Ready for the EU, ready for low fares
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As air travel in Western Europe has become as easy and cheap as in the US, Central Europe couldn’t help feeling left behind. Despite booming economies, former communist states such as Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, and Czech Republic had been mostly ignored by low cost carriers like Ryanair and easyJet, who chose to focus on more established markets in the West first. But things are changing fast (looming ratification of the newcomers’ EU membership didn’t hurt):
— EasyJet is now flying to Prague from Stansted, Bristol, East Midlands and Newcastle.
— As of 11 July 2003, Slovakian carrier Sky Europe flies from London Stansted to Bratislave three times a week, at bottom rates. Shuttle buses link the airport to nearby Brno and Vienna (Austria). Sky Europe also plans to launch Stansted flights to Budapest later in the year.
— Scandinavian SAS-owned Snowflake flies between Stockholm and Budapest on a daily basis.
— Germany’s low-cost carrier Germanwings, an affiliate of Lufthansa AG, recently launched a daily service between Cologne and Budapest. — The launch of Hungary’s first national low-cost airline, Arc Air, is said to be in a preparatory phase.
— Last but not least, lower-than-low fares carrier Ryanair is reported to be eyeing underused regional Hungarian airports to add to its destinations in 2004. Sármellék and Debrecen airports, both near tourist destinations like Lake Balaton, appear to be frontrunners. (Sources: Springspotters.com, Guardian, Budapester.hu.)
— EasyJet is now flying to Prague from Stansted, Bristol, East Midlands and Newcastle.
— As of 11 July 2003, Slovakian carrier Sky Europe flies from London Stansted to Bratislave three times a week, at bottom rates. Shuttle buses link the airport to nearby Brno and Vienna (Austria). Sky Europe also plans to launch Stansted flights to Budapest later in the year.
— Scandinavian SAS-owned Snowflake flies between Stockholm and Budapest on a daily basis.
— Germany’s low-cost carrier Germanwings, an affiliate of Lufthansa AG, recently launched a daily service between Cologne and Budapest. — The launch of Hungary’s first national low-cost airline, Arc Air, is said to be in a preparatory phase.
— Last but not least, lower-than-low fares carrier Ryanair is reported to be eyeing underused regional Hungarian airports to add to its destinations in 2004. Sármellék and Debrecen airports, both near tourist destinations like Lake Balaton, appear to be frontrunners. (Sources: Springspotters.com, Guardian, Budapester.hu.)
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