photograph courtesy of planespotter.de/baseman.mathes.co.uk

We continue to be impressed with the meteoric rise of Slovak low-fare airline Sky Europe. Their passenger totals are up 38.1% in January 2007 compared to January 2006. More impressively, their seat load factor is up 10.3% over the same period.

Compare these to Ryanair’s equivalent figures: up 23% in passenger totals and down 3% in seat load factor in January 2007 against January 2006 figures.

Consider Sky Europe’s commitment to purchase 21 (yes, 21!) Boeing 737-700NG planes and its securing of rights to an additional eleven, and the airline appears to be consolidating its place among the first tier of European low-fare airlines.

We also love Sky Europe because they’ve nudged Bratislava—one of our favorite cities—up a league or two, and because they’ve opened up Croatia’s stunning Adriatic coast to budget travelers, with flights to Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Split on offer.

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