CSA and Aeroflot will remain the only airlines flying between the Czech Republic and Russia for at least one more year. Discussions launched by the Czech Republic to end the monopoly have progressed, but reportedly at the insistence of Aeroflot, the treaty guaranteeing the two carriers exclusive access between the countries has been extended by one year.
CSA is under increasing pressure, and sees its Russian market as a crucial addition to its Western European routes, which director Philipp Moreels describes as guaranteed loss makers. Despite this standpoint, the Czech state appears to be more concerned with lowering ticket prices in order to attract more Russians to visit.
