Bratislava and Kosice airports to resume normal operations on 15 June

The change comes after a decision on Slovakia’s reopening was reached by national authorities

With the country’s general reopening already taking place, the airports of Slovakia’s two largest cities are also getting ready to once again resume their regular functions. After three months of staggered flights and cancelled plans, border closures and delays, things are finally getting back to normal.

The airports in Bratislava and Kosice will return to regular operating hours and schedules now that the Slovak government has reallowed free travel to and from 16 additional countries, most of them in the EU or Schengen, including Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Norway, Slovenia and Switzerland. The first flight to these “new” destinations will take place on 15 June from Kosice airport, heading to Bulgaria’s capital of Sofia.

Retaining of health measures in a step-by-step process

Despite the evident relaxation of restrictions and measures, authorities are adamant that travel might remain a somewhat risky venture – which is why adherence to social distancing rules, handwashing and wearing of face masks remains of paramount importance for the safety of all citizens and tourists.

The process on reallowing free travel, however, will take some time, as flights will not all suddenly begin operations at the same time. Travelling with some carriers and to some destinations will remain a bit further off in the future – like for example, Ryanair’s flights to Malta will resume towards the end of October while its regular flights to Athens will also be reinstated in the second half of 2020.

In July, however, many Slovaks will have the opportunity to visit a number of great destinations in Greece – such as Thessaloniki, Corfu and a few other Greek islands. Thanks to the two countries' excellent handling of the coronavirus pandemic, they both feel safe in allowing free entry on their respective territories.