BTS Commemorated the 20th Anniversary of the Joint-Stock Company with Postage Stamps
09. 12. 2024 – Bratislava's M. R. Štefánik Airport marked the 20th anniversary of its establishment as an independent joint-stock company by issuing six postage stamps.
These commemorative stamps, featuring designs of the airport's current and historical terminal buildings, the historic Caproni Ca.33 aircraft, and a statue of M. R. Štefánik, were released by Slovenská pošta (Slovak Post).
In the past, the airport company was part of the Slovak Airport Administration Bratislava. However, on May 5, 2004, it became an independent joint-stock company. Since September 11, 2014, the sole shareholder of M. R. Štefánik Airport – Airport Bratislava, a.s. (BTS) has been the Slovak Republic, represented by the Ministry of Transport (100%).
“Over the past 20 years, many changes have taken place at Bratislava Airport – a new departures and arrivals hall has been built, a general aviation terminal has been developed, runways have been renovated, and partnerships with new carriers have been established. I would like to express my gratitude to my predecessors, whose work we continue to build upon,” said Dušan Novota, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of M. R. Štefánik Airport. “During our year of leadership, we’ve attracted two new regular carriers – Pegasus, with a route to Istanbul and connecting flights, and Norwegian, with a route to Copenhagen. We have also secured permissions for the operation of Category E aircraft – for the first time in history, travelers can depart from Bratislava to exotic destinations aboard the Dreamliner. We are continuing to develop the airport’s infrastructure and new air routes, supported by the Ministry of Transport,” Novota summarized.
To celebrate the anniversary, more than 1,200 commemorative postage stamps featuring airport motifs were issued. These were symbolically “christened” at the airport with paper airplanes by Minister of Transport Jozef Ráž, airport CEO Dušan Novota, and Slovak Post CEO Vladislav Kupka.
“The series of postage stamps issued for the 20th anniversary of BTS is in the format of a Commercial Stamp, which we introduced to the market in 2023. Unlike classic postage stamps, these are marked with ‘SLOVENSKÁ REPUBLIKA’ and a specific symbol corresponding to the tariff zone for letters up to 50 g: S – Slovakia, C – Czech Republic, E – Europe, W – World. This platform allows the issuer to create not just one, but multiple motifs. In the case of the airport, there are six visually attractive designs representing various aspects of personal aeronautics, from the iconic arrival/departure hall to the image of an airplane reflecting on the runway,” said Vladislav Kupka, CEO of Slovenská pošta.
“M. R. Štefánik Airport is the gateway to the Slovak Republic. Over the past 20 years, it has undergone significant changes: a new, modern terminal was built, as well as a general aviation terminal. This project is among the most strategic, capacitive, and investment-intensive in civil aviation over the past decades. We believe that the best times are still ahead of us,” added Minister of Transport Jozef Ráž.
History of the Airport
The history of Bratislava Airport dates back to 1947-48, when its construction began. Regular operations started in 1951. In the 1980s, the runway system was expanded. On May 5, 2004, the airport became an independent joint-stock company, wholly owned by the Slovak Republic, represented by the Ministry of Transport. The current terminal was opened in stages: the departures hall in 2010 and the arrivals hall in 2012.
The airport has two perpendicular runways. Annually, it handles approximately 2 million passengers and over 26,000 aircraft movements (take-offs and landings). The most popular direct routes include flights to London, Antalya, Milan, Skopje, Dublin, and back to Bratislava. Five airlines operate regular flights, increasing to eight in summer. During the 2024/2025 winter season, flights to 19 regular destinations are available, with travel agencies offering charter flights to 12 exotic destinations in 11 countries.
Legal Predecessors of the Airport Company
- 2004–2024: M. R. Štefánik Airport – Airport Bratislava, a.s. (BTS)
- 1991–May 4, 2004: Slovak Airport Administration Bratislava
- 1978–1990: Bratislava Airport Construction
- 1978–1990: ČSA (Czechoslovak Airlines) Prague
- 1972–1977: ČSSDL Bratislava (Czechoslovak Administration of Transport Airports for SSR)
- 1969–1971: SSDL Bratislava (Slovak Administration of Transport Airports for SSR)
- 1965–1969: SDL (Administration of Transport Airports) Prague
- 1958–1964: SLS (State Aviation Administration) Prague
- 1956–1958: ČSA (Czechoslovak Airlines) Prague
- 1952–1956: Ministry of Transport – HSCL (Main Administration of Civil Aviation) Prague
- 1948–1952: Commission of Transport – State Aviation Administration in Slovakia
- 1946–1951: Commission of Transport – Aviation Department Bratislava
- 1945–1946: Commission of Technology Bratislava
