CSA cashflow trouble

[LeadingEdge]

Hi
rumours have it that CSA Czecho Airlines is in deep financial trouble,some say there is a real big cashflow issue.Reason seems to be the cancelled codeshare contract with lufthansa last year and really bad numbers on all UK flights.Watch out for more.

[GOLF-INDIA BRAVO]

Can`t give CSA on own but in April
there were 214 flights to/from Prague ex Manchester and 18188 pax in month which gives average of 85 pax per flight between bmiBaby and CSA

G-I-B

[Lower Hangar]

And they've recently (April ?) concluded a deal with Airbus for 12 A320's + a Flight Sim in an expansion of their Training Centre in Prague.

[LeadingEdge]

UK flights make almost no profit at all...german market is weak and there are new problems appearing as the A310 fleet will retire and the planned A330 replacement is way too expensive....

[firstchoice7e7]

Surprising UK flights make no profit. They recently added GLA and EDI. Seems strange if there was no money to be made....

[GOLF-INDIA BRAVO]

and they added a 3rd Manchester on 4 days a week

G-I-B

[EK-LHR-LGW-GLA-MAN-B]

CSA are now 10 flights a week at GLA and between the CSA 10 flights and FlyGlobespan daily flights there is a overall 80% load on the route.

[GoEDI]

The EDI route has been going for a while now, a few years, and it's always been publicised as doing particularly well for them, but now that Flyglobespan have just joined them on the route those times could be about to go...

[LeadingEdge]

..got the info from a good informed source well upstairs at the HQ...the UK flights are really not making any profit...thanks to the LCCs around...and CSA failed to reduce overall costs enough,even they tried hard...they simply cant compete with easyjet&co..However the charter flights seem to be doing very well and there is still the possible takeover of TravelService,a local charter company operating 737s...

...and there is always waiting and seeing....

[MarkD]

LeadingEdge

would acquiring TravelService mean acquiring Smartwings in the same transaction, giving CSA an LCC arm?

[7006 fan]

Hope CSA don't go down. Really like flying them, ditto Malev

[Centre cities]

Reference the UK routes competition in the form of Baby also arrived at BHX this year. The fares seemed to drop quite a bit, I would imagine hitting profits per passenger.

Centre cities

[pwalhx]

I cannot comment on the flights from other airports, however I have used the Manchester-Prague service quite a lot recently. I have always found the price competetive against the LCC's.

I would say on average the load factors have been good at least 3/4 full. The interesting fact to me is however that mainy of the passengers are transfer passengers to other eastern european points not point to point traffic.

I would contend that CSA have been quite succesful in attracting this business.

[LeadingEdge]

...getting a hold of TravelService would mean getting rid of a lot of competition....the deal isnt through yet...it would definitely help to stabilize ticket prices on some routes...another bad thing is the oncoming crew shortage at CSA...rumours have it that the company is at least by some 40-80 pilots understaffed,worst case scenario has around 100 pilots less than required(total 529 pilots)....

[Rachman]

...can't imagine the CSA having cash-flow problems; they've robbed enough cash from me over the last 12 years, the swine...

[click]

the swine...
it's pork...and served with sauerkraut and bread dumplings...and lots of beer.

Anyhow, in the greatest socialist tradition, they have robbed from you and failed to share the spoils with us. So I second the swine part, making them.....swine squared?? Or square swines??

[Bratko]

Not surprised a bit! Besides not doing so well ( yeild) on the U.K routes what about their quote long hauls? JFK/EWR are full every day but not making money, is that a surprise no? The good long haul routes were "given" to A/F in the early ninties, nice route like Nam, Indo.......... Think these routes make money, ever been to PRG, every flee market is full of perspective customers. Oh ya and the best part a contract was signed that gives the pilots three more years of no vasoline treatment,so this company cant make money dispite not paying its workers, hummm not a real bright future. Could it be the new top qaulity managers appointed by the government?

[LeadingEdge]

Bratko,what makes you so angry?You,as far as i am concerned,should have absolutely no reason to complain.The company hired you,despite your cheesy US college degree,as a bag carrier and now,some nine years later,you are even allowed to clean up the mess the average C SA captain leaves in the cockpit.It is a shame,you should be banned from here,me thinks.
Please think about it,dont forget the yugoslav hell you escaped some years ago,be graceful for the wonderful job you got and all the nice people around ya...

PS how is David Hogg doing,that old horse?

leadingedge

[click]

Top quality managers annointed by the government....I'll git the barf bags. A little voice whispered through my Nokia that our economics department is so petrified of Number 1 taking a hysterical fit everytime they show him the red numbers....that they have now stopped doing so and are doing what we called in high school ---> FUDGING:E
Prove me wrong! Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

[840]

Why does it all sound like senior management softening up the staff so that that they will be glad when AF/KLM takes a more significant position in the company?

[Checkster]

Interesting news, I"ve been robbed bare back by CSA too. For the next 3 years in fact. Oh, but I can lease Fabio from Scrotum dealership for cheap. Thats what I keep reading on my e-mails. That my friends is one strong fraternity of bag carriers. I can only hope cheeSA gets bought out by AF. I"ll grow a hairlip for sure. Anyhow, you boys get a handle on writing on baboon keyboard, do pichy, not me. Kaptin.

[LeadingEdge]

Enough is enough.You are all very rude and i will report you to the moderator now.He will punch you with the fist of justice.
Be happy that you have a job as bag carrier at all.It could be worse.Shame on you.

[Bratko]

Just to set things strait Dear Leading Edge, bringing in race and education into this forum is unethical, are you going to bring up religion next? I am appalled and remember we do have big brother watching.
I think the Czechster hit the nail on the head, just maybe we could of at least gotten a BBQ gas conversion for those not opting for the tractor version of the cheese ball fabio car.
To get back to the topic cash flow, Airbus was a great choice huh?!!! Maybe a couple of 767's next to go along with the A-310s, thats in the rumor mill how about a KingAir or two, oh sorry I ment the glorious Let 410, top notch fleet planning brought much greater companies to thier knees, is che s a next? If we do have any dialog with A/F, then all of us will be Paris based and carrying da bag, would that really be worse? People at this place are used to bending over!!!!!!

[7006 fan]

Why are the knives out for CSA?
Last time I flew, it was marvellous. Prague Airport is a pain airside, Sushi Bar!!!:yuk:
what spoils the whole thing is lo-co, IMHO. the Brits wreck wherever they go. I loved Prague, feel sorry for the residents now. Uk trippers guzzle Staropramen, Budvar, Pilzner and that's about it. how many take in Josevof, Bertramka, Petrin Hill, The Rot Haus etc. Back in 95, I went to Karstein Castle for the second time, and much of the area was closed due to graffitti. Sometimes the old USSR rules of:
"severe smack on head with truncheon, reason:anti-social element, makes sense"!!!
Sometimes uncooth tourism makes me weep.
Is the state rule about controlling the price of Pilsner still in force, if so Tesco are taking the P*SS in the UK!!!

It's all down to exploitation by capitalism.


:*

[Checkster]

Ohhhh, LeadingEdge, I have no shame at all. Ever heard of reverse fuel tankering. Best.... Anyhow, whats the deal with the CSA chhh-heavies. When is the coveted AyrBuus start up comittee gonna decide weather to go with long haul or not? I even heard CSA is a part of the 787 start up comittee???? Any takers? Toot toot.

[JamesT73J]

I hope not. I went on a break to Prague recently and I thought CSA were great. Strangely formal service compared to the toothy smiles and orange skin so prevalent on other carriers, but I loved it. Almost indecently generous seat pitch too.

I'd agree with the comments about the other tourists, but at least there is some determination to keep the city clean and tidy, and the more garish high-street branding out of the old town.

I too drunk far too much pilsner, but at least I had my walking shoes on during daylight hours!

www.pbase.com/sulman/prague

:}

[7006 fan]

James,

What a fantastic set of photos, really nice and reminds me that Prague is a most beautiful city. Glad you got aquainted with the local brew. Did you U Fleku?
There was a Pivnice I used to frequent around he back of Wenceslas square called the Two Black Cats (a couple of doors down from the local Police station) served really good pork and dumplings. Wooden seats and furniture, really basic but at 100kcs for a meal, if I remember rightly, what can one say.


:ok:

[JamesT73J]

I'm glad you liked the pictures. The weather wasn't ideal for most of the break, but it's an enchanting place and I can't wait to visit again.

The beer that really stood out for me was this dark stuff called 'Bernard' that comes in a large bottle (sort of Grolsch size) and tastes very mild and malty. However, it's 13%!!! A couple of those and I was very happy.

Cheers


james

[7006 fan]

good for you. Try U Flekunext time you are there. They usually start with Becherovka -ice cold- followed by dark beer, coz that is all they got! For is brill Wild Boar Goose etc.
There is also a super restuarant off Old Town Square, down one of the little lanes, don't ask me which, but it is like a magnet when I am en-route!!!
It serves Forest Fayre -Venison, Stag, Boar and so on. watch-out on the way out the spiral stairs are FUN.
Must go back for Prague Spring next year...again

:ok:

Has prague airport sorted it's catering yet, or is it still that God awful Sushi Bar on the first floor or the bar and sarnies on 'ground'!

[LeadingEdge]

What a topic...from cashflow troubles to prague airport catering troubles....best