On Thursday night, July 23, a man without documents walked freely on the tarmac at Košice International Airport. He then climbed into an Austrian Airlines plane that was preparing for a flight to Vienna. Because of this, the morning flight, planned for 5:25 AM, was delayed, and several security services were called to the scene.
Details of the incident
A source for the publication Denník N, who has access to surveillance camera recordings, said that around 1 AM, a 50-year-old Slovak citizen was walking around the airport hall. He entered one of the closed bars, made himself a coffee, and then ate in another, leaving a mess there. The entrance to the bars was simply blocked by tables and chairs, which did not stop him.
The source, who saw the video, suggests: "the people watching the monitors probably fell asleep, as no one noticed this man for several hours."
Consequences for passengers and security
After this incident, questions arose about the effectiveness of the security system at Košice Airport. How the man managed to get onto the tarmac and into the plane has not yet been disclosed. It is only known that the incident caused a flight delay and required additional checks.
Security problems at airports are not uncommon and can directly affect passengers. For example, in June 2026, Vienna Airport experienced a cyberattack, although the company denied a large-scale data leak and claimed that only old cargo documents were affected. And in July 2026, due to a technical failure at Zurich Airport, many flights were canceled or delayed, including those of Austrian Airlines.
Košice Airport is an important transport hub, from which, among other things, 14 flights to Vienna are operated weekly. Similar incidents force security measures to be strengthened to ensure the stable operation of the airport and the peace of mind of passengers.
