Czech Airlines bankrupt due to coronavirus
The nearly 100-year-old airline from the Czech Republic, Czech Airlines, has not survived the corona crisis. In part due to the lack of financial support from the government, a Czech court declared the airline bankrupt on 10 March 2021.
Coronavirus has fatal consequences for Czech airline
Czech Airlines, like many other airlines, has been hit hard by the outbreak of the coronavirus. Many flights have been cancelled and due to the travel restrictions in place worldwide, hardly any new flights are booked. The coronavirus proved fatal to Czech Airlines!
No state relief
Czech Airlines' revenues were minimal and debts were piling up. Despite this situation, the Czech government refused to provide a state loan of 1 billion Czech crowns (3.8 million euros) to Smartwings Group, the parent company of Czech Airlines.
Suspended payment
Czech Airlines avoided bankruptcy in recent months because the airline was granted suspension of payment to creditors and passengers. The suspension of payment expired at the end of February 2021. Creditors and passengers were able to claim payment from the expiration date onwards. However, Czech Airlines was still unable to pay its creditors and refund thousands of passengers whose flights were cancelled.
Czech Airlines bankrupt! What now?
Now that the court in Prague has declared Czech Airlines bankrupt, victims can file a claim. Did you have a ticket for a Czech Airlines flight and you have not yet received a refund? Then file your claim by 10 May 2021. You can make your claim known to the Prague court in two ways:
- Per post mail
Městský soud v Praze
pracoviště Slezská 9
120 00 Praha 2
Czech Republic
- Per email
Send an email to podatelna@msoud.pha.justice.cz. Do not forget to close your email with a recognizable signature.
Advice on submitting your claim
Claims must be made in the Czech language. In addition, your claim must be accompanied by evidence such as proof of payment, airline tickets and other relevant documents. We have translated the claim form into English for you, so that it is clear to you what information you need to enter in the fields. Please use the Czech form to submit your claim. If you don't use this form, the claim will not be handled by the court.
Chargeback request credit card company
If you recently booked a plane ticket and paid for it with your credit card, you can try to dispute the payment. Please contact your credit card company to discuss this option. Ask about the possibility of submitting a charge-back request to reverse the relevant transaction.
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Do you have any questions about the bankruptcy of Czech Airlines? Then use the online form to contact our lawyers for free legal assistance.