I am a Czech citizen, and I can tell you that it was a sad day. There were pilots and passengers on TV crying about the departure. It was a sad day for Czech Aviation
I am a czech citizen and its just super sad for the whole country i watched it land on youtube yesterday and even heard the atc to talk to them and it was so sweet its just super sad we lost them too early and smartwings isnt rly taking over they just own about 40% of the ČSA stock so they will now provide flights with few ČSA planes but it wont be the same 🫡R.I.P. ČSA ❤️ YOU WILL BE MISSED 🫡
@@RedHawkgamingcz asi to někde bude já osobně sem si natočil stream abych to měl ale ten stream že kterýho to mám je 24/7 a tam vidíš max 12h zpátky takže tam to už nejde ale je to novinka takže o tom teď lidi budou dělat videa takže to určitě někde bude......snad
I mean they will retain it. Except from now on, they’ll fly the SAME standards as Smartwings. No frills lowcost flights. I think they’ll use Czech airlines branding for non leisure routes as Smartwings is mainly a holiday airline.
@@ajorbistais that so? I hope their liveries continue to grace the skies, at least. Not like other airlines that were completely erased from existance
So sad day, I am Czech and every time I saw Czech airlines at any airport it felt like piece of home. I feel like loosing flag carrier it’s like loosing aviation identity. Imagine loosing BA or Air France. Government leadership let 5th oldest airline down. I would like to thank you from bottom of my heart for capturing this emotional journey and end of era.. CSA always in my heart.
Flew them one last time on 16th. Had a great interaction with 2 of the crew members. You could feel their pride and thanked me for flying CSA the past years
Great video Patrick - wow- what a first class meal for an hours flight - I have flown them and it’s very sad that they will be no longer - Aviation is always changing - thanks
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1312">21:52</a> on the left is one of the crewmembers from my last OK flight 2 days before on Oct, 24th, which was her last flight under the CSA brand. Heartwarming and sad to see this piece of aviation history gone after more than 100 years. My first flight with them was some like 40 years ago, despite never being a big airlne they have always been there... until now. Ahoj, CSA!
The lounge was very impressive. As usual your review was straightforward and honest. That meal looked first class. This was really cool to watch, thanks!
I’ve lived in the Czech Republic for 30 years. The Czechs are very sad about this, especially the older ones. They’ll get over it eventually, the same way they’ve seen some of their groceries replaced by Lidl.
Is there really anyone longing for the old Czech grocery stores? 😄 Open 9-5 on workdays and 8-12 on Saturdays, with limited offer, high prices and constantly pissed staff? I think that's a very unfortunate analogy for the Czech Airlines, whom most people will actually miss.
Czech airlines were so old as my mother is 101y and she is still alive..Sad day. I used ČSA many times on domestic flights from Bratislava to Prague or from Bratislava to Poprad Tatry. It was part of our history as Slovaks and Czechs together..
As a Czech I feel very sad but also ashamed. This all wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the bad management and a guy who thought he could fly to the whole world from a country with only 10 milion people. It's very sad that we lost something we have been building for the past 101 years. ČSA ahoj❤✈.
Thank you. Have friends whose family have been part of CSA since the 1950s and TU-104 days. They're with CSA Tecknic now, which is still trading but under different ownership for quite some years now. A sad event.
I'm from the Czech Republic and I feel sad about it. But in reality, the airline was in bad shape for the last 15 years, and the end was inevitable. Czech Airlines will always be missed but eventually forgotten. When it comes to Smartwings their easy to hate but it is more complicated. Most of the Smartwings flights are to holiday destinations and most people flying with them get their flights booked by travel agencies, so most people don't even choose Smartwings, and for those who do - it's almost always price over everything else.
I'm a bit intrigued as to why the country didn't protect the flag carrier of over 100 years, but I'm not well versed on the financial state of the country to be fair
@@PatrickSheaAviation Well, we have a little problem with inflation. So we don't have any extra money to save the airline and it would be probably a waste of money. The airline didn't even own any aircraft - both are leased. And in a situation where Smartwings is so big that PRG has problems in summer to take all the traffic, there's just nowhere to grow.
I used to be a frequent flyer on Czech Airlines for years back in days. I loved it so much. The best memories will always stay in my heart... 😢 I still have plastic OK Plus card, will keep it as a sweet memory. Condolences to Czechia from Lithuania
My family returned to the Czech Republic in 1990. My Dad was a refugee in WWII. My youngest brother returned in 1990 and I was the "courier" of basic necessities which at that time were unavailable. I would take Continental from Newark to Frankfurt and then take OK airways to Prague. I flew on AN124's and TU-154's for the 1st few years. Many pilots were former military at the time. Aircraft were soon replaced by Boeing aircraft. OK was always a great airline and we will all miss them.
Dang, I just finished watching the entire video, and I felt somber with it. I'm glad that you covered OK's final flight for us, especially to those who have never flown this airline and never will, due to its fate. The applause at touchdown surely brings all the feels. 🥹
What a lovely sendoff to this carrier Patrick. I flew OK in November 1985 - at the end of six months in Europe. Athens Ellinikon to Prague Ruzyně to Montreal Mirabel to JFK. I believe it was an Ilyushin or Tupolev of some type. Beer was free flowing and it was a really interesting experience.
Probably a Tupolev Tu-134 from Athens to Prague, and an Ilyushin Il-62 from Prague to Montreal. I've never flown on a Soviet/Russian plane, but those old ones at least are said to have been very noisy even inside, with very loud engines and poor acoustic insulation. Otherwise fine.
I hate seeing an airline get replaced by a no frills source of transportation. The food you were served looked great and there was tons of it. I would have enjoyed flying with them.
I was planespotting at PRG to see the final OK flight and it was apparent that to a lot of people (including me) it was a very sad moment to see the Czech Airlines OK brand go. There were like 120 people just standing there at the planespotting point, by far the most I've seen before.
Between 2006-11, I got to OK Plus Platinum with Czech Airlines. They flew everywhere! Back then, automatic upgrades to business class for Platinums. Transit in Prague was also great. Adieu Czech Airlines!
Interesting fact. The very first flight was to Belgrade. We have maintained Air Serbia, successor of Jat Airways, JAT - Yugoslav Airlines, and Aeroput. The earliest one, Aeroput, was established in 1927, as one of the top 10 air carriers in Europe, and the 21st air carrier which was established in the world. We carry the legacy of our previous air carriers and we let Air Serbia grow and prosper. I am so sad that our Slavic brothers, the Czechs, have not maintained their own national air carrier. After all, 101 years is a long time. The fact that it was the fifth oldest air carrier in the world means you should have kept it at all costs. Sorry, Czechia. You shouldn't have let this happen. Very sad.
It‘s so sad! Czech Airlines has gone prior to my first flight. The Czech Rebublic deserves defenitely a flag carrier! By the way: Recently I booked a ticket on smartwings. Very old plane… But finally I landed in PRG and went on to MUC on LH ; )
Jako všechno co u nás bylo zavedeno, vytvořeno, postaveno, další značka po zbrojovkách, chemických závodech, vývoji prášků, Vlněny a podobných fabrik, nedávno i Zetoru, atd,... je další značka zlikvidována!
Please accept my condolences and feeling of solidarity. As a Hungarian we have been through this. My first flight in my life was a Budapest - Prague flight back in 1997. I will never forget CSA.
That's a bummer that you miss Lynx's air final flight in Canada last February I think, before no more, that's sad. I didn't know your gonna upload early today and I did not expect the national flag carrier of the Czech airlines will cease flight operations in Europe, switiching to Smart wings, that's sad. At least your able to fly the oldest and last Czech airlines, even though your flight to Prague is full, then cease the airlines, that's sad. Nice outro, that's sad.
Well, you actually can transfer at CDG terminals without redoing security (and that’s what’s actually done). Arriving transfer passengers quickly exit the terminal airside and take a bus that serves all the terminals on the airside.
Whaaat? It's not Sunday morning yet!!! Sad to see it go, but at least I've flown with Czech once, from Warsaw to Prague. My jetBlue inaugural flight to Long Island video will still go live Sunday morning, though :)
THANK YOU for covering this and I actually tracked its final flight and my dad flown this airline a LOT and I am just SAD that another airline went away and that I cannot try it out myself and THANK YOU for the history of both Smartwings and Czech Airlines and I agree with you that Czech Airlines should have stayed instead of Smartwings 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
I have a warm relationship with ČSA. Not only because I am from the Czech Republic, but also because my initials coincidentally are "OK". When I could, I chose to fly with ČSA. I find it hard to accept their demise in favor of SmartWings.
I'm Czech, not really into airlines, but it's sad. The covid government propped Smartwings with money and applauded the medical workers, while it should have been the other way round. Smartwings is also called "Smrtwings" (smrt means death) for their shoddy safety record. Since today, czech air line aviation is not OK (pardon the pun), but ČSA were being mismanaged for a long time.
@@PatrickSheaAviation Patrick I actually just watched this morning Josh Cahills video on this exact flight but he did a round trip with his mother Prague to Paris then the flight you were on Paris to Prague. Yea there was a lot of other you tubers aboard also. I find your video's more to my liking as more real and less of the Hollywood style of performance. Cheers mate
SO far, I have flown with SAS, LOT, Lufthansa, Austrian, KLM, Norwegian and Bulgaria air. Only the latter has real business class seats for their inter European flights.
I had the privilege of flying CSA Czech Airlines, the “OK Airline” back in 1972. This was when CSA was under the Czech Communist regime. Flew an IL 62 JFK-PRA. Connected to a CSA IL 18 PRA-BUD. Then all the world’s airlines belonged to IATA (Intl Air Transport Assn) and most all extended to each other’s employees non-revenue pass privileges. Hence, we had the experience of flying CSA and a Russian built airliner. I’m still an aviation geek at 80! ✈️
Just a small clarification. The UK government did not pay for the Monarch rescue flights. Each ticket sold by a UK airline includes a fee that it paid into a fund ( Air Travel Trust Fund) that covers the cost of rescue flights when a UK airline has it's ATOL license suspended or revoked.
I'm from Czechia but I've never flown with Czech Airlines. Of course, it's sad to lose a national airline with such a decent and long history. Smartwings are the owners and they can do whatever they want with it... no one can really blame them for their decision. However, perhaps they missed the opportunity to rebrand themselves as "the new" CSA given that CSA had been a better-established and more respected company than Smartwings.
That would have been an interesting way to maintain the national patriotism. It's still technically possible so we will see how things work out now that it's all official
Almost all national airlines of the former Eastern Europe have either failed to compete in the modern aviation age or are not in the best of financial health. LOT is probably the only healthy survivor. With CSA we in the UK knew there were financial issues many years ago when it sold its LHR slots in order to raise cash.
I think the Schengen area killed a lot of the flag carriers from Central/Eastern Europe. Even LOT is a fraction of the airline it used to be, and if it weren't for government service mandates, most domestic flights within Poland wouldn't exist. They operate many charter flights for package holiday companies.
Definitely an interesting landscape for eastern europe's airlines, and especially flag carriers. It sounds like LOT has found a way to assist, but long haul connections from that part of the world is tough
Hey Patrick! I'm Czech and love your videos. I used to work for Czech Airlines while I was studying at university. I'm beyond sad Czech Airlines are ceasing operations. Corrupt politians, terrible management all contributed to this. I really hate Smartwings and I will never forgive them they put the last nail on the coffin and that they are ditching the OK callsign...
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="618">10:18</a> Well, Smartwigs is basically a low cost airline, which carries us to summer vacation and then back home. I've flown with them many times and... It wasn't really bad. But CSA... You know, CSA is CSA. It was the flag carrier of the Czech rep. and everyone interested in aviation here in Czechia is sad about it. OK767, the final flight back to Prague, was the most tracked flight on Flightradar24 with more than 44,000 people at a moment. Unfortunately, I've never flown with Czech airlines, but I believe that I'll get a chance one time...
I had the opportunity of flying with Czech Air from Guam to Prague. IYKYK. 😂 Guam to Incheon to Prague. It was an enjoyable flight. In fact my travel mates stole two sets of silverware and gifted them to me later that year. 😂
@@clarkvincentga-asSwiss Air Lines was once Crossair. Technically the AOC must be still Crossair. Swissair was desolved, assets spung off like Swissôtel, Swissport and Gategormet. Lufthansa is the largest shareholder at Swiss. Same with Austrian. Austrian is now technically Tyrollean Air. The AOC was also switched. Most of Austrian’s crew are now employed at Tyrollean.
Smartwings is a dull generic name, that nobody remembers. Nobody in Czechia understands why the company opted to use that brand and lose the iconic Czech Airlines name. Moreover, the common nickname for Smartwings is Smrtwings (smrt meaning d*ath in Czech), which comes both from the level of comfort they provide, and also their safety reputation, especially their infamous one-engine flight from Greece to Prague.
For context of how the czechs feel about this - the EU and CZ flags at the civil aviation authority in the Czech Republics were at half mast yesterday.
Could Czech Airlines be regarded as a continuous company as for much of it's history it was Czechoslovakian Airlines and split into Czech and Slovakian Airlines around 1990?So equally Slovakian, assuming that they are still in action, could be regarded as the successor company.
Hungary still has an advantage, since your carrier is low cost also for the passengers 😄 Our carrier is only low cost in terms of service, with the ticket prices being as high or even higher than legacy carriers.
A Czech here. It is so so sad for me! I flew with ČSA many times. My first flight with ČSA was in 1978 from Milan to PRG (I was 10 years old). I even flew with ČSA on Il62 from JFK to PRG in May 1982. My last flight with CSA was in August 2009 from PRG to JFK. I always appreciated their high quality service on board. Will miss them, will miss "Fly OK, Fly CSA"! 😪❤💙🤍
It is a sad day for the Czech Republic (I refuse to call it Czechia). But one controversial take I’ll share is the United States has three flag carries; American, Delta and United. I will die on this hill.
Ha. It's an interesting take on US flag carriers, but technically none of them get the flag carrier treatment even if they do have the brand recognition
Im not sure if you mentioned it but czech airlines will still exist, its just they will not have any planes, certificates and so on. So the brand still continues to live on and if smartwings the parent company decides to revive it they practically could.
@Patrick Shea…how do I feel? It hurts, it really hurts. But this is something I expected since the Korean Air sold their share in CSA to Smarwings. Me personally I do have a problem to use QS even for the package holidays. From Prague, I’m using all the other airlines like Lufthansa, Finnair, Air France etc. It is really sad….
I honestly think this is probably how the Hawaiian Airlines name brand will probably fade into existence. With merger comes a lot of changes, with the latest news that a dozen or so employees to separate from the company on Dec.17
A departing souvenir?? Please don't turn me over to the authorities. But take the silverware?? I know, I am bad, At 66 who cares. Great video as usual. Thanks
