UK - Prague routes

[davidjohnson6]

As all are aware, Czech Airlines have closed all scheduled routes to the UK. This leaves BA as the sole full service carrier to the UK, with Easyjet owning most of the LCC market to London, Wizzair doing a daily to Luton, and Jet2 with the main routes from northern England. Ryanair tries the UK - Prague market but pulled out.

In comparison to perhaps 7 years ago and also other large European cities, the number of flights between the UK and Prague seems relatively low. In particular CAA stats indicate the number of passengers on the UK - Czech market declined 45 % between 2005 and 2011.
Comparing 2005 and 2011 annual passenger traffic numbers, the UK - Slovakia and UK - Hungary markets are relatively unchanged while the UK - Poland market has grown 27 %. All 4 countries joined the EU on the same date.

Typically, when one carrier exits a market, other carriers will act like vultures and pick over any profitable leftovers.

I know the fad for 20-something years old male Brits going to Prague for a stag weekend of misbehaving has had its day, but what's the story behind this passenger number decline ?
Conscious effort of airlines to avoid flooding the market and keep fares high ? Or something else ?

[Kinder]

I think two reasons:

1) Most important. CSA/BA were on the market and then LCCs (almost all at the same time) came in - very cheap prices and aircrafts full of 20s brits going to Prague for beer&sex. Actually, this market from UK is almost unlimited, but the problem is that those 20s are flying if the fares are 10-20pounds and not going if it is more expensive. Everybody cannot survive in such market and FR and OK decided to pull out. OK got the money for slots at LHR.

2) CSA had transfer traffic from London to Eastern Europe and Russia. When they pull out, this transfer traffic has gone.

[pwalhx]

I used to travel to Prague 5/6 times a year on business using OK from Manchester (at the time when they had up to 3 flights a day). Whilst certainly there was point to point traffic as Prague is a beautiful city as well as its other delights, there was also a significant amount of transfer traffic to the east. So to reinforce the previous comment they have already lost connecting traffic from the regions ( I would imagine the same was true for Birmingham and Scotland flights) they would inevitably loose them from London.
One can only assume there was little or no yield on this transfer traffic or greater yield to be had elsewhere.

[sunday8pm]

Prague charged FR too much so MOL pulled out. He said in an interview not long ago that Ryanair will go back one day if/when they agree to his demands.

[wawkrk]

The Czech Republic cannot be compared with Poland. The population is about 10m where Poland is about 40m. The Czech Republic is more or less a one city destination where Poland has several cities worth visiting. Then you add to that Poles coming to the UK. It seems to me about 90% of the pax on Polish routes are Poles and to a lesser extent Romanians.
Poland has been a large untapped market for many years.

[easyflyer83]

Not an answer to the opening question but the belief that stag parties keep LCC flights going on routes to European cities with any kind of nightlife, is a bit of a myth. Sure, they provide the staple for your Friday and Sunday flights but the rest of the week is very much sedate.

[johnnychips]

When the low-cost airlines expanded in the 2000s, you could get cheap flights to Prague (various carriers) and Dublin (FR) from all over Britain. Loads of people I know went to both including, but certainly not exclusively, hen and stag parties.

But once you've been, you've been, if you see what I mean. I enjoyed my stay in Dublin from DSA, but I wouldn't go again; and I know a lot of people who went to Prague when EZY did the route. They are not like holiday destinations where you might return year after year.

[eu01]

Prague certainly does have a vast potential for both legacy and low cost carriers. At least for LCCs the biggest hurdle is the lack of low cost airport or at least terminal there. Vodochody Airport nearby (LKVO) wanted to take on this role, but there have been too many formal obstacles around this project.

[The SSK]

UK (and Irish) LoCos trashed the Prague market. When the national carrier can't support a Heathrow service you know something is very wrong.

Hordes of people travelling for peanuts on impulse does not constitute 'demand'.

[easyflyer83]

Rubbish. OK was growing it's market very well on the MAN route slap bang during the low cost revolution.