004——149149Operated under Czech Airlines branding.ch-aviation.com - Czechia's Smartwings to take first A220 in mid-4Q24 3 October 2024Airbus A320-2002——180180Boeing 737-80019——1891892——21221214—18150168—189189Total41
Historic fleet Smartwings and formerly Travel Service also operated the following aircraft types: Boeing 737-400 Boeing 737-500 Boeing 757-200 Boeing 767-300ER Tupolev Tu-154M
Business jet fleet Smartwings operates private charter flights using a fleet of 5 Cessna Citation business jets. The fleet consists of Citation Longitude and Citation Sovereign aircraft.
Incidents On 22 August 2019, a Smartwings Boeing 737-800 (Registration: OK-TVO) operated flight QS-1125 departed from Samos, Greece to Prague, Czech Republic with 170 passengers on board. The aircraft was flying at over the Aegean Sea about northeast of Athens, Greece when it had an engine failure. The crew drifted the aircraft down to without informing ATC of the emergency, only informing them of a "technical malfunction". Instead of landing at the nearest suitable airport, as per engine failure procedure, the flight crew carried on to Prague at that level for a landing without further incident about 2 hours 20 minutes later. The Czech Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) confirmed that an investigation had been launched into the incident: "we have decided to launch an investigation as the procedure followed doesn't seem standard." Following the incident, Prague police launched an investigation into the flight on suspicion of endangering the public due to negligence, and a Smartwings internal investigation demoted the captain from his post as head of flight operations. In July 2020, the CAA released the final report by the Air Accidents Investigation Institute (AAII), which blamed the incident on the captain failing to follow mandatory procedures, including landing at the nearest possible diversion airport after an engine failure. , the captain who piloted the plane during the incident continued to pilot Smartwings flights.
References
External links
Official website