Civilian Flights to Return to Central Slovakia's Sliač Airport — But Not Before 2026

Civilian air travel is set to return to Sliač Airport in central Slovakia, though passengers will have to wait considerably longer than many had hoped. Sliač, a military airbase located near the city of Banská Bystrica, previously handled civilian charter flights before they were suspended, leaving central Slovakia without a functioning passenger airport. The preliminary timeline for resuming civilian operations has now been established, though authorities do not expect regular scheduled airline routes to restart. Instead, the revival is expected to focus on seasonal holiday charter flights — the type typically used for package vacation travel to Mediterranean and other tourist destinations. The development offers some relief to residents of central Slovakia, a region that has long been underserved in terms of air connectivity compared to Bratislava in the west and Košice in the east, both of which have active international airports. However, the limited scope of the planned revival — charters only, with no confirmed regular routes — means the region will continue to lack the kind of year-round air service that would support broader economic development and business travel.