CSA staff to strike at Dublin airport

Employee's of Czech airline CSA were due to go on strike at Dublin airport this afternoon. The employees are members of union SIPTU which says that today's action is as a result of the airline's decision to offer only statutory redundancy payments to employees who will lose their jobs as a result of the company closing it's Dublin office and outsourcing to the UK. 

Slot refusal causes CSA withdrawal

CSA Czech Airlines today announced a " temporary reduction of flights to Dublin" for summer 2009 due to the refusal of "Dublin Airport" to grant the airline's requested early morning slots for departures from the Irish capital. As a result, CSA stated that services on the route would be reduced to a minimum to facilitate Czech customers with a Friday Prague departure and a Sunday return flight from Dublin.

The last weekday services to be operated on the route will be January 13 from Prague and January 14 from Dublin although the airline does not rule out the possibility of returning to the route at some time in the future. In the meantime though, the capacity being released from Dublin is being used for additional services on Manchester - Prague and Copenhagen - Prague.

Pictured - The CSA colours will become a rare sight in Dublin in the coming months. OK-DGL, picture courtesy CSA.