On 1 March, Czech Airlines will celebrate sixty years since the launch of scheduled air service between Prague and Germany’s capital, Berlin. A Czech Airlines plane carried passengers to Berlin for the first time on 1 March 1948. Presently, the Airline deploys the 64-passenger ATR 72 aircraft, on its twelve scheduled flights to Berlin each week.
The Czech Airlines route connecting the Czech and German capitals is the oldest of its German destinations. Today, it is used primarily by businessmen and managers. A significant number of the passengers from Berlin carry on, beyond Prague, on connecting Czech Airlines flights to the Middle East, or to Southern or South-Eastern Europe.
Czech Airlines presently offers service between Prague and Berlin twelve times a week, in the morning and in the afternoon. Passengers can fly from Prague to Berlin from Monday through Saturday at 7:30 a.m., or every day of the week but Saturday, at 5:40 p.m. On the way back, they can travel at 9:10 in the morning, every day except for Sundays, or at 7:10 p.m. The direct flight takes one hour.
In 2007, Czech Airlines carried 34,750 passengers on the route between Prague and Berlin’s Tegel Airport. Of the current offer of the eight German destinations that can be reached from Prague, the Berlin route is fourth in terms of the number of passengers carried. The greatest demand is for flights between Prague and Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, and Stuttgart.
Aside from the Berlin route, Czech Airlines offers flights to another seven German cities: Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Munich, Hanover, and Cologne. Among all airlines, Czech Airlines has the broadest selection of flights between the Czech Republic and Germany. Czech Airlines currently offer 93 flights a week between Prague and Germany. With the summer flight schedule, i.e., from 30 March, the frequency of service to Stuttgart and Hanover will be increased, and Czech Airlines will then offer 99 flights to Germany per week.
The History of the Prague-Berlin-Prague Air Service
During the airline’s history, Czech Airlines’ aircraft have flown to all Berlin’s airports. At first, it was the Berlin-Schönefeld Airport, built in 1934, which served as the airport for East Berlin in the Cold War era. In 1992, Czech Airlines moved its flights to Tempelhof International Airport, the second oldest airport in the world, located in the city centre. The Airline terminated its activities at that airport in 1999, to start operating out of Tegel International Airport, from which it flies to this day.
Berlin is the second largest city in the European Union. It is also one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in Germany. Berlin is known for its cultural and artistic scene and an international atmosphere.
