TRAFFIC

Air traffic above the Czech Republic will likely grow 3.5 percent to 620,000 planes in 2006, a spokesman with the air-traffic controller Řízení letového provozu (ŘLP) said Nov. 27. The number of planes flying over the country grew more than 20 percent in 2004 and 10 percent in 2005. ŘLP expects future growth to hover at 3 percent to 5 percent.

BANK

President Václav Klaus chose Mojmír Hampl of the Czech Consolidation Agency to be on the governing board of the Czech National Bank, his office revealed on its Web site Nov. 27. Klaus also appointed Vladimír Tomšík to the same board Nov. 24. Tomšík's appointment came as a surprise to industry experts, while Hampl's appointment had been expected for some time.

REPATRIATE

Czechs working abroad send nearly 30 billion Kč ($1.4 billion) back to the Czech Republic each year, ranking the country 46th out of 158, according to a World Bank reported released Nov. 27. The total amounts to nearly 1 percent of the country's gross domestic product.

SALE

The Finance Ministry plans to put state-owned Škodaexport up for sale, the daily Mladá fronta Dnes reported Nov. 24. Škodaexport has built power plants in China and Turkey and is a licensed arms trader. It recently won an 11 billion Kč tender to build a power plant in India. ČKD Energo and Škoda Praha have shown interest in purchasing the company in the past, according to the paper.

SOLAR

Investors will use state subsidies to build two solar power plants near the Temelín nuclear power plant in South Bohemia, Prima TV reported Nov. 26. Each plant will cost 30 million Kč, and construction could begin in 2007. The country has a solar power capacity of 1 megawatt (MW), compared to 800 MW in Germany.

WATER

Dominant mineral water producer Karlovarské minerální vody (KMV) bought the remaining 49 percent of rival Poděbradka, the Czech News Agency (ČTK) reported Nov. 24. KMV already owned 51 percent of the company. The Anti-Monopoly Office rejected a merger between the two companies in 2003. KMV owns the Mattoni, Dobrá voda, and Aquila brands.

ŠKODA

Škoda Auto has produced a record 500,000 cars in 2006, a spokesman said Nov. 22. Škoda has hit record sales in more than 20 countries this year, including Germany, France, Russia and Saudi Arabia. The company plans to sell 530,000 cars this year, also a record.

ONLINE

Major Internet retailers expect online sales to increase as much as 40 percent in 2006 to 14 billion Kč, ČTK reported Nov. 22. Internet Mall, the largest online store, expects to increase sales to 1.4 billion Kč, up from 1 billion last year. Online shoppers generally buy high-end electronics and household goods.

BEST

Power producer ČEZ topped the annual "Czech 100 Best" company list created by Comenius. Škoda Auto finished second, ahead of Kooperativa, Česká spořitelna, and Telefónica. Companies entering the competition must have at least 20 employees, an annual turnover of more than 30 million Kč and pay taxes in the Czech Republic.