It would be interesting to know how big are the Slovak governmental subsidies, airport discounts for the airline, and/or "marketing services that BTS ordered from flyNiki (as they did with CSA so that can indirectly subsidize the service)" connected with this new service. It is pretty obvious that there's no economical sense in having 2 flights a day from BTS to BRU when there are dozens of VIE-BRU flights, and when the plane has to fly almost empty BTS-VIE. But, BTS (and arlines serving this airport, with the exception of RYR) has been making a loss for the last 20 years, and has been subsidized by the Slovak taxpayers most of whom never use the airport. So, why not continuing in this "good tradition" (as opposed to supporting new flights from the east of Slovakia that is seriously underserved).

there are dozens of VIE-BRU flights,
Not dozens but eight, with a significant number of Slovakian passengers on board. And it is fair to assume, that particuliary in the morning and evening they would prefer to fly from home, when there are flights available. Lesjak (CEO Niki) is not an adventurer, he knows, what he is doing. And I would strongly assume, that there is no "codeshare" with the "pressburg", but mostlikely "good conditions" to use BTS.

as opposed to supporting new flights from the east of Slovakia that is seriously underserved).
Other than BTS is Kosice a private airport owned by Flughafen Wien. And clearly its their job to promote the business
Gruß aus Wien
Bob

Not dozens but eight, with a significant number of Slovakian passengers on board. And it is fair to assume, that particuliary in the morning and evening they would prefer to fly from home, when there are flights available

The Slovak passangers are in big part from the eastern half of Slovakia (connecting from Kosice in VIE), for whom flying from BTS is no help.

So, as with all the other airlines at BTS, NIKI cambe because of the "good conditions to use BTS" that are subsidised by the rest of Slovakia for whom most of whom BTS is useless.

KSC is 66% owned by FWAG, 34% by the Slovak government, but 100% ignored by the Bratislava-centric Slovak government even though it serves the half of Slovakia that has no alternative like the west Slovakia has in VIE.

For example, if the NIKI flights were KSC-BTS-BRU-BTS-KSC(-VIE), it would serve the whole Slovakia (including the national BTS-KSC connection) and there would be no pointless flights BTS-VIE. But that's not the way the Slovak government thinks.

Dear Herr Lesny,
KSC is definitly not within the scope of Niki. BRU is, for quite sometime. To choose BTS as a gateway instead of VIE targets an interesting niche, outside the highly competitive VIE-BRU market. It's not a gamble, Niki knows how many Slovaks travel daily to Brussels and as a logical step, collects them where they are at home. Thats the market they envisage-

The BTS-VIE link is off course a technical link, with some advantage for slovak travellers, that use Niki for their holidays in Greece- However I would strongly anticipate, that in medium terms, Niki also eyes a midday service from BTS, eventually to CDG, which would make this transfer flights obsolete.

HWE Bob