Czech Airlines

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CSA Czech Airlines
ČSA České aerolinie
Czech Airlines Logo.svg
IATA
OK		 ICAO
CSA		 Callsign
CSA-LINES[1]
Founded 1923
Hubs
Focus cities
Frequent-flyer program OK Plus
Airport lounge Crystal Lounge
Alliance SkyTeam
Fleet size 27
Destinations 92
Company slogan At home in the skies[2]
Parent company Czech Aeroholding (owned solely by the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic) (56%)
Headquarters Václav Havel Airport Prague
Ruzyně, Prague, Czech Republic
Key people Philippe Moreels (CEO)
Revenue Increase CZK 36.6 bn[3]
Website czechairlines.com

CSA Czech Airlines j.s.c. (Czech: ČSA České aerolinie, a.s.) is the national airline of the Czech Republic with its head office on the grounds of Václav Havel Airport Prague in Ruzyně, Prague. ČSA was the second airline in the world to initiate successful jet airliner services (in 1957 using the Tu-104) and simultaneously the first airline to fly regular jet-only routes (between Prague and Moscow).[4] Today, it operates scheduled services to 92 destinations in 48 countries, including most major European cities and cities in the Middle East and Asia. It also operates charter and cargo services.[5] 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. Czech Airlines is one of the five oldest airlines in Europe. During the years of its operation it has become a modern airline, priding itself on a number of awards for quality of their services. Czech Airlines holds an ISO 14001 certificate, confirming the airline’s dedication to environmental protection, and an IOSA certificate to show it operates in line with the most advanced safety standards in air transport. Czech Airlines is the subsidiary of Czech Aeroholding – a group of companies that operate in air transportation and related ground handling services. Other subsidiaries of Czech Aeroholding are Prague Airport – the operator of the international airport Prague/Ruzyne, air carrier and travel agency Holidays Czech Airlines, Czech Airlines Technics providing services in technical maintenance of aircrafts, Czech Airlines Handling providing passenger and aircraft handling and CSA Services providing primarily personnel services.

Contents

History [edit]

Farman Goliath used by CSA in 1929
An Ilyushin Il-12 of Czech Airlines at Paris Orly Airport in 1957

CSA was founded on 6 October 1923, by the Czechoslovak government as CSA Československé státní aerolinie (Czechoslovak State Airlines).[6] 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.

In February 1948, the Communist Party used the demission of right and center parties' ministers to take power in Czechoslovakia; later it suspended[who?] some western European and Middle Eastern 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. 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 was Josef Klesnil,[7] a former Royal Air Force pilot with 311 squadron, who flew from Brno to Erding with a pistol at his head.[8]

CSA Tupolev Tu-104 OK-LDA, 1958. This aircraft is displayed in the Prague Aviation Museum, Kbely
A Czechoslovak Airlines Tupolev Tu-134A, OK-EFK in the ’70 at Pisa Airport.
A Czechoslovak Airlines Ilyushin Il-62 OK-DBE, 1975

In 1957 CSA became the third of the world's airlines to fly jet services, 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. The service operated by the Tu-104A from 1957 between Prague and Moscow was the first jet-only connection (other airlines used both jets and piston/turboprop aircraft simultaneously).[4] The first transatlantic services started on 3 February 1962 with a flight to Havana,[5] using a Bristol Britannia turboprop leased from Cubana de Aviación. CSA's transatlantic flights were code-shared with Cubana's own services to Prague, and Cubana's crews provided initial training and assistance in the operation of the Britannias.

1960 to 1990 [edit]

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 West Germany. The aircraft involved, OK-ADN is nowadays displayed in the open-air aircraft museum in Martin, Slovakia.

The 1990s [edit]

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 Airbus A310, A320, and short-range ATR aircraft. CSA became a full member of the SkyTeam alliance on 18 October 2000. As of March 2007 the airline was owned by the Czech Ministry of Finance (56.92%), Czech Consolidation Agency (34.59%) and other Czech institutions. Also, it had 5,440 employees.

Boeing 737-400 in the airline's new colours
Czech Airlines Airbus A320
Czech Airlines Airbus A310

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.[5]

EU competition regulators began an investigation into Czech Airlines on 23 February 2011 stating that it doubted the loss-making concern could return to viability and comply with European Union state aid regulations. [9]

In late 2012, CSA Czech Airlines announced plans for expansion and to resume long-haul flights from summer 2013 with Airbus A330 aircrafts between Prague and Seoul.[10] From March 2013, the company started operating direct flights from Prague to Perm, Nice, Munich, Zurich, Seoul and Florence. Upon the completion of stock sales to Korean Air on 10 April 2013, CSA Czech airlines is currently owned by two major shareholders, Czech Aeroholdings, a.s. (56%) and Korean Air Lines Co., Ltd. (44%). On May 14 2013, Czech Airlines Extraordinary General shareholders´ meeting elected Cho Won Tae as a new member of its Supervisory Board. Cho Won Tae replaces Petr Matousek who resigned from his position in the Czech Airlines Supervisory Board. The personnel change in the Supervisory Board of Czech Airlines take effect from the 1st of June 2013. The personnel change is a result of Korean Air´s purchase of the 44% stake in Czech Airlines.

Destinations [edit]

Further information: Czech Airlines destinations

Czech Airlines operate 32 monopoly routes from Prague Airport, including one domestic route to Ostrava, alongside with the feeding routes from Slovak city Košice. 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 8 major European routes (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Madrid, Milan, Paris and Rome) the airline faces two or more competitors.

Codeshare agreements [edit]

Czech Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines (as of February 2013):

Financial results [edit]

Since its transformation to a joint stock company in August 1992 ČSA never paid dividends. The sale of a minority share to Air France was a fiasco leading to withdrawal of the French airline, subsequently Antonín Jakubše and Miroslav Kůla managed to stabilise the company and gradually enlarge its fleet.[11] In September 2003 Miroslav Kůla was fired. New CEO, ex-minister Jaroslav Tvrdík, agreed with the unions to increase wages by a third and announced "unprecedented" enlargement of the fleet.[12][13] In 2005 the financial situation sharply deteriorated. Even though sale of two ATR planes improved the operating result by CZK 198 million, the operating loss was almost half a billion Czech crowns and the Government of Jiří Paroubek replaced Jaroslav Tvrdík with Radomír Lašák. The airline generated further operating losses, profit CZK 2.1 bn from sale of almost all real estate and profit CZK 1.2 bn from sales of planes were not sufficient to offset them. In 2005-2010 ČSA generated operating loss CZK 3.4 bn, without the profit from sale of long term assets the operating loss would be two times higher. The gross margin did not even cover the personnel expenses.[14]

Consolidated financial results of České aerolinie a.s. in 2005-2010[14]
billion CZK 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2005-10
Sales 21.5 24.0 24.0 23.2 20.4 16.9 130.0
Cost of sales (18.3) (18.6) (18.7) (18.7) (18.1) (14.3) (106.7)
Gross margin 3.2 5.4 5.4 4.5 2.2 2.6 23.3
Personnel cost (4.1) (4.5) (4.8) (4.8) (4.9) (3.9) (27.0)
Disposals of LT assets 0.2 0.2 0.6 1.4 0.4 0.8 3.5
Other (depreciation etc.) 0.3 (1.3) (0.7) (0.3) (1.3) 0.2 (3.2)
Operating profit (0.5) (0.2) 0.5 0.7 (3.5) (0.3) (3.4)

Fleet [edit]

A Czech Airlines Airbus A310 at Václav Havel Airport Prague, Czech Republic in 2010.
A Holidays Czech Airlines Airbus A310 at Václav Havel Airport Prague, Czech Republic.
A Czech Airlines ATR 42 takes off from Václav Havel Airport Prague, Czech Republic in 2012.
A Czech Airlines Boeing 737-500 landing at Václav Havel Airport Prague, Czech Republic in 2009.

The Czech Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of May 2013):

CSA Czech Airlines Fleet
Aircraft Total Orders Passengers Notes
C Y Total
Airbus A319-100 9 6 10 120 130 Deliveries can be A319 or A320. Originally A319 orders from CEO Lasak administration. WIll be delivered before 2020.
Airbus A320-200 8 0 12 162 174 (2 operated by subsidiary Holidays Czech Airlines)
Airbus A330-300 1 2 24 252 276
ATR 42-500 4 0 10 38 48 One painted SkyTeam livery
ATR 72-500 3
1		 0 8
10		 56
60		 64
70
Saab 2000 0 1
TBA
 To be leased for Summer 2013
Total 27 8

1Source from Czech Airlines, number of seats based on default configuration as used in Czech Airlines

At September 2011, the average age of the Czech Airlines fleet is 9.1 years.[15]

Historical fleet [edit]

In-flight services [edit]

Czech Airlines offers buy on board service on some flights in addition to free service.[16][17]

Frequent flier OK Plus [edit]

The OK Plus frequent flyer program is designed to help passengers earn OK Plus Miles for their OK Plus account on every flight with Czech Airlines, SkyTeam member airlines, other partner airlines or non-airline partners such as hotels, car rentals, banks etc. All these miles can be easily redeemed for one of the rewards offered, such as bonus tickets, upgrades to Business Class, overweight baggage/additional baggage allowance, OK Plus Gifts in the form of gift vouchers, access to airport lounges at Prague Airport, car hire and more.

  • OK Plus membership cards:
  • OK Plus membership
  • OK Plus Silver
  • OK Plus Gold
  • OK Plus Platinum

The higher the card level, the greater the number of benefits passengers receive.

Corporate identity [edit]

Uniforms [edit]

Current Czech Airlines Group uniform was designed by famed Czech high fashion company OP Prostějov Profashion. Czech Airlines has announced that its employees would be wearing new uniforms made with nanotechnology-based fabrics. Borivoj Klug from OP Prostejov, the manufacturer of the new uniforms, said that the collection was developed using "the latest European knowledge and expertise in the area of production technologies." The fabric selection took into consideration the wearers' comfort, potential health impacts, water resistance, durability, and wrinkle resistance.

[edit]

A new look for Czech Airlines was revealed in September 2007. The new logo was created by Michal Kotyza, who works for the airline.

1994–2007
1994–2007  
2007-
2007-  

Livery [edit]

  • 1971-1978 Czech Airlines livery

  • 1978-1993 Czech Airlines livery with OK prominantly featured on tail.

  • 1993-2007 Czech Airlines livery.

  • Current Czech Airlines livery.

Accolades [edit]

  • 2004 - CSA won the “Best Airline on the Czech Market” award by TTG Czech Republic (February)
  • 2004 - CSA pilots won the “The Most Consistent Airline” award given out by Manchester Airport (annual track-keeping award for the most consistent performer)
  • 2005 - CSA won the “Best Airline in Eastern Europe” Award (the Annual GT Tested Awards) from the American magazine Global Traveler, New York (January)
  • 2007 - Czech Airlines won the prestigious “Best Airline in Central Europe” award, in the World Airline Awards ranking
  • 2010 - Czech Airlines won the prestigious Rhodos award for the airline’s image.
  • 2010 - Czech Airlines won first place in the Best Airline category at the TTG Travel Awards.
Czech Airlines aircrafts at Havel Airport

Subsidaries [edit]

Holidays Czech Airlines [edit]

A carrier providing other entities with rentals of free capacity in its aircraft, so-called ACMI.

Czech Airlines Handling [edit]

Provides ground handling or passenger and aircraft handling for many airlines operating flights from Prague / Ruzyne.

  • All activities supervising
  • Pre-flight preparation for crew, including route and meteorological informations
  • Provision and service of ground power units either mobile ground power units or air-bridge units are available.
  • Aircraft fuelling provided by either SHELL, ESSO or LUKOIL

CSA Services [edit]

Provides services in personnel consultancy, job placement, organization of specialized courses and training and other educational activities, resp. telemarketing services.

Czech Airlines Technics [edit]

Provides aircraft maintenance and regular certified servicing for many important international air carriers. Provides the following services:

  • Baggage transfer from Aircraft to the Terminal
  • Customs and passport control
  • In cooperation with the Czech Customs Administration and Czech Police, we arrange assistance with all formalities when entering the territory of the Czech Republic
  • Transfer from the airport
  • Crew accommodation
  • Special services
  • VIP lounge and Press lounge lease, Limousin services
  • Aircraft care
Vaclav Havel Airport Prague

Crew Training [edit]

Czech Airlines also benefits from the extensive experience in aircrew training that it has acquired over many years. At the Czech Airlines Training Centre, operated by the state-owned enterprise Air Navigation Services of the Czech Republic, the airline provides training to future aircrew members, as well as refresher and further training to existing crews. In addition to Czech Airlines and HOLIDAYS Czech Airlines, the services of the training centre are also used by foreign airlines. Furthermore, the popular courses “Flying without Fear” and “Stewardess/Steward Try-outs”, as well as the adventure course “Flying for Fun”, which are open to the public, are also organised there.

KAL Catering [edit]

Joint venture with CSA catering based in Václav Havel Airport Prague and Incheon International Airport.

Charter flights [edit]

In June 2007, CSA signed a contract with Exim Tours, the largest Czech travel agency, extending their contract for another three years. In May 2010, CSA withdrew their last Airbus A310[18] and Exim Tours signed a new contract with Travel Service Airlines from winter 2010/2011.

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 [19]

Czech Airlines operate chartered flight from Dublin on behalf of a number of Irish tour operators. An Airbus A321 is based in Dublin between May – October and December – April.

Head office [edit]

APC Building, the head office of Czech Airlines in Václav Havel Airport Prague, Ruzyně, Prague

Czech Airlines has its head office, the APC Building,[20] on the grounds of Václav Havel Airport Prague in Ruzyně, 6th district, Prague.[21] On 30 December 2009 CSA announced that it will sell its head office to the airport for CZK 607 million.[22]

Incidents & accidents [edit]

ČSA Flight 001 was an Ilyushin Il-18B4 engine turboprop airliner, registered OK-NAB, which was operating as a scheduled domestic passenger flight from Prague's Ruzyně airport to Bratislava-Ivanka Airport, both in Czechoslovakia, which crashed into the Zlaté Piesky (Golden Sands) Lake while attempting to land in Bratislava on July 28, 1976. All 6 crew members and 70 out of 73 passengers died.

ČSA Flight 511 was a flight operated by an Ilyushin Il-18 that crashed in Gräfenberg near Nürnberg on March 28, 1961 during flight across West Germany.

References [edit]

  1. ^ ICAO Doc. 8585 Edition 169
  2. ^ "Ceske Aerolinie (Czech Airlines)". TRANSNATIONALE.ORG. 
  3. ^ Annual Report 2012, page 45
  4. ^ a b Zeman 2003, p. 70
  5. ^ a b c Flight International 3 April 2007
  6. ^ CSA Portal/History Section in English; CSA Portal/History Section in Czech
  7. ^ "CZECHOSLOVAKIA: Mutiny in the Air Lanes". Time. 3 April 1950. 
  8. ^ "Mutiny In The Air Lanes", Time Magazine, Monday Apr 3rd 1950.
  9. ^ "EU competition regulators investigate Czech Airlines". Reuters. 23 February 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2011. 
  10. ^ volaspheric: CSA Czech Airlines to resume long-haul operations?
  11. ^ Marcela Alföldi Šperkerová, Jan Štětka, Operace OK: pacient umírá (Operation OK: the patient is dying), EKONOM.IHNED.CZ, 22. October 2009
  12. ^ Annual report of České aerolinie a.s. for calendar year 2003, page. 8-9, Jaroslav Tvrdík: "Již v roce 2004 dojde k bezprecedentnímu nárůstu přepravní kapacity společnosti." and page 57 (in November 2003 new collective contracts with the unions were concluded)
  13. ^ Marek Pražák, ČSA se pouštějí do odvážné hry, Mladá fronta DNES, 19. března 2004, 2nd page of section Ekonomika (average wage in ČSA should increase from CZK 33 thousand in 2003 to CZK 45 thousand in 2006)
  14. ^ a b Annual reports of České aerolinie a.s., calendar years 1997-2010
  15. ^ "Airfleets: CSA". Airfleets.com. 
  16. ^ "Inflight Menu." Czech Airlines. Retrieved on 7 March 2009.
  17. ^ "12. 12. 2008 – Czech Airlines to Expand the Options to Purchase Additional Services." Czech Airlines. 12 December 2008. Retrieved on 7 March 2009.
  18. ^ Airbus A310 in CSA fleet, airfleets.net
  19. ^ "Dublin Airport Chartered & Scheduled Airlines". Dublin Airport Authority (DAA). 
  20. ^ "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.
  21. ^ "Imprint." Czech Airlines. Retrieved on 4 February 2010. "Letiště Ruzyně Prague 6 160 08 Czech republic"
  22. ^ Heijmans, Philip. "Czech Airlines sells headquarters to Prague Airport." The Prague Post. 8 January 2010. Retrieved on 15 February 2010.

Bibliography [edit]

  • Zeman, Libor (2003). Czech Airlines 1923/2003 - For 80 years at home in the skies. Prague: Czech Airlines. 

External links [edit]
Members of SkyTeam
Members
Affiliate members
Future members
Former members
Airlines of the Czech Republic
Flag of the Czech Republic

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