Radom Airport and CSA with the ATR42, RDO-OSR-PRG-WAW

The idea of Radom airport functioning was, and still is, a little Kafkaesque. Even with the growth of the airport in the last months thanks to Sprint Air and their Saab 340 planes doesn't change it. After some time from opening and having no traffic, CSA Czech Airlines decided to commence flights to Radom. At first a non-stop flight. Later the flights were performed with a stop, either it was PRG-RDO-WAW-PRG, or via PRG-RDO-WAW-RDO-PRG, or PRG-OSR-RDO-OSR-PRG. That last option returned again after the first withdrawal of the flights and the return after a couple of months. We have a saying in Poland about something being like in a Czech movie, that is a very good metaphor for what was happening. All in all, I decided I had to be part of that farce before they close that thing down. I bought one of the strangest tickets of my life. A RDO-WAW via PRG. The distance between Radom and Warsaw is not that big, now it takes just over an hour to travel between the cities by car. But hey, what don't you do for the strange aviation things! RDO-OSR-PRG-WAW with 50 minutes to change planes in Prague. Sounds fun!

15 February 2016
OK25 (1440-1535/1555-1650) RDO-OSR-PRG
OK-KFO ATR42

Although the flight wasn't until after 2pm, wanting to be on the safe side of time I took a bus at 11am from Warsaw bound for Radom. After a solid breakfast at home and taking a couple of snacks for the road I boarded the bus. Arrived in Radom at 1245, now I only needed to find the bus for the airport. Yay, managed to do so and I arrive at the terminal having more than one hour until planned departure time. More than enough to get a souvenir boarding pass, a couple of pictures of the inside and outside of the terminal, but what next? Nothing, just have to wait. At that time the airport had a total of up to 3 flights per week. The Relay kiosk, two Costa Coffee stands and a Aelia Duty Free, are either open only 2h prior departure or not at all (Aelia has never opened at that time). As it later was easy to count, there was a total of 13 passengers on the first leg (RDO-OSR). During the stop in Ostrava we managed to get up to a total of 35 for the leg to Prague. The weather wasn't exactly pleasant during most of the flight. Not much sun visible. Only after leaving Ostrava did it come out. A summary of both flights available at the bottom.

The main entrance visible on the left

Landside

Schengen departure lounge

Schengen departure lounge

Boarding is smooth

And up we are

The loo

View from row 1

During the turnaround in Ostrava

Finally the sun came out

Some ice on the wing

Deboarding in Prague

15 February 2016
OK778 (1740-1905) PRG-WAW
OK-KFP ATR42

After landing from the previous flight I head for some small shopping and get to the gate as one of the last ones during the final call. We take the bus to a different ATR42, this time 40 passengers on board. As the sun is slowly hiding most of the flight is in nighty conditions. Nothing special happens on board during the cruise. We do go for a go-around because of traffic blocking the runway in Warsaw. The second attempt is more successful and we land on rwy29 (first try on rwy33). A summary of both flights at the bottom.

"Relaxation area" in Prague

Heading back home

How did all end up? Well, rather well. I got what I wanted. CSA didn't do anything extraordinary for me to want to fly with them again. I did not try the sandwiches that one can buy on board so I have nothing to say about them. The seats? Comfy, do lean back, but the headrest is not adjustable. Leg space is ok. The cabin crew was there, not much smile but didn't make photogrpahy and moving around hard either. I was surprised the system even let me buy such a strange ticket. A solid C for them.
Radom airport? I still now think it is a joke, and not a funny one considering the costs it generates for the city... Yes, they do have more flights now to more destinations, even a international one to Lviv (what for?!?) but still. Why? Why did anyone give a green light to this project?