Photo: OVERSEAS Yesterday evening (May 29), excitement filled the air at Bratislava's airport as the first passenger flight from Israel in many years landed with an emotional traditional ceremony, featuring a festive water arch, cheers, music, and a special reception team. Witness the exhilarating takeoff.
The flight, operated by the Israeli Overseas from Genesis Group, which also flies to nearby Piestany, was nearly full, marking the official opening of the direct route from Israel to the Slovak capital – an emerging destination presenting itself as a new and exciting option for the summer.
Bratislava: Young, Calm, and Refreshing Destination
Bratislava combines green landscapes, a promenade along the Danube, a romantic old town, local restaurants and bars, and strategic proximity to Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. This European city is accessible and pleasant, with a relaxed atmosphere, affordable prices, and high personal safety – a combination that attracts more and more Israelis.
Photo: Courtesy of OVERSEASAn Airport on the Rise
B. R. Štefánik Airport, has been undergoing rapid development over the past two years, becoming increasingly sought after in the European aviation arena. In the summer of 2025, it is unveiling six new routes, including a renewed partnership with Norwegian Airlines, set to launch direct flights to Copenhagen from June 28.
Among the new and notable routes:
Bari and Milan–Malpensa – Initial flights have already begun
Gdansk (Poland) – Reconnection after a seven-year hiatus
Zadar (Croatia) and Skiathos (Greece) – Seasonal flights starting in June
Copenhagen (Denmark) – By Norwegian, twice a week
Ryanair maintains its status as a leader in Bratislava, with 24 active international routes, including five new destinations.
Additionally:
Pegasus Airlines will double its operations to Turkey this summer.
Czech Smartwings will fly to Rhodes, Crete, Corfu, Zakynthos, Mallorca, Burgas, Larnaca, and Dubai.
Disembarking from the inaugural flight. Photo: PRA Growing Tourist Center
Bratislava's airport is becoming a regional hub for affordable short vacations in Central Europe. Its location – a short distance from Vienna, Budapest, and other destinations – allows for quick connections and cost savings.
The launch of the route to Israel fits into a broader expansion trend – providing direct access to a destination suitable for urban, wellness, or family star trips.
Photo: PROn the Map – Not Just a Stepping Stone
Combining a growing tourist city, a green and inviting country, and an airport functioning as a central station for new destinations – positioning Bratislava as the rising star of Summer 2025.
The route from Israel is just the beginning – and Bratislava is preparing for a peak tourist summer.
The new route, operated by the Israeli Overseas company, began operating last night with a festive landing in Bratislava – which included a traditional ceremony, a water arch, and cheerful cheers. It is a direct connection to a quiet, green destination in Central Europe that offers culture, nature, and history – away from the tourist masses. Bratislava airport is on the rise with a series of new routes, and Israel now joins the destinations map.
OverSeas Secures a Steady Hold on Israel's Tourism Map
For the Overseas Group from Genesis, this is another significant achievement, as part of its impressive establishment in recent years, through complex years of COVID-19 and Operation "Iron Swords".
In approximately four years, the company has emerged as a prominent player on the tourism map from Israel, with a series of flights to developing and lesser-known destinations – including Vilnius and Kaunas in Lithuania, Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic, Piestany and Bratislava in Slovakia, and soon to Heviz, a popular spa town on the shores of Lake Balaton in Hungary.
The company's approach, led by Vered Schwartz and Pini Krainer, two veteran and respected figures in the Israeli tourism industry for decades, focuses on creating routes to destinations with growth potential – while collaborating with senior local tourism officials in the destination countries.
Overseas proves that with precise planning, destinations that were once "under the radar" can become successful tourist assets, and Schwartz and Krainer promise that this is just the beginning.
Bratislava. Photo: Shutterstock