From Launch to Takeoff: How Engerio Helped Fill Flights for Košice Airport

Services at Košice Airport were used by more than 700,000 passengers in 2024. Behind this success were new flight connections and effective marketing. A new destination for travelers from Košice became Zadar, Croatia - and flights to this popular destination were helped to fill thanks in part to Engerio.  

Košice Airport is one of the few airports of its size that can boast surpassing pre-COVID passenger numbers by up to 30 %. Both charter and regular transport to cities such as Dublin, Liverpool, London, Prague, Warsaw, and Vienna grew. In 2024, it also introduced new connections - for example, to Zurich and the aforementioned Zadar. The course and results of the Engerio campaign are described by the airport’s Business Development Manager, Juraj Toth.

Main Goal of the Campaign: Increased Interest in the Košice–Zadar Route

The objective of the campaign was to raise awareness of the seasonal Ryanair route from Košice to Zadar. “Since Croatia is a favorite destination among Slovaks mainly by car, we wanted to highlight the option of more convenient transport - the flight itself takes just over an hour,” says Juraj Toth. 

Because it was a new route, the main task was to support knowledge of this service. Košice Airport actively promoted it, and the main goal of the Engerio campaign was to increase traveler interest and fill this air connection even after the end of the summer holidays - including in September. 

Campaign Process: 3 Creatives for Different Types of Travelers

The campaign, which recorded 4,000 clicks, ran for ten days in early September. It was targeted at eastern Slovakia and directed traffic to the subpage of ZKosicDoSveta.sk dedicated to flights to Zadar. Engerio campaigns are deployed within 24 hours, making them suitable for time-sensitive offers where every day counts.

The client decided to try 3 different creative visuals, which differed in image — while the editorial-style headline remained the same. The city Košice was mentioned directly in the headline, which in this case was clearly a good decision. That way, most of the clicks came from readers for whom the departure city Košice was relevant. Additionally, the basic information reached people even if they didn’t open the article right away.

The individual visuals differed by images aimed at travelers with different motivations — sea destinations, family vacation, historic sights. The image used in the preview itself also included the text prompt „Chcem letieť k moru”. Translates to:“I want to fly to the sea.”

“Communication was professional and prompt, which significantly facilitated the campaign implementation. We also appreciated expert consulting, regular reporting, and a good, fast guideline for creating creatives,” says Juraj Toth.

Campaign Results: Full Planes

The client expected improved campaign reach and better engagement from Engerio. These expectations were met. The combination of an interesting message in a striking headline and carefully chosen images achieved an above-average click-through rate (CTR) of 1.63 %. All three previews maintained comparably high CTR.

“The campaign results, especially the above-average CTR, confirmed that traveler interest increased, and we met the campaign expectations and filled the carrier’s capacities,” says Juraj Toth. 

Almost two-thirds of the campaign was delivered on mobile phones, about one-third on desktops. The click-through rate on mobile phones was nearly 0.6 % higher than on computers. 

Evaluation of Cooperation

The client appreciated not only the campaign results but also the flexibility in communication, the tailored strategy, and the clear statistics from Engerio. 

If you’re considering native advertising for your brand, we’ll gladly prepare a tailored campaign proposal and show you how to get the maximum out of your content. Get in touch with us.