This is the end of the great carrier. The company has been operating for over 100 years

Since Sunday, Czech Airlines’ place has been taken by Smartwings, which took over the Czech carrier.

Czech Airlines. The last flight

On October 26 in the evening, just before 11 p.m., the last Czech Airlines plane landed at Prague’s Václav Havel Airport, closing the chapter of over 100 years of history of this iconic airline. The farewell flight from Paris was attended by many aviation supporters and former employees. Everyone witnessed the end of the world’s fifth oldest airline. From October 27, in accordance with the winter flight schedule, the OK/CSA code disappears from flight boards in Prague, symbolically handing over the seat to the new owner.

Smartwings continues the tradition

After the end of ČSA’s operations, passenger transportation in the Czech Republic is taken over by Smartwings, one of the largest charter companies in Central Europe. Behind the company are Czech businessmen Jiří Šimáně and Roman Vik, who have been developing the brand in the regular, charter and private flights sector for years. Smartwings services are used by passengers in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. It is worth noting that despite the change of operator, the two remaining Czech Airlines planes will still wear the OK symbol and the characteristic colors and ČSA logo as a sign of respect for the legacy of the national carrier.

A symbolic farewell

The end of ČSA’s operations was symbolically commemorated in front of the headquarters of the Czech Civil Aviation Authority, where national and European Union flags were lowered. This was a tribute to the role that ČSA had played over the decades. The airline was established in 1923, gaining the status of one of the oldest in the world, and in the 1960s it had a fleet of as many as 75 aircraft. It continued operations over the following decades with approximately 40 aircraft in the early 21st century, until operations ceased with only two aircraft remaining.

Czech Airlines. One of the oldest lines in the world

Founded in 1923, ČSA was one of the first airlines in the world to offer passenger flights. More specifically, it was the fifth oldest in the world, after such giants as the Dutch KLM (1919), the Colombian Avianca (1919), the Australian Qantas (1920) and the Russian Aeroflot (1923). In its heyday, Czech Airlines was the pride of the Czech people and played a key role in connecting the country with the rest of the world.