ČSA is fundamentally renewing its fleet and is reorienting itself towards modern Western aircraft. It acquired its first long-haul Airbus in 1991 and Boeings and short-haul turboprop ATRs a year later. It changes from an airline to a public limited company. In 2001, it becomes a member of SkyTeam and in the coming years is one of the best airlines in Central and Eastern Europe.
In 2004, CSA orders 12 new aircraft from Airbus and later buys more. And it was this moment, according to former CSA vice-president Jiri Prusa, that brought the once successful company to the bottom. "I am convinced that CSA was brought down by the unprofessional interventions of the management, which bought a much larger number of aircraft than the company needed," says Pruša.
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Recall Jaroslav Tvrdik: he left a wake of destruction as the Czech Defense Minister, moved on to become the CEO of CSA, and ordered these planes. Today he is the head of the board of directors of the Slavia Prague football club, which he "built" with the help of Chinese billions. Incredibly, he is now a "social celebrity" instead of having been in jail for a long time. JŠ
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