Smartwings Increases Flights to Israel

Posted 21/07/2011

Czech Republic low-cost carrier Smartwings is to inaugurate flights to Tel Aviv from Prague, adding to its existing weekly link to the Israeli city from Bratislava.  The airline will introduce a twice daily rotation from October 30, the same date that Czech Airlines will suspend its own daily service.  The new schedule will provide day and overnight flights from Prague with morning and evening departures back to Europe.

An estimated 90,000 O&D passengers travelled between Prague and Tel Aviv in the past year, a market that has grown 19.5 per cent over the previous 12 month period.  Czech Airlines used to be the largest operator between the two destinations but despite an 8.7 per cent rise in traffic its share of the market has declined from 48 per cent to 43 per cent in the last 12 months.  More worryingly, and probably the driver for the cancellation of the route, its yield has slipped significantly, with its average fares down 15.5 per cent to $246 each way.  El Al now holds the market leader position on this city pair, carrying an estimated 44,000 O&D passengers on its five weekly flights during the past year.

Smartwings now operates more than 230 weekly flights to 35 different destinations across Europe and the Middle East.  Its main base is at Prague’s Ruzyně International Airport from where it serves 30 destinations.

Schedule:

QS1288 PRG1015 – 1455TLV 738 D
QS1286 PRG2355 – 0435+1TLV 738 D
QS1287 TLV0605 – 0915PRG 738 D
QS1289 TLV1625 – 1935PRG 738

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