CSA Czech Airlines ends UK service after 72 years

[sn26567]

CSA Czech Airlines in its press release issued on 27AUG10 announced it’ll be ending service to the UK, starting 31OCT10.

It currently operates up to 2 Daily Prague – London Heathrow and up to 1 Daily Prague – Manchester. The pull-out from the UK market marks the end of CSA’s presence in the UK market after 72 years.

Source: airlineroute.net

[Jetairfly]

"CSA Czech Airlines on Friday 27AUG10 announced its planned 2010/11 Winter operation, which sees the Skyteam carrier shrinks its operating network. In total, there are 5 routes canceled, 3 routes canceled in Winter, 6 routes sees frequency reductions.

Most importantly, the Skyteam carrier is ending its service to the UK, after 72 years of service. Service to Germany sees further shrinking."

source: http://airlineroute.net/

Sad to see them go !

Does anyone have an idea what routes are exactly cancelled? Are things going that bad at OK? Do they face that much competition from Wizzair and Easyjet?

Is Delta Air Lines going to buy the OK-slots at heathrow?

Yesterday, I read on http://www.airliners.net that Delta would like to start flying from London Heathrow to both Boston and Miami in direct competition with American Airlines and BA. So in my opinion, it would be hardly a big surprise if DL buys the Eastern European airlines' slots.

Greetings
Christophe

[sn26567]

"Does anyone have an idea what routes are exactly cancelled?

CSA Czech Airlines on Friday 27AUG10 announced its planned 2010/11 Winter operation, which sees the Skyteam carrier shrinks its operating network. In total, there are 5 routes canceled (2 temporary cancellation), 3 routes canceled in Winter, 6 routes sees frequency reductions.

Most importantly, the Skyteam carrier is ending its service to the UK, after 72 years of service. Service to Germany sees further shrinking.

As per 28AUG10 GDS availability display, list of changes as follows (note further changes are possible):

Cancellation
Prague – Brno 31OCT10 – 31DEC10 ONLY
Prague – Cologne
Prague – London Heathrow
Prague – Manchester
Prague – Munich 31OCT10 – 31DEC10 ONLY

Following Routes converting to Summer seasonal service only
Prague – Marseille
Prague – Thessaloniki
Prague – Venice

Service Reduction
Prague – Bologna Reduce from 6 to 5 weekly (Day x16), compared to 11 weekly in W09
Prague – Bratislava 31OCT10 – 31DEC10 Reduce from 25 to 13 weekly, OK960/961 & OK966/967 Canceled
Prague – Copenhagen Reduce from 16 to 13 weekly, OK506/507 Canceled
Prague – Munich eff 01JAN11 Reduce from 2 to 1 Daily, OK552/553 Canceled
Prague – Oslo Reduce from 2 to 1 Daily, OK446/447 Canceled
Prague – Ostrava 31OCT10 – 31DEC10 Reduce from 26 to 20 weekly, OK016/017 Canceled
Prague – Rostov Reduce from 3 to 2 weekly, Tuesdays service canceled

Others
Prague – Belgrade 13 weekly service maintained, compared to 7 in W09
Prague – Hamburg Service remains 13 weekly, compared to 17 in W09
Prague – Vilnius Service remains Daily, compared to 13 in W09
Prague – Zilina Service remains 8 weekly, compared to 6 in W09

Few other routes sees flight increases or operating schedule being readjusted, but not yet appearing in the reservation system at time this post goes to press.

Source: airlineroute.net

[andorra-airport]

The news does not surprise me. This was in the news a few months ago (May):

"In order to get Czech Airlines (ČSA) back in the black, the company will have to shrink. (...) The changes he proposes include reducing its fleet by one third and the number of employees by one tenth. (..) The company will have to significantly change its air schedule. „The number of destinations operated by our planes can decrease by 30 percent. The less profitable routes will be canceled" (...) The company will sell all of its Boeing airliners, keeping the Airbus airplanes.

Last year, ČSA's operating loss equaled almost four billion CZK (160 million EUR). (...) If we let this continue, it would be a big problem"

[jumpjet]

I guess selling a couple of pairs of slots at Heathrow would provide some much needed cash flow to CSA - though in the current market I would expect the price for Heathrow slots has dropped significantly from the reported 30m euros Alitalia got for a prime pair of slots in 2007.

[andorra-airport]

I guess selling a couple of pairs of slots at Heathrow would provide some much needed cash flow to CSA - though in the current market I would expect the price for Heathrow slots has dropped significantly from the reported 30m euros Alitalia got for a prime pair of slots in 2007.

True, I remember last year BMI tried to sell slots at Heathrow, but British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Emirates and several other Gulf carriers were not interested. Only some Asian airlines wanted it for bottom prices. (Didn't they sell it at the end to Swiss, Lufthansa Group and Star members??? ) So, good luck ČSA!

[regi]

Damm , the Brno flight disappears again, forcing passengers to take the 4 hour bus ride from Prague or go over Vienna or Bratislava, in both cases still 1.5 hours away from Brno.
Brno might say little to most members. But with its 400,000 inhabitants it is the second largest city of the Czech republic. And it is an important industrial center.
You would be surprised to see which Belgian companies are present here.
But industry isn't enough. Not enough tourism, culture or administative reasons to make permanent flights profitable from Brno. ( otherwise I am sure that Ryanair would have put it already on its list )
Too bad for the people who enjoyed the flights during summer time.

[Jetairfly]

Hello everybody,

According to wikipedia "Czech Airlines operates 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."

Don't you think it is very odd to reduce capacity on those routes?

I have the impression that many destinations that are served by their ATR 42/72's are affected. Could anyone confirm that?

Are things going that bad at CSA Czech Airlines?

Can anyone explain me why exactly OK cancels their Prague <-> Munich flights from October the 31th until Decmeber the 31th, while they start the route again in January? It doesn't seem too logic.

Isn't it odd that CSA once served Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London-Gatwick, London-Stansted, London-Heathrow and Manchester and now pulls out of the British market all together?

Is OK planning to sell or lease some of its aircraft? Are they doing ski charters fligths again?

Would you personally consider flying CSA? I am planning a trip to Prague in February and the last thing I want to see is a cancelled flight .

Christophe

[cathay belgium]

Would you personally consider flying CSA? I am planning a trip to Prague in February and the last thing I want to see is a cancelled flight .

Wizzzzzzzzz from EIN ?

CX-B

[andorra-airport]

( otherwise I am sure that Ryanair would have put it already on its list )

?? Ryanair does fly to Brno, from London-Stansted, and starting in November to Milan-Orio al Serio.

[regi]

( otherwise I am sure that Ryanair would have put it already on its list )

?? Ryanair does fly to Brno, from London-Stansted, and starting in November to Milan-Orio al Serio.

euh, you are right and I suddenly realised it afterwards.
But I didn't take the flight because it would involve 2 flights with a stay over and two check inns.
Therefor the CSA connection was much more conveniant.
But yes, Ryanair flies to Brno.

[sn26567]

Can anyone explain me why exactly OK cancels their Prague <-> Munich flights from October the 31th until Decmeber the 31th, while they start the route again in January? It doesn't seem too logic.

CSA Czech Airlines is now canceling Munich and Brno completely (Initially these routes were cancelled only until 31DEC10, probably as a trial and error test).

[Jetairfly]

CSA Czech Airlines W10 Service Reductions – Update 2

CSA Czech Airlines over the weekend further modifies its planned Winter 2010 operation.

Per 30AUG10 GDS inventory display, latest modification as follows:

Following routes, to be canceled or reduced until 31DEC10, is now being Zero’d out/removed from system beyond 01JAN11.

Prague – Bratislava Reduce from 25 to 13 weekly, OK960/961 & OK966/967 Canceled
Prague – Brno CANCELLED beyond 01JAN11
Prague – Munich CANCELLED beyond 01JAN11
Prague – Ostrava Reduce from 26 to 20 weekly, OK016/017 Canceled

Following routes sees new changes

Prague – Brussels 01NOV11 – 21JAN11 Reduce from 23 to 18 weekly, OK636/637 Canceled (Routine cancellation already planned from 22JAN11)

source: airlineroute.com

Could somebody explain me what "routine cancellation" exactly means? Is Brussels going to be axed from OK's network?

Christophe

[sdbelgium]

I guess they mean: they usually cancel this particular flight every time in January, but now they do it earlier. This is only 1 flight number, the others are operating as normal. So BRU is not going to be axed, rest assured .