Pegasus Airlines to acquire Czech Airlines and Smartwings

The Czech Office for the Protection of Competition (ÚOHS) has approved the acquisition of Czech Airlines (ČSA) and Smartwings by the Turkish airline group Pegasus.

To prevent a significant reduction in market competition, the approval is conditional. Pegasus must transfer a portion of its summer flight slots on the Prague–Antalya route to a third party. This measure aims to ensure that other potential competitors can maintain access to suitable time slots for direct regular flights between these cities.

Smartwings, which is 100% owned by ČSA, is the largest Czech airline with a fleet of 49 aircraft. The merger follows a period of restructuring for the Czech carriers, including ČSA's transition to a management company for the Smartwings Group.