LOM Praha steps in to help transport Czech MEPs to Brussels

The state aviation enterprise LOM Praha will help with the transport of politicians and officials to Brussels during the Czech EU Council presidency, Czech daily Mladá fronta Dnes reports. According to estimates from the Department of Transport, 80,000 passengers will travel between the Czech Republic and Brussels in the next six months. LOM Praha will help to ease the burden by providing planes through contractual partners. The Ministry of Defense is now deciding what capacity will actually be needed.

Before the pandemic, there were eight daily flights to Brussels and eight back, but currently, only Brussels Airlines and Ryanair are operating direct flights between the two capitals. Previously, Czech Airlines also flew to Brussels, but they cancelled the route in April. Subsequent negotiations with ČSA owner Smartwings about renewing the connection for the six-month presidency were unsuccessful. The government was also trying to negotiate with Brussels Airlines to increase capacity, but whether it will be possible remains to be seen.

iDNES, the independent Internet portal of MF Dnes, reported last week that Czech MEPs were unhappy with the number of Prague-Brussels flight connections, saying it was inadequate to deal with the dozens of officials who will be flying to Brussels every day and that the government should have done more to prepare.