Czech Airlines (ČSA) has responded in dramatic fashion to the collapse of its eastern strategy in much the same way other Czech businesses in other sectors: by concentrating on western Europe. Gone are the flights to Georgia and Armenia and it’s axed several routes to Russia’s regional cities, including Kalingrad. In all, the company registered a 30 percent drop in passengers on its eastern routes, though flights to Moscow have continued largely as before. “Our goal is to use the planes to the maximum,” said ČSA’s director Jan Toth.
Instead, ČSA is implementing a host of shorter flights to western European destinations, including routes between cities other than Prague. So, for example, a plane will take passengers from Prague to Stuttgart, before continuing on to Geneva and to Marseille and back to Geneva, Stuttgart and Bologne. ČSA’s saw its overall passenger numbers drop by 20 percent in 2014 and has reduced its fleet to just 17 planes.
