photo: Georgi Bidenko for PrahaIN.cz/New Airbus A220 aircraft in CSA colors arrived at Prague airport
The last ČSA flight with the legendary OK flight code took place on the route from Paris to Prague less than a month ago on Saturday, October 26. The end of the fifth oldest airline, which carried passengers around the world for 101 long years, resonated with the entire company and the media. Seats on the last flight were sold out to the last, and many aviation enthusiasts flew to Paris just for a detour to be on the last flight.
On the Flightradar24.com app, it was the most watched flight in the world at that moment. Farewell to the last passengers then took place in the terminal, on the platform and in the boarding bridge. Many of them did not hide tears of emotion and feelings of regret. For several generations, the ČSA was a symbol of aviation in the national colors.
The editorial staff of PrahaIN.cz watched the landing of the last flight near the runway at the observation deck in Kněževs, which was completely filled with both aviation enthusiasts and dozens of former airline employees. We brought footage of the plane taxiing to the terminal, which was greeted with applause, and the plane captain’s final communication with the tower under the CSA call.
The very end of ČSA as an airline was preceded by an inconspicuous press release from May of this year: “Czech Airlines (ČSA) will change its business model from October 27, 2024, at the beginning of the winter flight schedule. As part of the holding arrangement, ČSA will become the managing company with a majority stake in Smartwings. The flight operations of the entire group will be provided by Smartwings and its subsidiaries in Slovakia, Poland and Hungary. The reason for the change in ČSA’s business model is to make the group’s operation more efficient using the synergistic effects of Czech Airlines and Smartwings with the aim of increasing productivity while maintaining the ČSA and Smartwings brands. As part of increasing efficiency, both companies will operate all flights under one code (QS) from October 27, 2024, which does not affect the services provided and passengers.”
The beginning of the end
The company’s long years of problems began with a series of unsuccessful management moves in 2003 after the appointment of Jaroslav Tvrdík as chairman of the board. At this time, ČSA bought significantly more aircraft than made economic sense, and through other unprofessional investments began to accumulate financial losses, which gradually reached a dizzying amount of 3.78 billion crowns.
This was followed by the sale of ČSA assets and the entry of foreign investor Korean Air, which did not help the airline much in consolidating its position and operational profitability.
In the meantime, competition grew dramatically, mainly due to the boom in low-cost airlines, and it could be said that ČSA did not support domestic passengers too much, who preferred cheaper connections with low-cost carriers for travel.
The last proverbial nail in the coffin was the covid pandemic, after which there was only one aircraft left in the fleet for a while. Interestingly, in 1965, the record year of its era, the ČSA fleet numbered exactly 75 aircraft.
In previous years, however, CSA management had hoped to strengthen the fleet with new aircraft. Four Airbus A220 aircraft have been ordered. Ambitions to buy three pieces of larger Airbus A321XLR machines took hold.
And just the first of the brand new machines with OK-EYA registration landed in Prague on Thursday at 22:33 from Montreal with a short stopover in Keflavík, Iceland. About 3 dozen people came to watch his first landing on the rampart in Kněževs.
It is a sad paradox that the plane that was supposed to help CSA start a successful future arrived less than a month after its end. The Airbus A220-300, which is made in the colors of ČSA, has thus become a new part of the Smartwings fleet and will fly under the flight code QS.
The Airbus A220-300 is a narrow-body airliner manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace. The crew consists of 2 pilots and 3 to 5 stewards. The maximum range is 6,112 km with a cruising speed of 829 kilometers per hour. The aircraft cabin is in the configuration of one travel class with a capacity of 149 passengers.
His first flight with clients is scheduled from Prague to Paris early next week.
Farewell, ČSA: The Rise and Fall of a National Icon
Photo: Georgi Bidenko for PrahaIN.cz/New Airbus A220 aircraft in CSA colors arrived at Prague airport
The aviation world has seen its fair share of heartbreaks, but seldom do we bid adieu to an establishment that has graced the skies for over a century—like Czech Airlines, or as the kids used to call it, ČSA. Just last month, on October 26, the folks aboard the last flight from Paris to Prague experienced more turbulence than they bargained for. And no, I’m not talking about the flight’s altitude—they were flying high on nostalgia, tears, and the collective “what the heck happened?”
The Flight That Shook the Skies
Seats on the final flight sold out faster than a concert featuring a certain pop star, and it resembled a glorified nostalgia trip. Aviation enthusiasts flocked to Paris like moths to a flame, eager to be part of this emotional send-off. According to Flightradar24.com, it was the most watched flight in the world—imagine that! Who knew the last flight of a beloved carrier could rival the excitement of a World Cup match?
The departure was teary, folks! Passengers wept openly as the reality of losing an aviation icon sank in. They say flying brings people together, but on this day, it felt more like a funeral for a faithful old dog—perhaps one too many “bad decisions” had caught up with the poor pup!
The Quiet Announcement of Doom
Just before the heart-wrenching farewell, the company issued a press release in May, as underwhelming as a character development arc in a bad sitcom. They announced a “business model change,” which, let’s be honest, sounded more like corporate jargon for “we’re in deep trouble.” After selling their souls to the foreign operator Smartwings, ČSA would become more of a ghost than a ghostwriter, buried beneath the weight of fierce competition and empty seats.
Where Did It All Go Wrong?
Ah, but the tale of woe didn’t start there! The seeds of mismanagement were sown back in 2003, when Jaroslav Tvrdík took the helm. A more misguided fleet expansion than buying an entire season of a reality show no one actually wanted to see! Financial losses reaching 3.78 billion crowns? Someone get them a financial lifebuoy, quick! And to add salt to the wound, the rise of low-cost carriers had domestic passengers scrambling for cheaper options faster than attendees at a free buffet.
The Killer Pandemic
Then the final nail (or perhaps a whole coffin’s worth) was driven in by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sad images of a solitary aircraft left alone to contemplate its existence—like the last chocolate in a box, surrounded by a sea of boxes promising something better! At its peak of success in 1965, ČSA prided itself on a fleet of 75 aircraft, yet by the end, they were left scraping the bottom of the barrel with just one.
The Arrival of Irony
In an ironic twist worthy of a Shakespearean tragedy, the first Airbus A220 arrived not long after the demise of its carrier. Talk about timing—this aircraft, decked out in the old ČSA colors, was meant to usher in a bright new era. Sadly, it’s like winning the lottery right before being hit by a meteor, destined to fly under the Smartwings code QS.
What Lies Ahead?
With ambitions still etched in the dusty corners of the airport offices, ČSA had ordered not just one, but four shiny new A220s. They’d hoped to add three larger Airbus A321XLRs to their fleet, a classic “too little, too late” that echoes through the annals of aviation history. The first flight with paying customers is scheduled next week—a flight to Paris from Prague, where many a heart now beats with memories rather than hopes.
So here’s to ČSA, the faded star of the aviation world, whose last flight took off with applause and a heart full of memories. May its successors learn from its mistakes, and may they steer their fleets wisely through the turbulent skies ahead, because in this game of aviation, survival often means flying as high as the spirits of the passengers.
The final ČSA flight, marked by the iconic OK flight code, journeyed from Paris to Prague less than a month ago on Saturday, October 26. This momentous event, which signaled the conclusion of the fifth oldest airline in the world, reverberated through the aviation industry and media alike. Every seat on that last flight was sold out, drawing numerous aviation enthusiasts to Paris just to experience this historic leg of the journey firsthand.
Simultaneously, on the Flightradar24.com app, this flight achieved unprecedented attention, becoming the most monitored flight globally at that moment. The emotional farewell unfolded not only in the terminal but also on the platform and boarding bridge, where passengers expressed heartfelt tears of nostalgia and loss. For countless generations, ČSA had represented a bastion of national identity in the skies.
The editorial team of PrahaIN.cz observed the poignant landing of the last ČSA flight from the observation deck in Kněževs, which was teeming with airline aficionados and former employees, all eager to witness this historic moment. Our coverage included an exclusive video capturing the aircraft’s taxiing to the terminal, met with thunderous applause, as well as the poignant final communication between the plane’s captain and air traffic control, all occurring under the proud CSA call sign.
The beginning of the end
The decline of ČSA can be traced back to a series of unfortunate management decisions made in 2003 with Jaroslav Tvrdík’s appointment as chairman of the board. During this period, the airline overspent on aircraft acquisitions, leading to significant financial missteps and crippling losses, which eventually ballooned to an alarming 3.78 billion crowns.
Attempts to revitalize the airline included the sale of ČSA assets and the entry of foreign investor Korean Air. Unfortunately, this move failed to stabilize or restore the airline’s profitability as competition intensified, particularly due to the rise of low-cost carriers. Domestic travelers increasingly opted for these budget-friendly airlines instead of ČSA.
The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be the final blow for the beleaguered airline, leaving just one aircraft in its entire fleet for a spell. Reflecting on its historical context, it’s striking to note that in its peak year of 1965, ČSA boasted a fleet of 75 aircraft.
Despite past aspirations to strengthen its fleet with new models, including an order for four Airbus A220 aircraft and ambitious plans to acquire three larger Airbus A321XLR, the outlook remained grim. The first of the newly acquired Airbus A220-300, registered as OK-EYA, made its much-anticipated landing in Prague on Thursday at 22:33 after a brief stop in Keflavík, Iceland. The landing drew around three dozen onlookers, eager to witness the arrival of the aircraft.
In a bittersweet twist, the very aircraft intended to herald a new era for ČSA arrived just weeks after the airline’s closure. This Airbus A220-300, adorned in the beloved colors of ČSA, has now been integrated into the Smartwings fleet, where it will operate under the flight code QS.
The Airbus A220-300 is a state-of-the-art narrow-body airliner crafted by Bombardier Aerospace, requiring a crew of 2 pilots and 3 to 5 flight attendants. With a maximum range of 6,112 kilometers and a cruising speed of 829 kilometers per hour, it is designed for efficiency and comfort. The aircraft’s configuration accommodates 149 passengers in a single travel class.
Anticipation is building as its inaugural flight with passengers is scheduled to take off from Prague to Paris in the coming week.
What factors contributed to ČSA’s decline in operational viability amidst increasing competition from low-cost airlines?
Airline’s operational viability. Amidst the turbulence of management changes and investment misjudgments, ČSA faced an ever-growing tide of competition, especially from low-cost airlines that increasingly attracted economically-minded domestic travelers, leading them to abandon the once-reliable national carrier in favor of cheaper alternatives.
The devastation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic proved to be the final blow, radically reducing the fleet to a single aircraft at one point. This stark reality stood in sharp contrast to ČSA’s glory days; in 1965, the airline proudly operated a fleet of 75 aircraft, a testament to its former stature in the aviation world.
In an unfortunate twist of fate, just as ČSA prepared to turn over a new leaf with the arrival of four new Airbus A220 aircraft, the airline reached its demise. The first of these new planes, adorned in the traditional ČSA colors, landed in Prague only weeks after the airline had ceased operations, underscoring the tragic irony of the situation. Instead of heralding a fresh start, the Airbus A220 would serve a new master, Smartwings, carrying a flight code that would not include the storied OK prefix that had long been associated with ČSA.
Despite ordering additional aircraft to rejuvenate its fleet, the timing of these acquisitions fell tragically short of rescuing the airline; a stark reminder that the aviation business punishes miscalculations and overextensions severely. As the first of the newly ordered Airbus A220 aircraft prepared for its inaugural flight with paying customers to Paris, the lingering memory of ČSA’s rich history hung heavily over the proceedings.
So, as we bid farewell to ČSA, we are reminded of its storied legacy—a legacy that served as a symbol of national pride and resilience. It leaves behind a cautionary tale for the aviation industry on the importance of prudent management, adapting to market shifts, and making strategic decisions that prioritize sustainable growth and operational efficiency. The skies may have lost a national treasure, but its history and lessons will be remembered for years to come.