Czech Airlines, which is a SkyTeam airline that has been flying for over 100 years, won’t exist after tomorrow, and will be folded into a competitor.
In this post:
Czech Airlines being integrated into Smartwings
Czech Airlines will officially discontinue flying under its own branding as of Saturday, October 26, 2024. The airline has quite the history, as it was established in 1923 as Czechoslovak State Airlines, making it the world’s fifth oldest airline.
What’s happening is that Czech Airlines is being integrated into Smartwings, another airline based in Prague (PRG). With this, we’ll see Czech Airlines’ “OK” code no longer used, as all flights will instead operate with Smartwings’ “QS” code. Furthermore, Czech Airlines will be leaving the SkyTeam alliance, given that the airline will no longer exist in its current form.
The reality is that Czech Airlines has been slowly but consistently shrinking in recent years. Going back to before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the carrier had quite a bit of long haul service, including to Havana, Montreal, and New York, among other destinations.
However, over time the airline continued to shrink. Within the past decade, the carrier’s only long haul route was to Seoul Incheon, due to Korean Air having an ownership stake in the airline. For that matter, the A330 used for that service was even on loan from Korean Air.
However, at this point Czech Airlines is down to a single Airbus A320, so it’s a shell of its former self. In recent weeks, the airline has just flown to Madrid (MAD) and Paris (CDG). Smartwings, meanwhile, is a much larger airline. It operates a fleet consisting of nearly 40 aircraft, exclusively Boeing 737s.
So the reality is that Czech Airlines ending operations isn’t a huge deal in terms of the practical implications of service, given how much the carrier has already shrunk. However, it’s still sad to see an airline with such a long history cease operations.
Interestingly in 2019, Czech Airlines even placed an order for Airbus A220-300s and Airbus A321XLRs, though those aircraft never ended up being delivered.
What went wrong with Czech Airlines?
Czech Airlines has been struggling for a long time, due to a combination of poor management, increased competition, and frequent ownership changes. The carrier’s challenges go back decades, though the situation has become much worse in recent years, in particular since the start of the pandemic.
The airline largely started its decline in the mid-2000s, when the company’s CEO got the airline into a bunch of debt by not properly controlling costs, leading to the airline having to sell assets.
Czech Airlines got an investment from Korean Air in 2013, as the Korean SkyTeam carrier took a 44% stake in Czech Airlines. However, Korean Air then sold its stake in 2017 to Travel Service, the parent company of Smartwings.
So the reality is that Smartwings has already owned a large stake in Czech Airlines for quite some time, and is now finally eliminating the brand.
Bottom line
Czech Airlines is ceasing operations as of October 26, 2024, after being in business for over 100 years. The airline has been consistently shrinking over the years, and will now be folded into Smartwings. This also means that the SkyTeam alliance is losing a member airline.
Of course it’s sad to see an airline cease operations, but with only one plane left, it made sense to just integrate the airline into Smartwings.
What do you make of Czech Airlines ceasing operations?
Good riddance. Ruddest airline staff I have encountered in sixty years of flying.
I agree. Flew them once and they were actively rude to us. Never again.
While CSA is one of the few legacy carriers in the region that I never flew, I thought this would be a good opportunity to give a quick shoutout to Malev and Adria - two others who had a similar fate. You are gone but not forgotten! :)
What I will miss is using Czech airlines to manage SkyTeam reservations and seat selections, particularly for China Airlines
This past summer, CSA has requested for its AOC to be revoked, hence the end of operations under this brand.
This has further ramifications:
- The elimination of business class (except for a single 737 used for longer scheduled charters).
- Exit from SkyTeam.
- The OKplus loyalty program is being discontinued and all miles expire as of October 26th.
- End of all codeshares and interlining.
With the exception...
This past summer, CSA has requested for its AOC to be revoked, hence the end of operations under this brand.
This has further ramifications:
- The elimination of business class (except for a single 737 used for longer scheduled charters).
- Exit from SkyTeam.
- The OKplus loyalty program is being discontinued and all miles expire as of October 26th.
- End of all codeshares and interlining.
With the exception of their CDG and MAD services (soon to be taken over by A220s), the airline with focus almost exclusively on vacation destinations and scheduled charter flights.
I have a nostalgic memory of the past
in 1979 when there was a very serious fire accident at santacruz /
sahar airport bombay, CSA (OK) flight was coming from SIN and the
next stop was bombay. the captain decided to divert flight to MAA
instead of going to bombay. i was at MAA apt on a sunday. evening
there was a phone call from Control Tower saying OK515 was...
I have a nostalgic memory of the past
in 1979 when there was a very serious fire accident at santacruz /
sahar airport bombay, CSA (OK) flight was coming from SIN and the
next stop was bombay. the captain decided to divert flight to MAA
instead of going to bombay. i was at MAA apt on a sunday. evening
there was a phone call from Control Tower saying OK515 was going to
land in MAA. when most of the traffic handling staff left for the day
i recalled selectiive staff to come to the airport and meet the flight
and do flight handling. i arranged with indian oil corporation for
refueling, arranged with flight dispatch manager for new flight plan
and for weather chart from met office and licensed engineer for
certification. i confirmed the above arrangement with the airport
manager of CSA at bombay airport when he called me.
the flight was met and given all assistance and the flight left for
cairo, to athens and then to Prague. I am very sad now to hear the
demise of the airline. after 40 years i will remember.
The A220s order is still on (not sure about 321LR). They will fly under QS AOC obviously but under the CSA brand/livery.
OUCH! SKYTEAM lost a member, which is essential to the SAS 1 Million Miles Challenge!
It's not since CSA isn't an Eurobonus partner anyway.
I have some fond memories of flying OK. It was a nice airline. I understand it had some legacy problems, but still don’t understand why the discontinued their brand and use Smartwings instead.
That mostly comes down to spite, since the acquisition by Smartwings was sort of a hostile takeover.
Whereas OK operated like a standard network carrier, QS mostly runs vacation charters, many of which are bookable as standard LCC flights. There was no love lost, even if they haven't really competed head to head.
Now that the ownership consolidation is over, QS is keeping its AOC (it also has multiple subsidiaries in other countries) and...
That mostly comes down to spite, since the acquisition by Smartwings was sort of a hostile takeover.
Whereas OK operated like a standard network carrier, QS mostly runs vacation charters, many of which are bookable as standard LCC flights. There was no love lost, even if they haven't really competed head to head.
Now that the ownership consolidation is over, QS is keeping its AOC (it also has multiple subsidiaries in other countries) and they'll only use Czech Airlines as the holding company. That being said, the brand is mostly a hollow shell now. Flights sold by OK have been long operated on QS metal with QS crews as typical LCC flights.
Smartwings is still planning on taking delivery of 4 A220s. This first delivered aircraft will carry the registration OK-EYA and operate in the Czech Airlines livery. According to the reservation system, the first passenger flight will take place on November 22nd on the route from Prague to Paris CDG
This seems to be the fate for many legacy flag carriers of smaller former Warsaw Pact/Eastern European countries. Now CSA, but we've seen Malev, Estonian Air, B&H Airlines, FlyLAL and Adria going that way too, for example. Most have a home market that's just too small for a full-fledged airline with just one base, also in terms of possible spending power by the local audience (especially up to some years ago: those countries really saw...
This seems to be the fate for many legacy flag carriers of smaller former Warsaw Pact/Eastern European countries. Now CSA, but we've seen Malev, Estonian Air, B&H Airlines, FlyLAL and Adria going that way too, for example. Most have a home market that's just too small for a full-fledged airline with just one base, also in terms of possible spending power by the local audience (especially up to some years ago: those countries really saw impressive growth over the last 3 decades), and most saw their plans hindered by the rise of low cost carriers like Ryanair and Wizzair (or Smartwings in this case) at their hub airports.
Indeed it is interesting to look at the 7 Comecon countries in Europe besides the USSR and see what became of their state airlines:
Albania - Albtransport - established 1957, the state air service company which operated occasionally as a civil airline, ceased civil airline services 1991; then Alberia, established 1991 by Albtransport for political transport; then Albanian Airlines, established 1992 as a joint venture between Alberia and Tyrolean Airlines, privatised in 1997, ceased operations...
Indeed it is interesting to look at the 7 Comecon countries in Europe besides the USSR and see what became of their state airlines:
Albania - Albtransport - established 1957, the state air service company which operated occasionally as a civil airline, ceased civil airline services 1991; then Alberia, established 1991 by Albtransport for political transport; then Albanian Airlines, established 1992 as a joint venture between Alberia and Tyrolean Airlines, privatised in 1997, ceased operations 2011.
Bulgaria - Balkan Bulgarian Airlines - established 1947 as TABSO, changed name 1967, partly privatised 1999, entered receivership 2001, ceased operations 2002.
Czechoslovakia - CSA - established 1923, partially privatised 1992, ceasing operations 2024.
East Germany - Interflug - established 1958, ceased operations 1991
Hungary - Malev Hungarian Airlines - established 1946 as Maszovlet, a joint venture with the Soviet Union, became fully Hungarian and renamed Malev 1954, privatised 2007, nationalised 2010, ceased operations 2012.
Poland - LOT Polish Airlines - established 1928
Romania - TAROM - established 1946s as TARS, a joint venture with the Soviet Union, became fully Romanian and renamed TAROM 1954.
So of seven, after today only two remain.
Pre-war and pre-covid, OK also bet heavily on the Russian market, and became a bit too comfortable in that position. There used to be solid demand for travel from Russia to CZ and beyond with quick transfers in Prague, but that has evaporated overnight.
Of course, this is just the cherry on top. The airline simply wasn't managed correctly and mostly survived on selling off assets in the past 15 years. They briefly became...
Pre-war and pre-covid, OK also bet heavily on the Russian market, and became a bit too comfortable in that position. There used to be solid demand for travel from Russia to CZ and beyond with quick transfers in Prague, but that has evaporated overnight.
Of course, this is just the cherry on top. The airline simply wasn't managed correctly and mostly survived on selling off assets in the past 15 years. They briefly became profitable in 2018-19, but we all know what came next.
Now the new owners have zero interest in developing the network carrier model.
They were a great airline until about 2010 when they started aggressively cutting routes. They did stabilise and created a credible growth plan at the end of the last decade, but then COVID came and the Czech government had no real interest in bailing them out.
A220 are going to be delivered, first next month. They will have CSA livery.
This doesn't have much to do with CSA's demise today, but I flew them in the late 80's from Montreal to JFK as a fifth freedom flight. Flight attendants and passengers were smoking during the whole flight. Passengers walking about the cabin during takeoff and landing, seatbelts not fastened for most passengers. Tang like drink was served in economy. Flimsy broken seats on a Soviet airliner. I remember thinking to myself I was lucky to...
This doesn't have much to do with CSA's demise today, but I flew them in the late 80's from Montreal to JFK as a fifth freedom flight. Flight attendants and passengers were smoking during the whole flight. Passengers walking about the cabin during takeoff and landing, seatbelts not fastened for most passengers. Tang like drink was served in economy. Flimsy broken seats on a Soviet airliner. I remember thinking to myself I was lucky to survive the 55 minute flight. The flight was inexpensive though!
I am just wondering why the combined airline not retain the CSA brand itself, similar to how vistara took on the brand of Air India. The CSA brand has more history
I agree. Similar to US Air and American Airlines.
if they were only operating a handful of flights lately then that history is thin with current consumers. People care about what can you do for me now, not what did you do forty years ago.
Actually, they have *TWO* (not one) A320's and they are both flying right now from Paris and Madrid to Prague
They should be absorbed by DELTA instead.
Ugh! Why? what would that do Mr. I love Delta. In some ways, delta is overrated
Are you ok? you seriously have to bring DL into everything. Some times i wonder if you are being serious.
It looks like you haven't been here too long. This person is making fun of another user (who is, imho, rightly a target). Since Ben clearly dgaf about what happens in the comments this will go on *ad infinitum*...
Dgaf....that's a new one LOL!!
because you have some ass hole who thinks the same joke is funny 80 thousand times later and on every single thread
Delta is not an EU company so being absorbed by Delta would mean losing traffic rights on every single route CSA operates. A great plan indeed!
Flew Czech Airlines on my first trip to the USA so it will be forever in my heart. RIP.