News

Václav Řehoř to Chair Prague Airport Board of Directors

Changes to Prague Airport Statutes, changing the number of members of the Board of Directors from three to four, have taken place. The current three members of the Board remain part thereof, Václav Řehoř, the current Chairman of the Czech Aeroholding Board of Directors, has been appointed a new member by a General Meeting. The new members of the Board then voted Václav Řehoř Chairman and the current Chairman, Jiří Kraus, Vice-Chairman of the new Board of Directors. The change is a logical step confirming the key position of Prague Airport within the Czech Aeroholding Group. Václav Řehoř has already been involved in the preparatory stages of the airport strategical development as its shareholder and will now be a part of its implementation. The appointment of Václav Řehoř and the changes to the organizational proceedings have been approved by the Czech Republic Civil Aviation Authority effective 1 February 2017.

Václav Řehoř, current Chairman of the Czech Aeroholding Board of Directors, thus also becomes the Chairman of the Prague Airport Board of Directors effective the beginning of February 2017. This is a logical change and an enhancement of the fact that, in regard to operations, Czech Aeroholding and Prague Airport have worked as one company since the departure of Czech Airlines from the Czech Aeroholding Group. At the same time, the step precedes the formal completion of the merger of Prague Airport and the Czech Aeroholding Group, which is already prepared and its formal completion is expected during 2017. Preparation for the change is continuous, with the joint management of both companies and transfer of employees to Prague Airport as part of the merger. The arrival of Václav Řehoř to the Prague Airport Board of Directors is the next step towards completing the strategic goal. It also reflects the fact that Prague Airport is the main and key asset of the Czech Aeroholding Group.

“These steps are in line with our strategy of the prepared merger and reflect the need for unified management of important Prague Airport strategic processes. In the role of Chairman of the Czech Aeroholding Board of Directors, Prague Airport issues already take up the majority of my time. At Czech Aeroholding level, I was involved in the preparatory stages of the airport strategical development, which has already materialised in a series of specific policies. I consider it right and logical that by my presence on the Prague Airport Statutory Body, I will add my managerial responsibility for the further development of the airport and its everyday management to strategical management,” Václav Řehoř, Chairman of the Czech Aeroholding Board of Directors, said, adding: “It is a fact that Prague Airport and Czech Aeroholding already work as one company. We have already virtually achieved all operational synergies and joint management is confirmed by my arrival on the Board of Directors. At the same time, more efficient operations have already been achieved as can be proven by financial savings of CZK 70 million on a yearly basis. We now need to implement the long-term airport strategy we have worked on and finish the merger which is currently blocked by external asset transfers.”

At the same time, the step will increase the number of Prague Airport members on the Board of Directors from three to four. Current members of the Board of Directors remain part thereof in the following roles and with the following responsibilities:

New Prague Airport Board of Directors and responsibilities of individual members:
Ing. Václav Řehoř, PhD. – Chairman
Ing. Jiří Kraus – Vice-Chairman
Ing. Milan Špaček – Member
Ing. Jiří Petržilka – Member

Václav Řehoř will be responsible for aviation business, economics, quality control and safety procedure management, internal audit and quality control of security.

Jiří Kraus (Vice-Chairman) will be responsible for aviation operations, asset and technology administration, environment, vehicle fleet, aviation fuel and apron maintenance.

Milan Špaček (Member) will be responsible for security, in particular for strategies and security administration, firefighting unit, airport security, security control and information safety.

Jiří Petržilka (Member) will continue to supervise company commercial activities, product and service development and additional services such as alimentation, parking and airport lounges.
 
The organizational structure and responsibilities of the Czech Aeroholding Group remain unchanged.

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About Prague Airport:
Prague Airport, the operator of Václav Havel Airport Prague, supervises its growth, contributing to the constant development of civil air transport in the Czech Republic, maintains its accessibility to the general public and facilitates modern, fast and comfortable travel for customers. This way, it handles 13 million passengers a year. Prague Airport allocates airport capacity to individual air carriers and leases airport space for commercial use. The company provides additional services to the public, such as the handling of passengers and their baggage, parking and alimentation. Using its own security forces and firefighting units, Prague Airport ensures security and safety at Václav Havel Airport Prague.

About Czech Aeroholding:
Czech Aeroholding, whose single shareholder is the Czech Republic represented by the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic, is an important group which associates companies operating in air transport and related ground services at Václav Havel Airport Prague international airport. Prague Airport, Czech Airlines Technics, providing services of aircraft technical maintenance, Czech Airlines Handling, responsible for the ground handling of aircraft and passengers, and key daughter companies of Czech Aeroholding. The parent company, Czech Aeroholding, provides coordination, financial and strategic management, ensures synergy within the group and provides its daughter companies with associated services such as IT, central purchasing and sales, human resource management, accounting, PR, legal, financial and marketing services.