Czech Airlines starts direct Riyadh-Prague service

RIYADH: Czech Airlines, the national carrier of the Czech Republic (CSA), commenced its direct service to Riyadh from Prague on Wednesday.
The 3,941-km flight between the Czech Republic capital and the Saudi capital will be operated twice-weekly.
"Departures from Riyadh are scheduled on Wednesdays and Sundays at 3:30 a.m. with arrivals at Vaclav Havel Airport Prague at 8:35 a.m. local time," a CSA official here said.
The new service will be operated on a seasonal basis, from July 6 to Sept. 28.
The Prague route is not only historically the first direct air connection between the two capitals, but also between the Kingdom and the Czech Republic.
Significantly, no other air carrier serves the city pair. With this new service, Riyadh has become the second destination that CSA serves in the Middle East, the first being its twice-weekly Beirut service, which was launched recently.
Earlier, Czech Ambassador Jiri Slavik told a press conference at his embassy here that the new flight would enable the republic build a direct relation with the Kingdom and the city of Prague would indeed be a safe place for the Saudi fliers.
The CSA will operate its Riyadh-Prague flights with Airbus A319 aircraft offering 144 seats in the Business and Economy Class configuration.
The Riyadh-Prague flight will take 6.05 hours while; in the reverse direction it will be 10 minutes shorter.
Meals for the new route are prepared exclusively for Saudi clientele, using halal ingredients, by renowned Czech chefs.
The tickets for the Riyadh-Prague route as well as the purchase of complementary services, such as preferred seat booking and excess baggage can be made via Czech Airlines' website, a CSA official said.
One-way tickets from Riyadh to Prague start at SR1,641, while return tickets can be purchased from SR3,329, including all charges.