The final flight of Czech Airlines: A century in the sky comes to an end

After 101 years of flight, Czech Airlines (CSA) took off for the last time. On Saturday evening, the airline’s final commercial flight OK767 carried passengers from Paris CDG to Prague, landing at 22:35 local time (UTC+2). This historic journey, operated by Airbus A320 with registration OK-IOO, marked the end of an era for one of the world’s oldest airlines.

Founded in 1923 as the Czechoslovak State Airline, CSA was one of the five longest-running airlines still in operation. For decades, it connected the people of Czechoslovakia, and later the Czech Republic, with destinations around the globe. Yet, the fall of communism in the 1990s brought new challenges, as the airline struggled to compete with emerging low-cost carriers.

The blow of the COVID-19 pandemic compounded these issues, shrinking revenues and adding to its debt. Unable to recover, CSA will hand over its two remaining Airbus A320 aircraft, which will continue to fly under CSA’s historic colours, logo, and “OK” code, though now under the management of the Czech private airline Smartwings.

As CSA takes its final flight, it leaves behind a legacy of resilience and connection, embodying the rich history of Czech aviation.