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Summary for: Smartwings launches Prague-Lisbon flights and brings back Bucharest routePrague travelers have a new option for reaching Lisbon from this weekend, with Smartwings launching direct flights to the Portuguese capital as it prepares to restore its Bucharest service next month.
The Lisbon route operates three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Flights to Bucharest return Nov. 26, with four weekly departures following a suspension that began in June.
Both routes add another airline option rather than a new destination for Prague Airport: TAP Air Portugal already serves Lisbon, while Wizz Air and Tarom fly between Prague and Bucharest.
Bucharest returns with four weekly flights
Smartwings will operate the restored Bucharest route on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Flights will leave Prague at noon, with a scheduled journey time of approximately two hours to Henri Coandă International Airport. Return departures are scheduled for 3:45 p.m. local time.
The airline will use a Boeing 737. Advertised one-way fares start at CZK 2,470, with availability depending on the travel date and fare selected.
Smartwings temporarily suspended the service in June, attributing the decision to adjustments to its timetable and aircraft capacity.
Its return gives passengers a third carrier to compare on the route alongside Wizz Air and Romanian national airline Tarom.
Schedules and available fares can be checked through Smartwings.
Lisbon joins the airline’s Portuguese network
The new Lisbon service began Friday, Oct. 23, using a Boeing 737 configured for 189 passengers.
The flight takes approximately 3½ hours, with advertised one-way fares starting at CZK 2,940. Smartwings also offers flights to Porto and Funchal on Madeira.
CEO Emre Pekesen said the airline’s long-term aim was to develop its scheduled network and give passengers more direct connections within Europe and beyond.
The expansion comes shortly after a change of ownership and management.
Turkey’s Pegasus Airlines announced in early October that it had completed its CZK 3.8 billion acquisition of ČSA and the Smartwings group.
Pekesen replaced Roman Vik as Smartwings CEO, while Nur Karabacaková succeeded Jiří Jurán as chief financial officer. Both new executives previously worked at Pegasus.
The former supervisory and management boards were replaced by a three-member administrative board chaired by Salvatore Sciacchitano, a former president of the International Civil Aviation Organization’s council.
For passengers, the immediate changes are the additional Lisbon departures available now and the return of Smartwings’ Bucharest flights from late November. The airline’s starting fares are one-way prices, so travelers should compare the full return journey and the baggage included in their chosen ticket.
