Czech Prime Minister for sale of Czech Airlines to strategic partner
Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas will recommend to the government next year that it looks to sell state carrier Czech Airlines (CSA) to a strategic partner, he said on Sunday. "I would welcome (privatisation of CSA) and I will recommend this to the government next year," he said on a Sunday talk show on Czech Television, Czech news agency reported.
"I am convinced that the only reasonable way to help CSA is a sale to a strategic partner." Necas also said he would not be for a sale of Prague Airport because in current conditions it would not fetch the price it deserved.
CSA has been struggling to recover from an ill-fated expansion which stretched its finances since the mid of the last decade. A privatisation attempt two years ago failed.
The airline, part of the Skyteam alliance that includes Delta Air Lines and Air France-KLM, had an operating loss of 632 million crowns ($32.52 million) last year and was selling parts of this business to improve its cash flow.