Having recently celebrated its 100th birthday, through its history ČSA Czech Airlines has had to repeatedly adapt to survive. With its roots in mail services across the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, ČSA established itself in the new country of Czechoslovakia in the early part of the 20th century and evolved from a domestic and regional carrier into an international player.
However, the country was dismembered by Nazi Germany prior to World War Two and, though reconstituted after the war, fell into the Soviet sphere of influence, resulting in ČSA buying Soviet-built airliners and serving predominantly Eastern bloc destinations.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, ČSA adapted once again, competing in the free-market economy. Then followed the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia, with ČSA becoming the flag carrier of the Czech Republic in 1993. The airline sought international partnerships, making deals with Air France and Korean Airlines before becoming a member of Skyteam.
Under Smartwings, ČSA saw its operations decimated by COVID and restructuring became necessary, with just two aircraft flying up until late 2024, when the venerable ČSA name was retired for good.
Filled with more than 100 never-before seen images of operations from the early days to the present, this volume details the full history of one of the oldest airlines in the world.
