Czech Airlines
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| Founded | 1923 | |||
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| Hubs | Prague Ruzyně Airport | |||
| Frequent-flyer program | OK Plus | |||
| Member lounge | Crystal Lounge | |||
| Alliance | SkyTeam | |||
| Fleet size | 48 (+7 orders) | |||
| Destinations | 67 | |||
| Company slogan | At home in the skies[2] | |||
| Parent company | Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic | |||
| Headquarters | Ruzyně Airport Ruzyně, Prague, Czech Republic |
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| Key people | Miroslav Dvořák (CEO) | |||
| Website | czechairlines.com | |||
Czech Airlines j.s.c. (Czech: České aerolinie, a.s.), trading as Czech Airlines (abbreviation: ČSA), is the Czech national airline company with its head office on the grounds of Ruzyně Airport in Ruzyně, Prague. ČSA was the second airline in the world to initiate successful jet airliner services (in 1957 using the Tu-104) and the first airline to regularly fly jet-only routes. Today, it operates scheduled services to 69 destinations in 41 countries, including most major European cities and cities in the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. It also operates charter and cargo services.[3] In 2006 it carried over 5.5 million passengers and over 5.6 million in 2007. The airline runs a frequent flyer programme called "OK Plus" in reference to the airline's IATA designation, as well as the term of approval; OK also featured prominently in its previous livery. It is a member of the SkyTeam alliance.
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History
CSA was founded on 6 October 1923, by the Czechoslovak government as CSA Československé Státní Aerolinie (Czechoslovak State Airlines)[4]. Twenty-three days later its first transport flight took place, flying between Prague and Bratislava. It operated only domestic services until its first international flight from Prague to Bratislava and on to Zagreb in 1930. After the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1939 development of the airline was terminated.[3]
In February 1948, the Communist Party used the demission of right and center parties' ministers to take power in Czechoslovakia; later it suspended some western European and Middle East routes, and, also because of the embargo imposed by the West on the western-built aircraft spares etc., gradually replaced much of the fleet with Soviet-built airliners. The venerable Ilyushin Il-14 was even updated and built under licence in Czechoslovakia as the Avia Av-14.
In 1950, CSA became the world's first victim of a triple hijacking.[1] The three Czechoslovak airliners flown to the American air base in Erding, near Munich, stirred the world on both sides of the "burnt through" Iron Curtain and the case intensified the Cold war between East and West overnight. Three Douglas Dakota airliners landed in the morning of 24 March near Munich instead of at Prague. The first one, from Brno, at 08:20, the second one from Moravská Ostrava at 08:40 and the third one from Bratislava at 09:20. Two thirds of the people on board were involuntary passengers who later returned to Czechoslovakia. The Czechoslovak communist government commissioned a 'flight to freedom' book, stage play and film (all bearing the name "Kidnap to Erding") which celebrated the kidnapped returnees as heroes who had not allowed themselves to be swayed by promises of capitalist opulence. The non returnees who requested political asylum in the American zone of West Germany were, on the other hand, proclaimed criminals and the Prague regime vigorously requested their extradition - although in vain. The pilot from Brno Capt Josef Klesnil [2] an ex RAF Pilot (311 squadron), flew from Brno to Erding with a pistol at his head. "Mutiny In The Air Lanes", Time Magazine, Monday Apr 3rd 1950.
In 1957 CSA became the second of the world's airlines to fly jet services, (or third one, if one counts the disastrous first introduction of the de Havilland Comet airliner as a regular operation), taking delivery/putting in service the first Tupolev Tu-104A in 1957. CSA was the only airline other than Aeroflot to operate the Tu-104 which was the world's first successful jet airliner. Almost unknown is the fact that CSA was also the first airline anywhere to fly jet-only lines (other airlines used both jets and piston/turboprop aircraft simultaneously). The first transatlantic services started on 3 February 1962 with a flight to Havana,[3] using a Bristol Britannia turboprop leased from Cubana de Aviación. CSA's transatlantic flights were code-shared with Cuba's own services to Prague, and Cubana's crews provided initial training and assistance in the operation of the Britannias.
From the late 1960s, CSA used a range of Soviet-built aircraft, and modifications of them, for its extensive European and intercontinental services which totalled some 50 international and 15 domestic destinations. The Britannia was replaced with long-range Ilyushin Il-18D turboprops at this time, and transatlantic routes were established to Montreal and New York, besides Havana. Apart from the Il-18D, other aircraft in CSA's fleet included the short range Tupolev Tu-134, the medium-range tri-jet airliner Tu-154, and the long-range jet airliner Ilyushin Il-62. As was the case in several other countries, the Il-62 was the first long-range jet airliner to be put into operation by CSA (which was also the first foreign customer to buy Il-62s from Russia). The plane has a range of 10,300 km and for some time was operated concurrently with the Il-18D (range = 6,500 km). CSA operated a fleet of 21 Il-62s between 1969 and 1997 including 15 Il-62s and six (later model) Il-62Ms, 15 of which were registered under the OK designation and six being leased from Aeroflot. A CSA-registered Il-62 and three Il-62Ms were used as official Czech government transports between 1974 and 1996. The CSA Il-62 with call sign OK-DBF was lost in an unfortunate accident due to language mis-understanding between the crew and the control tower during a nighttime approach to Damascus in 1975.
After absorbing the "heavier" part of the Slov-air operator and taking its Let L-410A Turbolet turboprop commuters into its fleet in the early 1970s, the ČSA partner Slov-air became the world's first airline whose captain, Ján Mičica, was slain at the controls by a hijacker, the event happening during a hijacking to Munich. The aircraft involved, OK-ADN is nowadays displayed in the open-air aircraft museum in Martin, Slovakia.
After the breakup of the Czechoslovak Federation the airline adopted its present name in May 1995. By the late 1990s, most of the Soviet aircraft were either onsold to other airlines or retired (a number were preserved), and replaced with Western ones such as the Boeing 737 and A310, Airbus A320, and short-range ATR aircraft. CSA became a full member of the SkyTeam alliance on 18 October 2000. The airline is owned by the Czech Ministry of Finance (56.92%), Czech Consolidation Agency (34.59%) and other Czech institutions. It has 5,440 employees (at March 2007).
As of 1 January 2010, the whole non-office ground staff of CSA Czech airlines has been transferred under a subsidiary ČSA Support, now renamed to Czech airlines handling s.r.o. As of February 2010, ČSA a.s. sold off its Dutyfree shops to another subject.[3]
Destinations
Czech Airlines operate 32 monopoly routes from Prague Airport, including three domestic routes to Brno, Ostrava and Karlovy Vary, alongside with the feeding routes from Slovak cities Košice, Žilina and Bratislava. These 32 routes represent about 40% of total flights and just over 30% of total capacity. On 27 other routes, representing around 40% of flights, the airline faces direct competition from one other carrier, while on 7 major European routes (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Rome) the airline faces two competitors face-on.
Besides those with fellow SkyTeam member airlines, CSA codeshares with the following (as at April 2010):
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Fleet
The Czech Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft (at 28 April 2010):[5][6][7]
| Aircraft | In Service |
Orders | Passengers (Business/Economy) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A319-100 | 8 | 7 | 128 (14/114) | |
| Airbus A320-200 | 8 | 0 | 158 (8/150) | |
| Airbus A321-200 | 2 | 0 | 206 (52/154) | |
| ATR 42-300 | 1 | 0 | 47 | To be phased out |
| ATR 42-500 | 7 | 0 | 46 | Leased from Air Contractors 1 in SkyTeam livery |
| ATR 72-202 | 4 | 0 | 64 | |
| Boeing 737-400 | 6 | 0 | 140 (8/132) 162 |
To be phased out - 2008-2012 fleet reduction |
| Boeing 737-500 | 10 | 0 | 102 (12/90) | To be phased out - 2008-2012 fleet reduction |
| Total | 48 | 7 |
At 28 April 2010, the average age of the Czech Airlines fleet is 9.9 years[8].
Inflight services
Czech Airlines offers some buy on board service on some flights in addition to free service.[9][10]
Charter flights
In June 2007, CSA signed a contract with Exim Tours, the largest Czech travel agency, extending their contract for another three years. Under the agreement, CSA will continue to provide air travel services to Exim Tours' clients heading to destinations such as Varadero in Cuba, La Isla Margarita in Venezuela, San Andres and Providencia island in Colombia, La Romana in the Dominican Republic, as well as to destinations in Egypt, El Salvador, Tunisia and Greece.
On May 11, CSA withdrew their last A-310 and Exim Tours signed a new contract withTravel Service from winter 2010.
Foreign tour operators, as well as sports teams and companies, use Czech Airlines’ charter flights. The share of flights for foreign clients, compared with the total number of Czech Airlines charter flights, is around 40 percent.
Czech Airlines charter flights carried 797,299 passengers last year. These are operated on an ad-hoc basis mostly [11]
Head office
Czech Airlines has its head office, the APC Building,[12] on the grounds of Ruzyně Airport in Ruzyně, Prague.[13] On 30 December 2009 CSA announced that it will sell its head office to the airport for CZK 607 million.[14]
References
- ↑ ICAO Doc. 8585 Edition 145
- ↑ "Ceske Aerolinie (Czech Airlines)". TRANSNATIONALE.ORG. http://www.transnationale.org/companies/ceske_aerolinie_czech_airlines.php.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Flight International 3 April 2007
- ↑ CSA Portal/History Section
- ↑ "CSA Czech Airlines Fleet". CH-Aviation. http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=OK&al_op=1.
- ↑ "Csa Czech Airlines Seatmaps". Seat Maestro. http://www.seatmaestro.com/airlines-seating-maps/csa-czech-airlines.html.
- ↑ "Czech Airlines". Seatguru.com. http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/Czech_Airlines/information.php.
- ↑ "Airfleets: CSA". Airfleets.com. http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/CSA.htm.
- ↑ "Inflight Menu." Czech Airlines. Retrieved on 7 March 2009.
- ↑ "12. 12. 2008 - Czech Airlines to Expand the Options to Purchase Additional Services." Czech Airlines. 12 December 2008. Retrieved on 7 March 2009.
- ↑ "Dublin Airport Chartered & Scheduled Airlines". Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). http://www.dublinairportauthority.com/doing-business/advertising/dublin-airport/scheduled-flights.html.
- ↑ "The Settlement of Land Relations between Czech Airlines and the Prague Airport Authority to Increase the Value of Both Companies Prior to their Privatisation." Czech Airlines. 22 August 2008. Retrieved on 15 February 2010.
- ↑ "Imprint." Czech Airlines. Retrieved on 4 February 2010.
- ↑ Heijmans, Philip. "Czech Airlines sells headquarters to Prague Airport." The Prague Post. 8 January 2010. Retrieved on 15 February 2010.
External links
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