CSA Czech Airlines (OK, Prague Václav Havel) will shortly have a new shareholder structure after the European Commission approved a proposed transaction that will see CSA being jointly controlled by Český Aeroholding and Travel Service Airlines (Prague Václav Havel) going forward.

The commission has announced its ruling on December 19 paving the way for Travel Service to acquire 34% in the Czech national carrier exercising an option by 44% shareholder Korean Air (KE, Seoul Incheon) to increase its stake in CSA. Following the deal, Korean Air will be CSA's biggest shareholder holding 44% followed by Travel Service (34%), Český Aeroholding (19.74%) and insurance company Česká pojišťovna (2.26%).

In its announcement, the European Commission argued that even though CSA and Travel Service (using its Smartwings (Prague Václav Havel) scheduled services brand) both operate scheduled services from their Prague hubs, "the transaction would not lead to any anticompetitive effects on the market for air transport of passengers as CSA and Travel Service will continue to face sufficient competitive pressure from other carriers on the overlapping routes which are all out of Prague airport."