Airports in Slovakia: How Many, Where to Fly & Local Tips

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases with no additional costs for you.

In this article, we focus on airports in Slovakia – how many there are, which of them have scheduled flights, where you can fly and how to get from the airport to the city.

Slovakia is a small country, but it has three airports with regular passenger flights – Bratislava, Košice and Poprad-Tatry – plus several smaller airports used for charter, private and military flights. And thanks to its location, Vienna airport is only about an hour from Bratislava.

Read on for a detailed look at each airport, current routes and a few interesting facts.

If you want to buy Slovak gifts or useful Slovak products, you can find them by clicking here (Amazon link).

Does Slovakia Have an International Airport?

Yes. Slovakia has three airports with scheduled international flights: Bratislava (BTS), Košice (KSC) and Poprad-Tatry (TAT). Bratislava is by far the busiest – in January–September 2026 it handled a record 3.7 million passengers, almost twice as many as a year before.

Thanks to Slovakia’s position in Central Europe, you are also close to big airports in neighbouring countries. If you cannot find a direct flight to Bratislava or Košice, don’t worry – Vienna airport is about an hour by bus from Bratislava (more below), and Budapest is about 2 hours by car from Bratislava.

How Many International Airports are in Slovakia?

Three Slovak airports have scheduled international flights – Bratislava, Košice and Poprad-Tatry. Žilina, Piešťany and Sliač are also airports that can handle international traffic, but today they have no scheduled passenger flights – only occasional charters, private or military flights.

Airport	Region	City	Scheduled flights (2026)
M. R. Štefánik Airport (BTS)	Western Slovakia	Bratislava	Ryanair, Wizz Air, Smartwings, Pegasus, Air Cairo, SunExpress, Air Montenegro – 77 routes in summer 2026
Košice International Airport (KSC)	Eastern Slovakia	Košice	Austrian Airlines, LOT, SWISS, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Smartwings (summer)
Poprad-Tatry Airport (TAT)	Northern Slovakia	Poprad	Wizz Air – London Luton, Gdańsk, Prague (from 25 October 2026)
Žilina Airport	Northern Slovakia	Žilina	No scheduled flights
Piešťany Airport	Western Slovakia	Piešťany	No scheduled flights (occasional charters)
Sliač Airport	Central Slovakia	Sliač	No civil flights (military air base)

Košice airport is located 6 kilometres from the city centre and offers scheduled domestic and international flights as well as summer charters. Getting there is simple – by taxi or by city bus.

Bratislava airport is about 9 kilometres from the city centre. And because Bratislava is so close to Austria, you can either fly directly to Bratislava or choose a flight to Vienna – especially for long-haul flights.

TIP: It is always good to know ahead how expensive the country you are going to visit is. Check out the complete breakdown of prices in Slovakia in the article below:

Is Slovakia Expensive to Visit? A Locals Break It Down

Flying to Vienna? How to Get from Vienna Airport to Bratislava

If you are flying from the USA, Canada, Asia or anywhere else without a direct flight to Slovakia, the best option is usually Vienna International Airport (VIE). It is only about 60 km from Bratislava, and buses leave right in front of the arrivals hall.

• Slovak Lines – express buses to Bratislava (Nivy bus station and the Main Station), up to 21 connections a day, about 70 minutes, from €7.90 online. You can buy and cancel tickets in the Slovak Lines app – free of charge up to 15 minutes before departure (timetable).
• FlixBus and RegioJet – also run between Vienna airport and Bratislava, with similar prices.
• Taxi – a pre-booked transfer costs about €70–90 and takes around 40 minutes.

Here is how I do it whenever I fly via Vienna:

My Personal Experience
I always take the bus from Vienna airport – it’s quick, cheap and runs very often. I use Slovak Lines and buy the ticket in their app. My tip: buy a ticket for a bus you will surely catch, even if your flight lands earlier. If you are at the stop sooner and the earlier bus isn’t full, the driver will often let you get on. A taxi from Vienna airport is not worth it.

How Many Airports in Slovakia?

There is no single official number. The list of airports in Slovakia on Wikipedia includes 18 airports (14 public, 3 military and 1 former), and if you add all the small grass airfields for gliders, sport and agricultural flying, there are dozens more. Only three of them have scheduled passenger flights.

To keep it simple, we’ll go through the airports in the west, south, north and east of the country, and what they are used for.

The main ones are the airports in Bratislava, Košice and Poprad. Then there are the military airports of Sliač, Prešov and Malacky, known as “Kuchyňa” after the nearby village. Most of the others are small public or private airfields.

So don’t be fooled by the numbers – most Slovak airports are small sport or private airfields, and you won’t find any scheduled flights there.

Airports in Western Slovakia

If you plan to fly to Slovakia, you will most likely land at M. R. Štefánik Airport in the capital, Bratislava, in the far west of the country. It is the largest airport in Slovakia and the main gateway for air travel.

Construction started in 1947 and regular traffic began in 1951. Today the airport is growing faster than ever: in summer 2026 it offered 77 scheduled routes to 29 countries. Most of them are operated by Ryanair and Wizz Air, which both have aircraft based here; Smartwings, Pegasus, Air Cairo, SunExpress and Air Montenegro also fly from Bratislava. The busiest destinations are Barcelona, London, Antalya, Košice and Rome, and new routes to Hurghada, Agadir and Baku start in autumn 2026.

Before this airport, Bratislava had a different one – the “Vajnory Airport”, where the first flight took place in 1923. It was used until 2004 and closed in 2007.

Western Slovakia also has an airport in the spa town of Piešťany. It has no scheduled flights today and is used for occasional charters (for example SkyAlps flights from Berlin in autumn 2026), private and business flights – often by spa guests.

How to Get to and from Bratislava Airport?

You can get to the airport by taxi or by Bratislava’s public transport. From the Main Station (Hlavná stanica), take line 61 – it runs directly to the airport, and a 30-minute ticket is enough (more transport options).

If you’re travelling later than 11 pm, there is also the night bus N61.

TIP: Taxis are often used for transportation from and to airports. Check out the article below where you find all you need to know about taxis in Bratislava:

All about Taxis in Bratislava: Costs, Examples & Local Tips

Airports in Central and Southern Slovakia

Sliač airport lies in central Slovakia, near the spa town of Sliač. It is primarily a military air base and is being rebuilt for the Slovak Air Force, so there are currently no civil flights. The state is preparing a civil terminal, but no date has been set.

As an interesting fact, south-eastern Slovakia was also the location of Luftwaffe airfield in the 1940s. Built by the village of Vinné in the Kosice region, it was used for many air activities throughout the nation. 

Other than that, southern Slovakia has only smaller private and public airfields without any regular flights.

Airports in Northern Slovakia

In northern Slovakia, the best-known airport is in Poprad, right below the High Tatras. Poprad-Tatry is the highest airport in the country (718 m above sea level). Today it has Wizz Air flights to London Luton and Gdańsk, and from 25 October 2026 also to Prague (three times a week). Ryanair no longer flies to Poprad.

Another bigger airport is Žilina Airport, about 10 kilometres west of the city near the village of Dolný Hričov. It has no scheduled flights and is used for private, business and training flights.

TIP: Have you ever thought what language to use when visiting Slovakia? Find out how good Slovaks speak english in the article below:

Do Slovaks speak English? Read This Before Your Arrival

Airports in Eastern Slovakia

By far the most important airport in eastern Slovakia, and the second largest in the country, is in Košice. Košice has had an airfield since 1920 – the oldest in Slovakia – while the current airport was built from 1950 and opened in 1953. In 2025 it handled a record 827,798 passengers.

Unlike Bratislava, Košice also has flights by traditional network airlines – Austrian Airlines to Vienna, LOT to Warsaw and SWISS to Zurich – so it is easy to connect to the rest of the world. Ryanair flies to Dublin, Liverpool, London, Málaga and Prague, Wizz Air to Bratislava, London and Rome, and Smartwings operates summer holiday flights.

Apart from Košice and Poprad, eastern Slovakia has no airports with regular flights – only smaller airfields such as Svidník or Spišská Nová Ves.

There is also a military airport near Prešov, which is used by the Slovak Air Force.

How to Get to and from Košice Airport?

As in Bratislava, getting to and from Košice airport is easy. Bus line 23 takes you to the main railway and bus station in about 20 minutes (timetable). You can also take a taxi – the airport’s partner BENZE charges about €25 to the city centre.

If you want to save money, use public transport – trams and buses will get you anywhere in the city.

Flying from Bratislava to Košice: Plane vs Train, Bus and Car

Since 21 November 2025, Slovakia has a domestic flight again – Wizz Air flies between Bratislava and Košice. The route is supported by the state, which is why the fares are capped: from €19.99 and at most €75 one way (€85 with a checked bag). Since 21 March 2026 there are 13 flights a week – twice a day except Wednesday – and the flight takes about 55 minutes.

How does the flight compare with other ways of travelling between the two biggest Slovak cities?

Option	Travel time	Price from (one way)	Good to know
Plane (Wizz Air)	about 55 min + transfers and security	€19.99 (max. €75)	13 flights a week
Train (ZSSK)	from 4 h 53 min	about €18.90 (2nd class)	Direct express trains through the Váh valley and below the Tatras
Bus (FlixBus)	from about 5 h 55 min	about €20	About 9 connections a day
Car	about 4–4.5 h (around 400 km)	fuel + motorway vignette	The D1 motorway now runs through the Višňové tunnel (opened December 2025)

Door to door, the plane wins mainly if you live near one of the airports or connect to another flight. The train is the most comfortable option, with views of the mountains on the way, and the car makes sense if you want to stop along the way – for example in Trenčín or Žilina.

TIP: Check out my list of recommended Slovak products. They are perfect as gifts, or you will use them during your visit to Slovakia (Amazon links)

• Slovakia Flag
• The book about Slovak History
• Slovak Travel Guide
• Slovakia Adventure Map (by National Geographic)
• T-shirt with Slovakia Flag
• Slovakia Shot Glass
• Legendary Horalky Biscuit (Original)

FAQ about Airports in Slovakia

Here are quick answers to the most common questions about airports in Slovakia.

How many airports does Slovakia have?

There is no single official figure. Wikipedia lists 18 airports, and there are dozens of small airfields on top of that. Only three – Bratislava, Košice and Poprad-Tatry – have scheduled passenger flights.

What is the main airport in Slovakia?

M. R. Štefánik Airport in Bratislava (BTS). In January–September 2026 it handled a record 3.7 million passengers, with flights mainly by Ryanair and Wizz Air.

Is it better to fly to Vienna or Bratislava?

If there is a direct flight to Bratislava, fly there. For long-haul flights (USA, Canada, Asia), Vienna is usually the better choice – buses take you to Bratislava in about 70 minutes from €7.90.

Can you fly from Bratislava to Košice?

Yes. Wizz Air flies 13 times a week, the flight takes about 55 minutes and one-way fares are capped at €75.

How do I get from Bratislava Airport to the city centre?

Take line 61 to the Main Station (night bus N61 after 11 pm), or a taxi.

Conclusion

Slovakia has dozens of airports and airfields, but as a tourist you will most likely use only three: Bratislava, Košice and Poprad-Tatry.

Bratislava has by far the most routes, mainly with Ryanair and Wizz Air, while Košice also offers connections via Vienna, Warsaw and Zurich. And the two cities are now connected by a domestic flight.

All of these airports are easy to reach by city bus or taxi. And if you can’t get a direct flight to Slovakia, don’t worry.

Since the country is in Central Europe, you can also fly to Vienna (about an hour by bus from Bratislava) or Budapest (about 2 hours by car from Bratislava).

The country also has many smaller private and public airfields, and military airports in Prešov, Malacky and Sliač.

Overall, traveling to Slovakia is not as hard as one might think. Air travel is highly developed, and Europe as a whole has an abundance of well-connected flights. Its high density of cities also means that even if you can’t find a direct flight, you are never running out of options.

TIP: Flying drones are really popular these days but do not forget that you need to follow the state rules for flying drones. Check out all rules and tips about flying drones in Slovakia in the article below:

Can You Fly Drones in Slovakia? All You Need to Know