Air Bank
 | |
| Formerly | Brusson a.s. (2010–2011) |
|---|---|
| Type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Financial services |
| Founded | 26 February 2010 |
| Headquarters | Evropská 2690/17, , Czech Republic |
Number of locations | 32 branches (2025) |
Area served | Czech Republic |
| Key people | Michal Strcula (CEO) |
| Products | Retail banking Consumer credit Mortgage loans Investments |
| Brands | Zonky |
| Revenue | 11,634,000,000 Czech koruna (2025)  |
| 3,848,000,000 Czech koruna (2025) | |
| Total assets | 226,294,000,000 Czech koruna (2025) |
Number of employees | 1,000+ (2025) |
| Parent | Home Credit N.V. |
| Subsidiaries | Home Credit Czech Republic Home Credit Slovakia |
| Website | www |
Air Bank a.s. is a Czech retail bank headquartered in Prague. It began operations in 2011 and is part of PPF Group through Home Credit N.V. The bank provides current and savings accounts, payment services, consumer loans, mortgages and investment products, with a focus on digital banking.
Air Bank entered the Czech market as one of several new banks seeking to compete with the country's established retail banks. At the end of 2025, Air Bank had more than 1.6 million customers and 32 branches.[1]
History
[edit]Establishment and growth
[edit]The company was established in February 2010 under the name Brusson a.s. and applied for a banking licence from the Czech National Bank later that year. The licence took effect on 31 May 2011, when the company was renamed Air Bank.[2][3]
Air Bank began serving customers on 22 November 2011. It launched with current and savings accounts and twelve branches. It was one of several new entrants to the Czech retail banking market at the time, alongside Zuno Bank and Equa bank, which sought to attract customers from the country's established banks.[4]
During its first year, Air Bank attracted customers faster than initially expected. By October 2012 it had around 70,000 customers and expected to reach 80,000 by the end of the year.[5]
Michal Strcula became chief executive in May 2014, succeeding Erich Čomor, who moved to other activities within PPF.[6] Air Bank recorded its first annual profit in 2014, earning CZK 313 million compared with a loss of CZK 80 million in the previous year. At the end of 2014 it had 318,000 customers.[7]
Proposed merger with MONETA Bank
[edit]In October 2018, MONETA Money Bank provisionally agreed to acquire Air Bank and the Czech and Slovak businesses of Home Credit for approximately CZK 19.8 billion. The proposed transaction would have created the third-largest retail banking group in the Czech Republic by branch network.[8]
Following due diligence and feedback from shareholders, MONETA proposed reducing the valuation to CZK 18.5 billion. Home Credit rejected the lower valuation and withdrew from the transaction in February 2019.[9]
A new proposal was announced in 2021. Under the agreement, MONETA was to acquire Air Bank, Home Credit's Czech and Slovak businesses and Benxy, the company then operating the peer-to-peer lending platform Zonky, for CZK 25.9 billion.[10] MONETA shareholders approved both the acquisition and its financing in December 2021.[11]
The transaction was terminated in May 2022 at PPF's initiative. PPF cited changes in the macroeconomic environment, including higher capital requirements and interest rates and economic risks arising from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[12]
Zonky and Home Credit
[edit]Benxy became a subsidiary of Air Bank in 2020 and was merged into the bank in December 2021. Its Zonky consumer-lending platform continued to operate as a separate brand.[13]
In 2023, the Czech and Slovak operations of Home Credit became subsidiaries of Air Bank. The companies continued to operate under the Home Credit brand, while Air Bank, the Home Credit businesses and Zonky were reported together as the Air Bank Group.[14]
Operations
[edit]Services of Air Bank include current and savings accounts, payment cards, consumer and mortgage lending, investment products and insurance. Digital banking is centred on its My Air mobile application. The bank's strategy is focusing on simplified products and digital services rather than dividing customers into numerous product segments.[15]
At the end of 2025, Air Bank had 1.624 million customers, 32 branches and 370 of its own ATMs. Its customers also had access to a shared network of nearly 2,000 ATMs operated together with Komerční banka, MONETA Money Bank and UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia.[1]
The wider Air Bank Group, comprising Air Bank and the Czech and Slovak Home Credit companies, had 2.023 million customers at the end of 2025.[16]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 Konsolidovaná výroční zpráva za rok 2025 (PDF) (Report) (in Czech). Air Bank. 2026. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Plesl, Jaroslav (1 June 2011). "Kellnerova nová banka dostala licenci od ČNB. Na podzim může startovat". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Výroční zpráva 2012 (PDF) (Report) (in Czech). Air Bank. 2013. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Air Bank zahajuje provoz. Nové banky podle odborníků můžou uspět". E15.cz (in Czech). ČTK. 22 November 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Pečený, Zdeněk (14 November 2012). "Erich Čomor: Air Bank chce být do pěti let bolestí všech velkých bank". E15.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ Skalková, Olga (30 April 2014). "Střídání v Air Bank: Novým šéfem bude Michal Strcula. Pro klienty se nic nezmění". Hospodářské noviny (in Czech). Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Air Bank se loni dostala do zisku. O rok dříve, než čekala". E15.cz (in Czech). ČTK. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Czech lender Moneta expands with deal for Kellner's Air Bank". Reuters. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Home Credit pulls out of deal to sell Czech assets to MONETA". Reuters. 26 February 2019. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Moneta signs agreement with PPF on Air Bank, Home Credit, Benxy". Prague Stock Exchange. ČTK. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Moneta shareholders OK merger with PPF's banking arm". Prague Stock Exchange. ČTK. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "PPF and MONETA scrap deal to combine Czech banking assets". Reuters. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Benxy se formálně stane součástí Air Bank" (in Czech). Air Bank. 30 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Air Bank hlásí pokles zisku o 28 procent. V prvním půlroce činil 1,2 miliardy". Forbes Česko (in Czech). ČTK. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Máme stejnou strategii jako Apple. Jinou banku nekoupíme, říká Strcula z Air Bank". Forbes Česko (in Czech). 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2026.
- ↑ "Skupina Air Bank vykázala za rok 2025 zisk přes 3,8 miliardy korun" (in Czech). Air Bank. 13 March 2026. Retrieved 23 September 2026.