Posted by John Boyd on Dec 6 2011. Filed under Current Affairs, The Daily .cz. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Czech Airlines (České aerolínie) is feeling the pinch and so is cutting back on many of its less lucrative flights, which, unfortunately, includes many flights from Slovakia.

Yesterday, the airline suddenly stopped the sale of tickets for flights from Bratislava, and it will stay that way until next March at least. The company plans to make use of the busy summer season, though.

The company issued a statement that it would be cancelling flights from Bratislava, Poprad and Zilina airports on economic grounds. According to SME daily, the airline cancelled flights to Amsterdam and Larnaca in Cyprus planned for today. The company is keeping its flights from Kosice to Prague open in line with the schedule, though, as these flights sell well.

Bratislava Airport is shocked by the sudden move, with sales director Tomas Kika complaining that it came out of the blue without notice, and worse is that it is just before the Christmas holidays.

The move has put many travellers out on a limb with Sme daily citing one travel agents as having up to 140 tickets that were cancelled today. All that most travellers can do is try to get their money back and get to their destinations in some other way.

Bratislava Airport is hoping one of the other airlines will jump in and make use of the hole left by Czech Airlines.