CSA owner: Czech airlines were stolen, now Lufthansa will be in Prague
Although aviation has to be affected by pandemics, the industry has been slowly reviving in recent months, thanks to advancing vaccinations. At the same time, the desire of airlines to start investing. They do not avoid Prague Airport either, where the German carrier Eurowings (otherwise also a subsidiary of the air giant Lufthansa) is opening its own air base.
So far, it will have only two Airbus A320 aircraft, which will send a third machine next year. They have to fly to 14 destinations.
From the end of October this year, aircraft under the considerable Eurowings will fly, for example, to Athens, Barcelona or Tel Aviv.
About Eurowings
Currently, the fleet operates about a hundred aircraft.
Eurowings focuses on direct flights within Europe.
It is a subsidiary of the air carrier Lufthansa.
Eurowings currently employs approximately 3,500 people across Europe.
For the domestic largest air carrier, the Smartwings group, which is behind CSA and Smartwings, the German carrier represents a new competition that will have to fight for a still limited number of tourists in the coming months.
The state has not taken care of it, says the billionaire
According to the co-owner of the Smartwings group, Jiří Šimáně, the entry of a new player into the aviation market in the Czech Republic is only due to insufficient state support in this sector during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Everyone helped everyone, only the Czech Republic’s airline was stolen. As a result, Lufthansa, after the billion-euro subsidies, decided that it could succeed on the Czech market given the situation. This is a logical consequence of the state’s resignation to its 100-year-old industry. The culmination of all this is that our former employees will pay taxes elsewhere and the Czech state will no longer touch them, “commented billionaire Jiří Šimáně on the entry of competitors to Prague Airport.
Jiří Šimáně
Founder and co-owner of Unimex Group (includes Smartwings and CSA, real estate business, retail, etc.).
According to the latest Forbes ranking, the 24th richest Czech with a property of CZK 8.5.
He studied law and helps to start a foreign trade company Strojexport.
He founded Unimex in 1991 with Jaromír Šmejkal.
In 2016–18, he was a minority shareholder in football Slavia.
Smartwings has a base in Prague for more than 40 aircraft and offers the largest number of flights from Prague, currently to 60 destinations.
“Smartwings has a base in Prague for more than 40 aircraft and offers the largest number of flights from Prague, currently to 60 destinations. Every second passenger handled by Prague Airport flies Smartwings, “added Vladimíra Dufková, a spokeswoman for the Smartwings group, for SZ Byznys.
According to her, about 40 airlines currently fly to Prague Airport, so the competition is huge.
“Of course, we monitor developments in individual markets and the actions of other carriers. We always try to use such a product to be highly competitive, “said Dufková.
Six thousand applications for 100 jobs
New employees need to be recruited to the new Eurowings base, and German Airlines in Prague is literally experiencing a “gold rush”, according to Robert Jahn, head of the European division. In recent weeks, according to airlines, the company has received more than six thousand applications for advertised positions. The goal is to fill local people with about a hundred cabin and cockpit positions.
We are enthusiastic about such a response and other interest that our offer met in the Czech Republic.
“We are enthusiastic about such a response and long-term interest that our offer met in the Czech Republic. I am very pleased that we will be able to have a local ‘flavor’ at Prague’s core power and strengthen our team with local colleagues, ”commented Robert Jahn, CEO of Eurowings Europe.
In addition, a refuge with a competing airline according to information The Lidovky.cz server is currently also looking for aviation personnel who were fired from the Czech company at a time when the pandemic knocked down the operation of commercial routes to almost zero.
The competition will help tourism
He has a positive view of the arrival of a new carrier at the Prague airport management. “The opening of Eurowings’ new operating base will have a positive impact on the entire market, especially for passengers,” Jaroslav Filip, Director of Aviation Trade at Prague Airport, told SZ Byznys.
According to him, the offer of direct connections is expanding, which at the same time means greater comfort for passengers, especially from the Czech Republic.
“In times of traffic slowdown, the network will be further densified in permanently popular destinations (eg Barcelona, Copenhagen or Milan). The launch of these routes can also make a positive contribution to the speed of unfing renewal, ie the return of foreign tourists to Prague, which is currently the primary effort of Prague Airport, “commented Filip.
After the opening of the base, the crews of Eurowings Europe from Vienna will be temporarily moved to Prague. V must have flights operated only by Prague crews. Crew members who already fly for Eurowings Europe have a priority right to move to the Prague base in accordance with the company’s internal regulations.
We have analyzed many European airports and interesting markets in Europe, and we have come to the conclusion that the best choice is now clearly Prague.
According to CEO Jens Bischof, the move is intended to help carriers open up new opportunities to further expand their reach and further develop the network. “We have analyzed many European airports and interesting markets in Europe, and we have come to the conclusion that the best choice is now clearly Prague,” commented the head of the airline for SZ Byznys.
Although the situation in the field of aviation business is returning to normal, traffic has not yet fully recovered from the coronavirus crisis. At present, Prague Airport offers more than 100 destinations, to which over 40 airlines fly.
The airport handled almost 289,000 passengers in June. This is 650 percent more than last year, when it is operating after the first wave of coronavirus pandemics to gradually recover. At the same time, it is more than double compared to May this year.
Note: We have added the statement of the co-owner of the Smartwings group Jiří Šimáně