Travel Service
Czech Republic · SKYTRAVEL · Active
Airline Identity
History
The airline now known as Smartwings was founded in September 1997 as Travel Service Airlines, a Czech charter carrier that initially flew leisure routes for domestic tour operators before launching a low-cost subsidiary brand, Smartwings, in 2004. Travel Service passed through several ownership groups over the years, including Iceland's Icelandair Group (2007-2009) and Chinese conglomerate CEFC China Energy/CITIC, before formally rebranding the whole company as Smartwings on 10 December 2018 and later absorbing sister carrier Czech Airlines into the Smartwings Group.
Current Operations
Smartwings (ICAO TVS, callsign SKYTRAVEL) is now the largest airline in the Czech Republic, based at Václav Havel Airport Prague and operating scheduled and charter flights to more than 40 destinations across roughly 25-plus countries with a mixed Boeing 737 and Airbus A220 fleet, plus regional subsidiaries in Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. Ownership changed again in February 2024 when Czech-owned Prague City Air took full control, and in December 2025 Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines signed an agreement to acquire the Smartwings Group (including Czech Airlines) for about €154 million; as of 2026 that deal had received some regulatory approvals but had not yet fully closed, so Smartwings' ownership situation remains in transition.
Last verified 2026-09-02· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.