Air Bank a.s. is a Czech retail bank headquartered in Prague. It began operations in 2011 and is part of PPF Group through Home Credit N.V. The bank provides current and savings accounts, consumer loans, mortgages and investment products, with a focus on digital banking.
Air Bank entered the Czech market as one of several new banks seeking to compete with the country's established retail banks. At the end of 2025, Air Bank had more than 1.6 million customers and 32 branches.
History
Establishment and growth The company was established in February 2010 under the name Brusson a.s. and applied for a banking licence from the Czech National Bank later that year. The licence took effect on 31 May 2011, when the company was renamed Air Bank.
Air Bank began serving customers on 22 November 2011. It launched with current and savings accounts and twelve branches. It was one of several new entrants to the Czech retail banking market at the time, alongside Zuno Bank and Equa bank, which sought to attract customers from the country's established banks.
During its first year, Air Bank attracted customers faster than initially expected. By October 2012 it had around 70,000 customers and expected to reach 80,000 by the end of the year.
Michal Strcula became chief executive in May 2014, succeeding Erich Čomor, who moved to other activities within PPF.
Proposed merger with MONETA Bank In October 2018, Moneta Money Bank agreed to acquire Air Bank and the Czech and Slovak businesses of Home Credit for CZK 19.8 billion. The proposed transaction would have created the third-largest retail banking group in the Czech Republic.
Following feedback from shareholders, MONETA proposed reducing the valuation to CZK 18.5 billion. Home Credit rejected such valuation and withdrew from the transaction in February 2019.
A new proposal was announced in 2021. Under the agreement, MONETA was to acquire Air Bank, Home Credit's Czech and Slovak businesses and Benxy, the company then operating the peer-to-peer lending platform Zonky, for CZK 25.9 billion. MONETA shareholders approved both the acquisition and its financing in December 2021.
The transaction was terminated in May 2022 at PPF's initiative. PPF cited changes in the macroeconomic environment, including higher capital requirements and interest rates and economic risks arising from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Zonky and Home Credit Benxy became a subsidiary of Air Bank in 2020 and was merged into the bank in December 2021. Its Zonky consumer-lending platform continued to operate as a separate brand.
In 2023, the Czech and Slovak operations of Home Credit became subsidiaries of Air Bank. The companies continued to operate under the Home Credit brand, while Air Bank, the Home Credit businesses and Zonky were reported together as the Air Bank Group.
Operations Services of Air Bank include current and savings accounts, payment cards, consumer and mortgage lending, investment products and insurance. Digital banking is centred on its My Air mobile application. The bank's strategy is focusing on simplified products and digital services rather than dividing customers into numerous product segments.
At the end of 2025, Air Bank had 1.624 million customers, 32 branches and 370 of its own ATMs. Its customers also had access to a shared network of nearly 2,000 ATMs operated together with Komerční banka, MONETA Money Bank and UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia.
The wider Air Bank Group, comprising Air Bank and the Czech and Slovak Home Credit companies, had 2.023 million customers at the end of 2025.
See also Banking in the Czech Republic PPF Group Home Credit MONETA Money Bank
References
External links