Smartwings is a Czech airline that has been on the market for 28 years, formerly under the name Travel Service. Since October 2026 it has belonged, together with Czech Airlines, to the Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines.

Smartwings Boeing 737-700 (OK-SWW) landing, 2015
Smartwings Boeing 737-700 (OK-SWW) landing, 2015Photo: Andy Mitchell from Glasgow, UK, 2015 · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Smartwings is a Czech airline that has been on the market for 28 years, formerly under the name Travel Service. It is among the largest Czech carriers and operates scheduled flights to 80 destinations in 20 countries, as well as charter and private flights. One hundred percent of its shares are held by Czech Airlines.[1]

Ownership structure

In February 2018, Smartwings became the majority owner of Czech Airlines. In February 2024 the group returned fully under the control of Czech shareholders, when the Czech company Prague City Air, owned by entrepreneurs Jiří Šimáně and Roman Vik, bought the nearly half share that had been held indirectly by the Chinese company CITIC. At the beginning of October 2024, Czech Airlines became the parent company of the Smartwings group, with a majority stake in the carrier.[1]

Takeover by Pegasus Airlines

The Turkish company Pegasus Airlines announced that it was buying Czech Airlines, including its subsidiaries and related receivables, for EUR 154 million, or roughly CZK 3.8 billion. According to Smartwings spokeswoman Vladimíra Dufková, the takeover was completed on 1 October 2026 after all necessary regulatory approvals had been obtained. About a month earlier, the Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže had approved it on the condition that Pegasus cede part of its summer slots on the Prague–Antalya route to another carrier.[1][2]

According to the spokeswoman, Smartwings is to continue operating under its own brand and maintain daily operations, customer relations and the provision of services. The combined companies have more than 175 aircraft and confirmed orders for another 140.[1][2]

Chronology

  • — Turkish company Pegasus Airlines completed its takeover of Czech Airlines and Smartwings. → Novinky.cz Seznam Zprávy

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Sources

  1. Seznam Zprávy — 1 October 2026
  2. E15 — 1 October 2026