Czech Airlines will cancel flights from Prague to Ostrava and Bratislava in January of next year, as well as the Slovak domestic route between Bratislava and Košice. The reason is the lack of suitable aircraft for these flights after the New Year.
CSA has already used the three ATR 42 leased lines, but they will be returned to their owners in the coming weeks, with no further lengthening of the lease.
Larger machines that the carrier has in its fleet are not planned to be deployed on these lines.
“Putting jets with more capacity than the fleet of the group on such lines does not make sense from an economic point of view. None of the lines has commercial potential for this use or the assumption of further growth in demand,” Šabík explained.
Line traffic ends on January 11 next year. The link between Prague and Ostrava, however, helped the carrier in the spring with new frequencies and promised to increase the number of passengers. Now it offers up to four flights a week.
There is no alternative to the airport yet. “It was a surprise for us, even though we had a lot of fun talking about the fate of the line,” said Stanislav Bujnovsky, Sales Director of Ostrava Airport. “It’s the decision of the new owner of Czech Airlines, which we will probably not reverse,” he added.
From the airport’s point of view, it is possible that the line linking Ostrava and Prague, functioning from 1959, will definitely end.
“We are not aware of an alternative yet. The current carrier does not want to continue, and others have not yet signed up,” said Stanislav Bujnovsky. Possible termination of the line was announced for the last year, and with repeated interference of some flights, aircraft have not arrived from Prague at all several times.
Lines from Prague to Bratislava are currently flying in both directions three times a week. After the arrival to Bratislava, the lines continue to Košice and back.