85 years of More Than Just Travel Dreams fulfilled by Prague Airport

Václav Havel Airport Prague celebrates its 85th birthday with a special programme for the public. Its rich history, which includes hundreds of thousands of landings, tens of millions of handled passengers, and historical twists and turns, will be reminisced through an interactive exhibition, special airport tours, and podcasts with period witnesses and the current chairman of the board, Jiří Pos. Birthday events will take place primarily in the first week of April, with some saved for later days during this year.

The first plane landed at the airport in Prague-Ruzyně on 5 April 1937. It was a domestic flight on the Piešťany – Zlín – Brno – Prague route. Since then, the airport, which has borne the name of former President Václav Havel since 2012, has experienced many ups and, more recently, downs: its great rise during the First Republic era, German occupation, the planned communist economy, the huge development after the Velvet Revolution, and the critical pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. Václav Havel Airport Prague is an integral part of Czechoslovak and later Czech history, as well as the future of our state.

“The 85th anniversary celebration will be dignified. We have chosen a sensitive format, partly due to the pandemic and events in Ukraine. We have planned several events for the public. We designed special free of charge individual tours of the airport facilities; within hours, their capacity was fully booked. However, those interested will not miss out on the regular tours. We also made videos about the history and present days of the Prague-Ruzyně airport, alongside podcasts with period witnesses, and a short film recognising the anniversary in a non-traditional form through a combination of acted and cartooned scenes," Jiří Pos, Chairman of the Prague Airport Board of Directors, said. 

On the occasion of the anniversary, a special www.letisteslavi85.cz website was launched. Visitors will find videos there with period witnesses talking about the history of the airport. They recall their strongest experiences and guide us with their stories through the entire history of the airport from the launch of its operations to the present day. These videos are complemented by a series of special podcasts with former employees, and even a pilot and a co-pilot. The viewers will find the history, current operations, and future development plans of the airport in one place.

On 5 April 2022, Prague Airport will launch an interactive exhibition for the public in Terminal 2. It will include screens showing the historical development of the airport with a view to the future, and a new documentary about the airport. There will also be a photo corner and a display of historical and contemporary uniforms. Interactive games will be on site for children.

On the day of the anniversary, passengers will also have the opportunity to take advantage of discounted airport services, such as airport lounge visits, a consumption from Runway Restaurant, and purchases made at the airport gift shop.