From Pécs to the world with one single plane ticket

The development of Pécs-Pogány Airport has reached a significant milestone: the Pécs-Munich flight, which launched on March 30, 2026, opens up new, broader international destinations for travelers through a partnership between the operator, Danish Air Transport (DAT), and Lufthansa. The details were presented on May 6 by Csaba Ruzsa, Deputy Mayor of Pécs, and Márk Dragovácz, Managing Director of Pécs-Pogány Airport Operating Ltd., during a press conference. 

The most significant development is that the flight has now become part of an international sales and codeshare system, enabling passengers departing from Pécs to reach numerous destinations across Europe and the world with a single booking and a simple transfer. In practice, this means that tickets can now be purchased through the platforms of major international airlines, allowing passengers to continue their journey—for example, to Paris, London, Hamburg, Oslo, or more distant destinations—with a single booking and automatic baggage handling. At the same time, tickets are now available through various GDS systems (e.g., repjegy.hu) and at travel agencies. 

Thanks to the cooperation between the two airlines, the Pécs-Munich flight is also part of Lufthansa’s loyalty program (Miles & More), allowing passengers to earn miles on the round-trip journey, which can later be redeemed for discounts.

It is a huge step forward that flights from Pécs are now available on the international network, and with a layover, you can reach many destinations around the world with a single ticket, said Csaba Ruzsa, Deputy Mayor of Pécs. 

This system offers numerous convenience benefits: 

• the entire route can be purchased with a single booking; 

• checked baggage is automatically forwarded to the final destination; 

• transfer management becomes simpler; 

• greater security in the event of changes to connections; 

• automatic rebooking of the flight in case of delays; 

• flights operate at major international airports, unlike low-cost carriers. 

This development is particularly important for the region’s economic and tourism growth, but it is also of paramount importance to the University of Pécs, where the number of international students is steadily increasing. For those arriving from distant countries in particular, this development will make it significantly easier to reach the university town. At the same time, it is important for all those who travel to or from international conferences, set out on research collaborations, or fly for tourism purposes. 

Based on the experiences of recent years, it has become clear that accessibility to Pécs is a key consideration for international students. In particular, there has been a growing demand from international students at the PTE Faculty of Medicine for the city to offer more direct air connections. Previously, many students could only reach Pécs via lengthy transfers through Budapest or Vienna. The new system significantly simplifies this, benefits students, and also enhances the University of Pécs’s international competitiveness in the higher education market. 

The key to this development is that the Pécs flight connects directly to Munich, one of Europe’s most significant aviation hubs. From Munich Airport, passengers can currently travel onward to dozens of European and intercontinental destinations. Under the current system, approximately fifty destinations are easily accessible from Pécs, including Stuttgart, Dresden, Hamburg, Bremen, Düsseldorf, Oslo, London, Shanghai, and Berlin. 

The long-term goal is to ensure that, through schedule improvements, even more intercontinental connections—such as destinations in Asia or overseas—will be easily accessible from Pécs in the future. In this regard, Márk Dragovácz, managing director of Pécs-Pogány Airport Operating Ltd., emphasised: “Our goal is not to operate isolated flights, but to integrate Pécs into a major international air transport network.” Regarding pricing, the managing director also noted that they have no influence over the fares, which are set by Lufthansa. It was a valid question as to how these fares can compete with those of low-cost carriers, however as it turned out, that this is not the goal, as Lufthansa offers higher-quality and more reliable services in exchange for the higher prices, and passengers also save on other travel costs for the Pécs-Budapest route, such as airport parking, fuel, and tolls, while travel time is significantly reduced. 

The project is the result of a long preparation process during which technical, business, and international cooperation conditions had to be coordinated. Both the city administration and the airport operator view this latest step as a breakthrough. However, the project is not stopping here; a sponsorship program is expected to launch in late May, and applications are being sought from partners interested in ensuring that Pécs-Pogány Airport remains operational and continues to develop.  

Article: Martina Aknai-Kiss
Photos: Zoltán Gadget Kiss, Szabolcs Csortos