Czech Airlines has cancelled service to Seoul, its only remaining long-haul route, until the end of the year. The last time it made the trip was at the end of February, but since then, the only airplane it has for such flights, a leased Airbus A330, has sat idle at Prague airport. Its lease contract will not be renewed. Korean Airlines, the only other carrier allowed to fly between the two countries, will continue to offer direct flights to the South Korean capital. The news comes as debate intensifies over whether to nationalize the Czech flagship carrier. The company is burning through CZK 150m per month, paying the lease deals for 11 unused planes and for staff that has nowhere to fly. Some argue that it’s pointless to buy out the shares of the Chinese state-owned company Citec, which holds the shares through its stake in the larger airline Smartwings. Others warn that buying out ČSA may be the only way to convince the Chinese that Smartwings is worth saving.
