CZECH REPUBLIC. CSA Czech Airlines said today that it will retain its airport duty free and inflight sales operations, after previously indicating it might sell them.
The company said it will instead launch a tender to sell its cargo terminal at Prague international airport and its complete catering operations.
CSA is calling for non-binding bids for the catering operations and cargo terminal to be submitted by the end of October. It said it intends to complete the sales by February 2007.
The cash-strapped airline is seeking to shore up its finances via the divestments. In the first half of the year, CSA posted a net loss of CZK773 million (US$34.63 million), compared with a CZK532 million loss a year ago.
The airline is 91.5% owned by the Czech government.
CSA carried 1.2 million passengers during the summer holidays with +2.9 % more passengers in July and August than the same months last year. The biggest increase in passengers carried was recorded by CSA charter flights with 271,450 passengers, up +3.8 % year-on-year.
In July, the total number of passengers rose +2.9 % to 607,714 while in August the figures increased by +2.8 % to 612,087. The most popular regular flights for the summer headed for London, Paris, Amsterdam and New York. The most popular charter destinations were Greece, Egypt and Spain.
