History

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Czech Airlines is one of the oldest airlines in Europe. We have provided services to passengers since 1923. Right up to the present, we have gained an enormous amount of experience and have grown into a modern airline, boasting a number of awards for the quality of our services.

2008

Over the course of 2008, Czech Airlines took delivery of four brand new Airbus A319 aircraft.
January – Czech Airlines offers the members of its OK Plus Frequent Flyer Programme a Platinum Card.
February – Czech Airlines prepared a more diverse and richer offer of refreshments for passengers in Economy Class.
March – During the summer flight schedule (from 30 March through 25 October), Czech Airlines started serving six new destinations: Strasbourg, Tbilisi, Damascus, Rostov-on-Don, Almaty, and Heraklion.
May – The Airline bolstered its scheduled service on the Prague-Brno route
June – Czech Airlines began offering a new service for its passengers at Prague Airport – the complimentary wrapping of baggage in security foil.
June – Czech Airlines earned the Best Airline Based in Central and Eastern Europe award from the international aviation organisation Official Airline Guide (OAG).
July – The Airbus A310 aircraft that Czech Airlines most frequently deploys on its long-haul flights to New York underwent a major overhaul of its interior.
August – Czech Airlines agreed with the Prague Airport Authority on the disentangling of their relations. The step increased the value of both companies and enabled Czech Airlines’ further development in the Northern Grounds of Prague Airport.
September – Czech Airlines provides a new service to passengers with a Business Premium ticket – complimentary taxi rides to Ruzyně Airport and back, from any place in Prague.
October – Czech Airlines celebrated its 85th anniversary.
October – During the 2008/2009 winter flight schedule, Czech Airlines boosted flight frequencies primarily to the most in-demand destinations in Western Europe and Scandinavia, but also to a number of cities in South-Eastern Europe. There was also a significant bolstering of domestic routes to Brno and Ostrava.
October – Czech Airlines successfully passed the final stage of an environmental audit pursuant to the international ISO 14001 standard.
October – Czech Airlines passengers can newly check in for their flights directly at selected Prague hotels
November – The members of the Czech Airlines OK Plus Frequent Flyer Programme can take advantage of an upgrade to Business Class in exchange for miles, not only on Czech Airlines flights, but also on those of the SkyTeam Alliance.
December – The Airline published its 2009 Action Plan in response to the economic crisis.

2007

February – Czech Airlines was awarded the title of “Best Airline” by TTG magazine, for the seventh time
March – Czech Airlines was awarded the “Best Airline Based in Central/Eastern Europe” by OAG in London, for the fourth time
Czech Airlines participated in prestigious cultural events as the Official Carrier – transporting the participants of the 62nd Prague Spring Festival and the 42nd International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary. The “Under the Wings of Czech Airlines” project, which supports the education of children in Czech orphanages, also continued.
April – Czech Airlines acquired its eighth new Airbus A320/319 for its fleet
May – In cooperation with Delta Air Lines, Czech Airlines introduced a direct flight to the largest airport in the world: Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
The launch of a new programme for children – Jetsters – offering entertaining and educative games on board of Czech Airlines flights
Czech Airlines added new flights to Slovakia (Prague-Poprad) and Russia (Karlovy Vary-St. Petersburg)
June – Czech Airlines extended its cooperation with the tour operator Exim Tours for an additional three-year period
Czech Airlines introduced Internet Check-in; a faster and more comfortable check-in option via the Internet
July – Following renovations, Czech Airlines opened its largest sales office in the Centre of Prague
August – Czech Airlines won the prestigious “Best Airline in Central Europe” award, in the World Airline Awards ranking
September – Czech Airlines introduced its new visual style, which is more comprehensible for its foreign clients, who constitute 80% of the airline’s customers. For Czech passengers, the easily identifiable, traditional abbreviation for Czech Airlines has been retained in the new logo
- The Airline reserved eight Airbus A319 aircraft to be supplied in 2011-2012
October – Czech Airlines successfully passed a safety audit of the international aviation organisation IATA, called IOSA.
November – In code-shared cooperation with Emirates SkyCargo, Czech Airlines launched its first Prague – Dubai – Hong Kong cargo flight.
December – Czech Airlines celebrated the 50th anniversary of the deployment of the Tupolev-104A jet on scheduled flights
-The Czech Airlines Air Crew Training Centre introduced an A320 cabin simulator for its cabin attendants.

2006

January – Czech Airlines was voted the Best Airline in Eastern Europe for the second time by the American public
Opening ceremony for our new airport lounge – the Crystal Lounge
The first three new Airbus A320s delivered (named Jeseník, Kutná Hora, and Slaný)
May – For the third time, Czech Airlines was chosen the Best Airline in Central and Eastern Europe (the award is handed out by the international aviation society OAG in London)
May – Czech Airlines enhanced its Telephone Check-in service; the Call Centre now operates around-the-clock
A survey conducted by IATA shows that in 2006 passenger satisfaction with Czech Airlines services was among the highest in Europe
July – Czech Airlines, in cooperation with Russia’s Aeroflot, expanded its code-shared network of destinations in the Russian Federation (Irkutsk, Kemerovo, Omsk, Barnaul), in Ireland (Cork and Dublin), in Great Britain (Manchester) and Scotland (Edinburgh).
Czech Airlines carried a record 5.5 million passengers over the year.

2005

CSA won the “Best Airline in Eastern Europe” Award (the Annual GT Tested Awards) from the American magazine Global Traveler, New York (January)
CSA acquired two Airbus A320’s for regular transport and two A321’s for charter transport
in April, CSA and Airbus SAS signed a contract for 12 new-generation aircraft (Airbus A320 Family - A319’s and A320’s), to be added to the CSA fleet over the 2006-2008 period

2004

Inauguration of a new CSA Cargo terminal (January)
CSA won the “Best Airline on the Czech Market” award by TTG Czech Republic (February)
CSA was selected as “Best Airline Based in Central/Eastern Europe” by the OAG (Official Airline Guide, London) (May)
CSA pilots won the “The Most Consistent Airline” award given out by Manchester Airport (annual track-keeping award for the most consistent performer)
september – long term exclusive cooperation with the EXIM Tours travel agency for charter transport began
in 2004, the CSA fleet grew to 45 planes, i.e., growing by a record number of ten airplanes (three new ATR42-500’s, four Boeing 737-400’s, two Boeing 737-500’s and one long-haul Airbus A310-300)
ten new destinations were added to the CSA network – in the European Union (Glasgow, Krakow, London-Gatwick, Luxemburg, Marseilles), in the Russian Federation (Samara, Yekaterinburg); Azerbaijan, Baku) and the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. At the same time, after the Czech Republic joined the EU, CSA entered a completely new market. For the first time in its history, it offered a connection outside the Czech Republic, a Marseille-Barcelona flight
in 2004, CSA offered connections to 75 destinations in 44 countries worldwide and carried a record number of 4.34 million passengers

2003

ceremonial laying of foundation stone for new CSA Cargo terminal (February)
Call Centre service extended from 6a.m. to 10 p.m. - phone no.: 239 007 007 (May)
in 2003 CSA carried a total of 3 591 456 passengers and 21 092 tons of cargo and mail, offering regular connections to 40 countries and 66 cities in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa
at the beginning of 2003, CSA had a fleet of 31 airplanes. The fleet grew by four additional airplanes (one Boeing 737-400, two Boeing 737-500’s and one Airbus A310-300)
over the year, CSA introduced flights to Tallinn in Estonia, Edinburgh in Scotland, Cork in Ireland and Sliač in Slovakia

2002

the summer season sees the opening of routes to Venice and Cologne/Bonn

2001

CSA joins the SkyTeam alliance on 25th March
the summer season sees the opening of new routes to Birmingham, Ljubljana, Thessaloniki, Vilnius and, in co-operation with Air France, Lyon

2000

the direct sale of flight tickets via the Internet is introduced
routes to Ostrava and Brno are reopened
the use of Russian aircraft on iregular routes is terminated

1999

extended fleet by two new Boeing 737's and ATR 42's
introduced operation on new routes to Dublin and Göteborg

1998

celebrated 75th anniversary of the foundation of the company
opened new flights to Oslo, Nice and Bologna
three Boeing 737's added to the fleet in March, April and May
for the first time in its history and in the history of civil aviation, carried out technical maintenance of airplanes from a Western European

1997

byla dodána další tři letadla Boeing 737-500, vyřadily ruské stroje Tu-134A z provozu a Tu-154M z pravidelných linek ČSA

1996

beginning of cooperation with Continental Airlines
introduction of the ATR-42 into CSA operation

1995

introduction of Boeing 737-400 on CSA routes
opening of flights to Hanover and Stuttgart

1994

Air France's share in CSA sold to Konsolidacni banka

1992

included ATR-72 and Boeing 737-500 aircraft into operation
extended network to Chicago, Toronto, Manchester, Dusseldorf, Vienna, Lvov, Riga and Bahrain
transformed into a joint stock company in the second part of the year, with Air France as a shareholder

1991

introduced the Airbus 310-300 into fleet at the beginning of the year and began
operating to Tel Aviv and Istanbul

1990

opened flights to Mexico and Hamburg in the summer season

1988

included the TU-154M into fleet and introduced a flight to Bangkok

1977 - 1987

expanded operations to include new destinations, such as: Barcelona, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Malta, Lisbon, Jerevan and Tashkhent

1974

included the JAK-40

1971

included the TU-134A into its fleet

1970

opened new flights to Montreal and New York

1969

introduced IL-62 aircraft into operation for long-distance flights

1963 - 1968

these years were marked by the rampant development of international transport - new destinations in Africa, the Middle East and South
East Asia appeared in the network

1962

introduced the first trans-Atlantic flight from Prague to Havana

1960

introduced the turbo-prop IL-18 aircraft into fleet.
crossed the equator for the first time, with the opening of a flight to Jakarta, on the 14th of August

1957

introduction of Avia IL-14,made under licence.
entered the turbo-jet era on the 9th of December, by introducing TU-104A aircraft into regular operation on the Prague - Moscow route

1949

began an orientation toward Soviet airline-technology, introducing IL-12 and LI-2 planes

1947

entered into intercontinental air transport for the first time, with the opening of flights to Cairo and Ankara

1946 - 1948

gradually renewed, or newly introduced, operation on both international and domestic routes

1945

introduced post-war activity on the 14th of September, as the only Czechoslovakian airline carrier

1939

15^th of March, interrupted activities due to the occupation of Czechoslovakia

1938

opened flights to Paris, Rome and Budapest

1937

at the beginning of April, moved to the new airport in Prague-Ruzyni, the construction of which was awarded a gold medal from the International Exhibition of Art and Technology in Paris.
on the 7^th of April performed airport's introductory flight to Brussels.
improved passenger service by introducing cabin attendants on board.

1936

connected Prague and Moscow on the 2nd of September

1933

introduced Prague - Bucharest flight on the 11^th of September

1930

on the 1st of July, entered into the world of international transport with a Ford 5AT plane on the Prague - Zagreb route

1929

became a member of IATA (International Air Transport Association)

1924 - 1927

connected Prague with Kosice and Brno and also with the West Bohemia spa area

CZECH AIRLINES was founded as Czechoslovak State Airlines on the 6th of October 1923. The first transport flight from Prague to Bratislava took place on the 29th of October the same year. On that trip, pilot Karel Brabenec flew the distance of 321 km with an Aero A-14 (Brandenburg) bi-plane.