Direct flights between Prague and US resume after more than two years

Direct flights between Prague and destinations in the United States will resume for the first time in more than two years later this month as Delta resumes its regular route between Prague and New York City. The first flight from Prague to New York will take off on Friday, May 27.

Nonstop flights between the Czech Republic and United States have been absent since March of 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and related travel restrictions. While the Czech Republic has currently ditched all restrictions, however, proof of vaccination is still required for (non-resident) foreigners traveling to the United States. All travelers, including U.S. citizens, are also required to provide a negative test or proof of recovery when travelling to the United States.

According to local operators, interest among locals travelling from Prague to the United States has gradually increased since last year, and ticket reservations are currently at pre-pandemic levels.

Interest among Americans travelling to the Czech Republic, meanwhile, has yet to fully return. Beyond the pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine may be a factor in low interest for European travel among United States residents.

Delta's flight from Prague to New York's JFK International Airport runs seven days a week, and lasts nine hours and fifteen minutes (an hour less on return). Over the past two months, round-trip ticket prices have ranged from about 9,500 crowns to 13,500 crowns for this route when booking from Delta.

Other carriers were also expected to resume direct flights between Prague and United States destinations, but the war in Ukraine may have put a halt to those plans.

Before the pandemic, carriers flew regular routes between Prague and Philadelphia and Newark, and an additional nonstop flight from Prague to Chicago had also been announced. The resumption of those routes has yet to be confirmed, however.

According to ticket comparison website Kiwi.com, the length of stay for those booking tickets from the Czech Republic to the United States has been shorter than usual. About 30 percent of those travelling to the United States return in 1-2 weeks, and 38 percent have booked return flights within three days.

Prior to the pandemic, more than 70,000 passengers flew on the direct route between Prague and New York annually, according to Prague Airport. While direct routes have been seasonal in past years, the level of interest in the flight may justify year-round operation in the future.

According to Czech Tourism, 585,000 tourists from the United States visited the Czech Republic in 2019, the fifth-most of any country. While Prague tourism has greatly increased this spring, however, the number of American tourists have yet to return to those numbers.