Morning Briefing │ Wednesday, February 28th, 2024

* CZECH COMPANIES:

Smartwings has become a fully Czech-owned company after Chinese state-owned CITIC Group sold its stake to local company Prague City Air, that also owns a 70% stake in Czech flag carrier CSA.

The announcement comes after Israir opted to suspend talks to purchase the 49.92% stake from the Chinese investor because of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East.

* CAR PRODUCTION:

Škoda Auto is set to launch production of a compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) in India, the company said in a press release on Tuesday.The new compact SUV is expected to hit the roads in the first half of 2024.

* POLITICS:

An informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries will take place in Prague on May 30-31, the Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday.

The meeting will mark this year’s 25th anniversary of Czechia’s membership in NATO and the 75th anniversary of the alliance’s founding.

* TRAVEL:

A new regular direct connection from Prague to Tashkent will be offered by Qanot Sharq Airlines from 18 April 2024. Flights to the capital of Uzbekistan will be operated once a week, every Thursday. Tickets can be bought on the airline’s website qanotsharq.com.

* WEATHER:

Wednesday is expected to be mostly overcast. Day temperatures will ranging between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius in most parts of the country, with the exception of the east, where they can reach up to 15 degrees Celsius.