Position of central European regional airports

This article focuses on the position of regional airports in the countries of Central Europe, with a focus on the airports of the Visegrád Group, especially the airports in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The authors explain the financing of the airports and provision of state aid to these entities according to European legislation. This article reports differences in the national implementation processes of the same Europeans rules in the V4 Member State and compares the regime of financing of the regional airports. Subsequently, we analyse the economic situation of regional airports and their state based on financial indicators. In general, the current COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated their situation. Many countries still adhere to strict regulations or international travel bans so as not to spread the virus. The sharp decline in the number of passengers and flights has begun to have an impact on the financial viability of regional airports; therefore, financial assistance for regional airports will be more than necessary in the coming years

The Model of the Virtual Air Carrier as a Concept for the Revival of Air Transport in the Slovak Republic

The air transport market has been exposed to the biggest crisis in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years. Many airlines have tried to stay in the market, but the impact of various factors was so strong that some airlines were forced to stop of the operation. In this way, the pandemic verified the fundamental pillars of airline business models and at the same time pointed out weaknesses in the entire air transport system. Flexibility has become one of the most important features for sustaining any business. The article is focused on the complex processing of the issue of the virtual airline and proposes the concept of a virtual air carrier, considering the current starting points of the market, on which it will have sufficient potential to establish itself, at the level of EU. At the same time, it proposes possibilities for the development of air transport in the Slovak Republic through the introduction of a virtual air carrier as a tool for revitalizing the air transport market in the Slovak Republic. Based on the results of the research, the article defines how and under what conditions a potential virtual carrier could operate, from ticket sales to possible cooperation with other airlines. The aim of the article is to demonstrate that the model of virtual air carrier is a solution for maintaining a stable level of air traffic in several countries in the EU that have lost their air carriers during the pandemic

Comparison of the economic results and ownership structures of regional airports in central European countries (V4)

Airports were originally built as publicly owned organizations, and their main role was to provide services in the public interest. Over the years, the traditional ownership structure began to change and new models of ownership began to emerge. The main aim of the present work is to compare the relationship between the economic results of the regional airports in selected central European countries focused on the Visegrad Group (V4) and their ownership structure to determine whether changes in ownership structures have significantly benefited some airports. The issue of changes in ownership structures has also affected regional airports in recent years because their economic situation is complex due to ineffectiveness. Recently state governments have begun changing their state politics; development strategies and the results of this research can help them to prepare a new approach for this purpose