Prague Airport unions threaten strike over controversial new CEO appointment

Five trade-union organisations representing ground handlers, security staff, and administrative personnel at Václav Havel Airport Prague declared “strike readiness” on the morning of 21 July 2026, only hours after the Czech Finance Ministry confirmed that former Czech Airlines (ČSA) chief executive Radomír Lašák will take over as chairman of the airport’s board on 1 August. Although the unions have not yet set a date for a walk-out, the move formally allows them to call a 24-hour warning strike at just two days’ notice. Union leaders told Czech Television that Lašák’s record at ČSA—where he presided over deep asset sales before the flag-carrier slid into insolvency—raises “serious concerns” about possible outsourcing, job cuts and even partial privatisation of the state-owned airport operator. They also criticised what they say was a closed selection process that ignored candidates with stronger aviation backgrounds. For the 24.5 million passengers and 500-plus companies that rely on Prague’s hub each year, the timing could not be worse. Summer traffic has finally climbed back above pre-pandemic levels and the airport is due to trial its new biometric self-service border-control gates in early August—a project that would require close co-ordination between management and front-line staff. A strike could ground dozens of flights a day, disrupt critical cargo flows for Czech manufacturers, and force airlines to re-route business travellers through Vienna or Munich at significant cost. The Finance Ministry insists the appointment will “stabilise management and accelerate long-planned capacity investments”, including a long-delayed second runway and a €210 million terminal expansion earmarked to meet future Schengen Entry/Exit System requirements. Unions, however, want the government to freeze the nomination and reopen the search, warning that they will escalate to a full strike if their concerns are not addressed in writing before Lašák’s first day in office. Multinational employers with time-critical travel to and from Prague in early August should begin contingency planning: allow extra connection time, prepare for possible diversions to Brno, Ostrava or Dresden, and advise mobile employees to monitor carrier notices closely. Companies shipping high-value goods via the airport’s cargo village may also wish to pre-book alternative road or rail solutions in case apron operations are affected. While previous labour disputes at Prague Airport have been resolved without a full shutdown, the breadth of unions involved this time—covering both the airport operator and ČSA Handling—raises the stakes considerably.