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Source: Scotland on Sunday

GUY DIXON

CZECH Airlines is planning to launch direct flights from Glasgow to Prague
in 2005 but expects no funding from the Scottish Executive to help meet its
costs.

The carrier, which flies to the Czech capital from Edinburgh five times a
week, will add two more flights per week on that route next summer, and
wants to introduce at least four flights per week from Glasgow.

It has also earmarked Aberdeen for direct services after 2006.

But Bohuslav Santrucek, Czech Airlines' UK director, said he did not expect
a penny from the Scottish Executive's £6.8m air route development fund.

The fund was launched last November to subsidise airport landing charges -
criticised as too expensive by some airlines - and it has attracted six new
routes for Edinburgh, three routes for Prestwick, but none so far for
Glasgow, although direct flights from Glasgow to Dubai on the Emirates
airline will start in 2005 and other flights are expected to be launched to
North America.

Santrucek said: "We are in contact with the Scottish Executive through the
Czech consul who is based in Edinburgh. They talked about the new services
and contributions [from the Executive]. But we haven't got any response yet.
I'm not sure if we have the right to get funding or not. We were not
successful and I don't want to push the consul too much."

Czech Airlines began operating the Edinburgh service in April, and Santrucek
said an average of 75% of seats were occupied on the flights. Around 90% of
passengers are tourists, including a large number of revellers heading to
the Czech capital for stag nights and hen nights.

He said: "The Edinburgh service is doing surprisingly well. We are three
months in operation, and it's already within the top 10 Czech Airline
services in Europe. We knew that it would be successful, but we didn't
expect success so fast."

Czech Airlines also operates four daily flights from London to Prague and
six flights a week from both Manchester and Birmingham.

Santrucek said a service to Aberdeen using smaller aircraft could be
introduced in "two or three years" with smaller aircraft. He said: "Aberdeen
can be on the agenda when we have some smaller aircraft. Aberdeen cannot
served be using Boeings 737s."

Earlier this year, EasyJet put expansion plans at Glasgow and Edinburgh
airports on hold citing high landing charges and criticising airports
operator BAA for acting in a monopolistic way.