History
The origins of regular air traffic in Bratislava date back to October 29th 1923, when the first Czechoslovak Airlines flight from Prague landed in Vajnory. The aircraft, a biplane AERO A-14, carried just one passenger. In the post-war years, it became clear that the proximity of the Small Carpathians mountain range would limit further development at Vajnory Airport. As a result, construction of a new airport began in 1947 near the village of Ivanka pri Dunaji, marking the beginning of today's Letisko M. R. Štefánika – Airport Bratislava.
The first phase of construction included building two perpendicular runways (04 - 22 rand 13 –31), which are still in use today and allow aircraft operations in most weather conditions. Regular air traffic operations at the new airport, located just 9 km northeast of the city centre, began in 1951. As aircraft technology evolved and demand for passenger and cargo transport increased, continuous investment became necessary. During the second phase of development, carried out over the following two decades, the current departures terminal, apron areas and a new road system were built, along with a central boiler house and supporting energy infrastructure. The apron was also expanded, and the original terminal building was repurposed for the needs of the Ministry of Interior squadron. In the 1980s, the runway system underwent major reconstruction. Runway 04-22 was extended from 1,900 m to 2,900 m, and runway 13-31 from 1,500 m to 3,190 m. In the 1990s, the third phase of development was focused on separating flows at Arrivals and Departures, which led to the construction of a dedicated terminal for arriving passengers in 1994.
Further development continued in the following years. In 1995, a modern fire and rescue station was built at the intersection of the runways, increasing the airport's category from 6 to 7, enabling operations of large-capacity aircraft. Two years later, the reconstruction of the lighting and signaling system at runway 13 -31 was finalised, and new aviation fuel storage facilities were introduced, along with a railway connection to Podunajské Biskupice. In 1998, a new air traffic control tower was opened, now operated by LPS SR, š.p.
A key milestone came on 5 May 2004, when the airport was transformed from a state contributory organisation into a joint-stock company under the name Letisko M. R. Štefánika – Airport Bratislava (BTS). The same year saw the completion of a phytosanitary centre. After Slovakia joined the European Union, the airport began meeting the requirements for inclusion in the Schengen air space. This included separating security screening for airline crews and business aviation passengers, which was implemented in the new General Aviation Terminal (G.A.T.). An important investment was the construction of an extension to the arrivals hall – Terminal C, now used for passengers not requiring passport control.
Another significant moment occurred in September 2006, when the Slovak government announced its withdrawal from the privatisation agreement with the TwoOne consortium due to non-compliance with its terms.
In 2007 and 2008, preparations for Airport Bratislava to join the Schengen air space intensified. Key changes included the introduction of police control facilities in Terminal B, dedicated security screening for transfer passengers, and relocation of baggage belt counters. The Departures terminal was divided into two parts: Section A for Schengen flights and Section B for non-Schengen flights. In 2007, the terminal layout was further enhanced with extended boarding gates. Bratislava Airport officially joined the Schengen Area in 2008.
The main project in 2009-2010 was the construction of a new passenger terminal, one of the most significant investments in Slovak civil aviation in recent decades. The project was carried out in two phases while maintaining full airport operations. The first phase,the construction of a Departures terminal, was completed after 16 months of intensive work, with the terminal building ceremoniously opened on 9 June 2010. The end of the year saw the beginning of demolition of the original departures terminal and the second part of the new terminal building is expected to be standing in its place within the next 2 years.
