On Saturday, October 26, Czech Airlines (ČSA) will complete its final flight as an independent company, marking the end of a 101-year legacy. Flight OK767 from Paris to Prague will conclude an era in Czech aviation. Preceding this final arrival, ČSA will operate Flight OK766 from Prague to Paris, both routes already sold out, with remaining economy seats selling for over CZK 12,000 one-way. The airline’s Airbus A320, is scheduled to leave Prague at 5:35 p.m. and return by 9:55 p.m.. This final flight represents more than just a journey; it’s a tribute to the airline’s impact on Czech travel and aviation. ČSA’s financial struggles in recent years have been challenging, primarily due to fierce competition from low-cost carriers and internal management issues. These setbacks ultimately led to its absorption by Smartwings. Following this transition, all former ČSA flights will operate under Smartwings’ QS code, effectively ending ČSA’s operational independence. However, the ČSA brand will live on. Smartwings has decided to preserve the ČSA livery on two existing Airbus A320s, as well as on four new Airbus A220s that it will lease. The first of these A220s is expected to start service in December, with the remaining planes to join...
Prague Airport will offer passengers 13 new destinations for the 2024 winter season. Starting this winter, Václav Havel Prague Airport will connect travelers to 115 destinations across 56 airlines during the upcoming autumn-winter aviation season (October 27 – March 31). This is a significant increase—four times more than last year—but still 60% lower than the pre-pandemic record from 2019. Flights to European favorites like Edinburgh, Nice, Naples, Nantes, Glasgow, Birmingham, and Athens will now be available throughout the winter season, as they were previously limited to summer schedules. Completely new destinations have been introduced, including Liverpool, Belfast, Kayseri in Turkey, and exotic spots like Manama (Bahrain), Puerto Vallarta (Mexico), and Holguín (Cuba). The airport will also resume several popular long-haul winter flights to tropical destinations such as the Dominican Republic (Punta Cana), Vietnam (Phu Quoc), Thailand (Krabi), Kenya (Mombasa), Zanzibar, Oman (Salalah), Cape Verde (Sal), and Cuba (Santa Clara). Passenger Growth Outlook Prague Airport forecasts that total passenger traffic will reach 16.2 million in 2024, up from 13.8 million last year. Low-cost airlines play a significant role in this recovery, currently handling around half of the airport’s traffic. By the end of this year, these carriers are expected to serve...
Autumn in Czechia sees nature take on a whole new coat of colours; the sun is still warm and there are lots of opportunities to enjoy some unforgettable adventures out in the bosom of nature. This is the ideal time for hiking trips, either a day’s walking or longer treks lasting a few days. We present a few routes that are really worth trying! Trail through the Lužnice Valley This beautiful walk takes you into the heart of a typical Czech landscape, which is especially impressive in the autumn. This one is known as Toulava, or the Wandering Trail. It takes you through the deep valley of the Lužnice River in South Bohemia, lined with trees in all their autumn glory. Along the way, you come across places such as Tábor and Bechyně, where you can admire the beautiful sights in their historical centres and savour their unique genius loci. The trail through the Lužnice Valley stands out as the first route in Czechia to have achieved the prestigious Leading Quality Trails – Best of Europe certification. The trail starts in Planá nad Lužnicí and ends beyond where the Lužnice and Vltava rivers meet in Týn nad Vltavou. The trail...
In a major step toward post-pandemic recovery, Emirates will once again deploy the iconic Airbus A380 for regular flights between Dubai and Prague. The first scheduled flight is set for December 1, marking the return of the world’s largest passenger aircraft to Prague’s Václav Havel Airport since the COVID-19 outbreak. The A380 will operate daily on the Dubai-Prague route, with flight EK139 arriving in Prague at 12:30 PM. The return leg, flight EK140, will depart at 2:45 PM. These times are based on the current schedule available in Emirates’ reservation system. Emirates first introduced the Airbus A380 on the Prague route back in 2016, and the aircraft quickly became a regular sight at Ruzyně. However, since the pandemic began, the superjumbo has only made limited appearances in Prague, primarily during emergency flights. Most recently, Lufthansa utilized the A380 for crew training purposes, bringing it to the Czech capital on several occasions. Would you like us to write about your business? Find out more
Etihad Airways is going to offer direct flights to Abu Dhabi from Prague effective 2 June 2025. Prague Airport will thus get a connection with the capital of the United Arab Emirates after almost eleven years. The carrier will deploy a Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner with a capacity of 270 seats on the route, which will be operated four times a week, every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. “We are very pleased that after almost 11 years, and a number of negotiations, it is now possible to confirm the launch of a connection between Prague and Abu Dhabi by Etihad Airways and the carrier’s Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner. The airline will start flying to Prague for the first time in its history, so the agreed frequency of four flights a week is also a great outcome of our negotiations,” said Jiří Pos, Chairman on the Prague Airport Board of Directors, commenting on the news. “With this step, our network of long-haul flights is expanding again, and we are able to offer passengers another important Middle East destination with great local potential and a network of connecting flights to Asia, Africa, and Australia,” he added. The Largest of the Seven Emirates Abu Dhabi...
airBaltic has confirmed that two of its aircraft, named Kunda and Püssi, will be operating on the new direct Prague-Vilnius route starting on March 30, 2025. The announcement was made on Friday, September 6. However, these aircraft will not have a fixed schedule for Prague flights. Instead, their use will vary, depending on the carrier’s operational needs at any given time. “The plan remains unchanged. All airBaltic A220-300 aircraft will be deployed according to operational requirements and will be available on all routes across the airline’s network,” the airBaltic press office told Novinky. In August, airBaltic held an online vote allowing the public to choose names for all 48 of its aircraft, with voters selecting from a list of real Baltic cities. Due to the efforts of Czech internet users, the Estonian city of Kunda won the first place (in Czech, “Kunda” is a vulgar term for female genitalia). The Estonian city of Püssi, whose name can also provoke giggles in Czech, secured the second position. The first of these newly named aircraft are expected to take flight in early 2025. Would you like us to write about your business? Find out more
After several years, Prague is set to regain a direct air connection with Canada. Air Canada, the country’s largest airline, has announced the launch of a new seasonal route between Prague and Toronto, beginning next year. The news was shared by Prague Airport on the social media platform X. Flights on this route are scheduled to operate from June 6 until the end of September. Tickets are already available for purchase. Air Canada will offer flights three times a week—on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays—using a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The outbound flight from Prague will depart at 12:35 p.m. and land in Toronto at 3:45 p.m. The return flight from Toronto is scheduled to depart at 8:25 p.m., arriving in Prague the following day at 10:45 a.m. Round-trip tickets are currently priced from approximately 16,000 CZK. This new route marks the return of direct flights between Prague and Canada, a service that has been absent since before the coronavirus pandemic. In the past, Air Transat operated direct flights to Canada, and CSA (Czech Airlines) also served this route. About Air Canada Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada, by size and passengers carried. The airline, founded...
This year has seen a remarkable surge in Czech tourists visiting the Polish Baltic Sea coast, with over 550,000 Czech nationals choosing this destination so far. Pavel Trojan, director of the Foreign Centre of the Polish Organization in Prague, highlighted this unprecedented influx, noting that it surpassed even the most optimistic predictions. In an interview with Polish Radio 24, Trojan pointed out that the growing trend of Czechs vacationing in Poland has been consistent over the years, with the Baltic coast and sightseeing tours being the most popular choices. But he said he was astonished with the numbers, considering that typically 700,000 to 900,000 Czechs vacation in Croatia each year. The significant interest in Poland suggests that it could soon rival Croatia as a top destination for Czech tourists. When asked why Poland has become so appealing to Czech visitors, Trojan likened the country’s attractions to pizza, where each “slice” offers something unique. He cited the 2012 UEFA European Championship in Wrocław as a pivotal moment, when many Czechs first visited Poland and discovered that the country defied their preconceptions. However, he emphasized that the rapid development of infrastructure in Poland has played a crucial role in drawing more tourists...
Passengers traveling through Terminal 2 of Prague Airport can now shop at the AC Sparta Prague fan shop. This makes Sparta the first sports team to have a shop at the airport. With over 200 products available, fans can even get their jerseys printed. “The opening of a fan shop at Václav Havel Airport Prague is a step to bring Sparta closer to the wider public, including international markets. Last season, we sold over 23,000 jerseys, which was a huge success for us. We believe the new fan shop will boost the growth and popularity of Sparta as a club and brand,” said Kamil Veselý, Sparta’s marketing director. The store covers 274 square meters and is located in Finger D of Terminal 2. It offers more than 200 products, including caps, special tourist collections, and jerseys with a unique Prague design patch. “Having fan shops of successful football clubs at international airports is a popular trend. We welcomed the opening of the first fan shop here and are confident it will be a success. Football fans might even choose our airport for trips to European competitions,” said Jakub Puchalský, a member of the Board of Directors at Prague Airport. Sparta...
The Czech Republic is set to embark on the construction of high-speed railway (HSR) lines next year, Transport Minister Martin Kupka announced on Friday. The first phase of the HSR project will connect Brno with Prerov in the east, starting in 2025. Construction of the second phase, linking Brno with the southeastern border town of Breclav, is scheduled to begin in 2026, Kupka revealed at a conference in Prague. Trains on the new high-speed lines will reach speeds of up to 320 kilometers per hour. The overall cost of building the core HSR infrastructure across the Czech Republic is projected to be CZK 800 billion. Discussions on constructing HSR in the Czech Republic have been ongoing since the 1990s, but significant progress has only been made in recent years. If the current timeline is maintained, the next major phase, including the Prague corridor, is expected to commence in 2030. A transport model from the Railway Administration predicts that the new high-speed rail between Prague and Brno will serve up to 60,000 passengers daily, reducing travel time between the two cities from nearly three hours to around 50 minutes. “The construction of high-speed railway and increased investment in infrastructure are crucial...
Flydubai has announced an increase in flights from Prague to Dubai, adding three more weekly rotations to the existing seven. Starting next year, the airline will offer two daily connections on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. This increase is currently in a trial phase from February to April. Previously, Flydubai operated one daily flight from Prague, departing in the evening and arriving in Dubai early in the morning. The new flights will depart from Prague at 7:00 a.m., arriving in Dubai at 4:20 p.m. The return flight will depart at 1:55 a.m. and arrive in Prague at 5:55 a.m. A Boeing 737 MAX 8 will serve this route. The additional flights coincide with the start of the spring break, increasing the frequency to ten flights a week until April. This expansion aims to enhance the airline’s offer on the Prague-Dubai route and reduce connection times for other flights from Dubai. Emirates also operates flights from Prague to Dubai, sharing codes with Flydubai on this route. Additionally, Smartwings will return to the route with its winter schedule. Would you like us to write about your business? Find out more
Singapore edged past France, Germany, Italy and Spain to reclaim bragging rights as having the world’s most powerful passport. Having a Singapore passport means getting visa-free entry to a record 195 global destinations, putting the city-state at the top on the Henley Passport Index. The four European countries, which held the No. 1 spot earlier in the year, are now in second place along with Japan. The Henley Passport Index, compiled by London-based Henley & Partners, evaluates 227 countries and territories using data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The index ranks passports by the number of destinations their holders can visit without a visa. South Korea, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Ireland, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands are in third place, with visa-free access to 191 destinations. The United Kingdom, which was the top-ranked passport along with the United States until 2014, now shares fourth place with New Zealand, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland. Australia and Portugal hold fifth place. The United States dropped to eighth place, just behind the Czech Republic. The number 195 is a record for Singapore and the entire index. On the other end, Afghanistan remains the lowest-ranked, with its citizens having visa-free access to only 26...
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