“As of May 1, 2020, the airport is starting to lay off employees. The coronavirus has such an impact that everything will return to the normal rough estimate in 2023, “an employee who did not wish to be named told the News.

Due to the fact that the airport premises are empty, only cargo flights with medical supplies, repatriation flights and two regular flights to Sofia and Minsk are handled, there are no permanent staff for all 2,900 employees.

“Unfortunately, the reduction in staff did not escape Prague Airport either, which in March had approximately 65% ​​fewer passengers than in the same period last year. The decline will also continue in April, when traffic should drop even less than ten years of normal operation, “explained Prague Airport spokesman Roman Pacvoň, adding that the number of employees is set at 18 million passengers handled per year, which is approximately last year’s level of traffic.

“Given the current unprecedented situation, however, according to all available forecasts, we will reach this value again in three years at the earliest. For this reason, we must proceed to the reduction of jobs so that their number corresponds to the expected real operation in the coming years. According to current forecasts, we are currently planning to operate the airport for 10 years of checked-in passengers next year, “added Pacvoň, adding that estimates of future airport operations may still change according to current developments.

The decision reduced the number of jobs preceded by a reduction in operating and administrative costs across the entire Prague Airport company. As part of the savings, there was also an immediate operational slowdown directly at the terminals, when part of the local infrastructure was interrupted.

But that was not enough in view of the development. “The reduction in the number of jobs will take place in accordance with the Labor Code and the collective agreement. The reduction in job positions will take place gradually from the end of May 2020 and will continue in the next three months or so, “said the spokesman.

A total of 450 airport employees are to lose their jobs.

From the point of view of the renewal of air connections, the first conditions for departure are. “Now it depends mainly on how the demand of the passengers themselves for the development will develop, and again the airlines will again show interest in flying from and to Prague. If there is interest, we are ready to start handling their flights almost immediately, “added Roman Pacvoň.