Today, the state-owned enterprise LOM PRAHA represents far more than the overhaul of transport helicopters. Its activities increasingly connect lifecycle support for military aviation equipment, modernisation, the training of pilots and ground personnel for the Czech Armed Forces and foreign air forces, simulation technologies, the operation of airport infrastructure and the development of capabilities in the field of unmanned aviation. At a time when the Czech Republic is undertaking a fundamental modernisation of its air force, LOM PRAHA’s technical, training and infrastructure capabilities are assuming renewed strategic importance for national defence.
LOM PRAHA has long been one of those enterprises whose true value cannot be measured solely by the number of completed contracts or its financial results. Its most important capabilities are based on the experience of specialist personnel, specific authorisations, technical documentation, training capacities and infrastructure developed over many decades. Such capabilities cannot be recreated within a few months in the event of a security crisis.
The technical support of Mi-series helicopters, their engines and components remains a traditional pillar of the company’s activities. LOM PRAHA provides general overhauls, servicing and modernisation of Mi-8, Mi-17 and Mi-171Sh helicopters. It also repairs TV3-117 engines, VR-14 and VR-24 gearboxes and other components. The importance of this capability increased following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which fundamentally changed supply relationships and the availability of original technical support.
At the same time, the state-owned enterprise under the Czech Ministry of Defence is developing capabilities related to the new Western platforms of the Czech Air Force. At Náměšť nad Oslavou, it established the specialised H-1 Division, which participates in the logistics and technical support of UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper helicopters. The modernisation of Mi-171Sh helicopters under the KROVKA programme is also continuing. In April 2026, the prototype and the first two series-modernised helicopters were presented to the public.
The expansion of LOM PRAHA’s activities also includes new transport aircraft. Cooperation between LOM PRAHA and the Brazilian manufacturer Embraer began with the signing of an agreement in October 2024 and is connected with support for the C-390 Millennium programme for the Czech Armed Forces. The first Czech C-390 arrived in Prague in July 2026. The precise future extent of LOM PRAHA’s involvement in supporting the platform will depend on follow-on agreements, knowledge transfer and the allocation of individual maintenance and support competencies.
“LOM PRAHA’s role has expanded significantly in recent years. We respond not only to developments in technology and the security environment, but above all to the requirements of the Czech Armed Forces. The company’s entire portfolio is strategically important because our main responsibility is to maintain the necessary capabilities and fulfil the purpose for which the state-owned enterprise was established. Since 2020, we have also succeeded in keeping the company profitable while gradually increasing both revenues and financial performance,” says Jiří Protiva, Director of LOM PRAHA.
A TRAINING SYSTEM BUILT AROUND CZECH AIRCRAFT
One of the most visible changes is the modernisation of the Flight Training Centre in Pardubice. The centre began operations in 2004 and, over more than two decades, has become the principal provider of simulated and live flight training for the Czech Armed Forces and international customers.
The centre provides basic, intermediate and advanced training for tactical aviation pilots, training for helicopter and transport aircraft crews, preparation of ground personnel and simulator-based training. It is currently completing the largest generational renewal of its aircraft fleet in its history.
The future training system will be based on three categories of Czech-manufactured aircraft: ZLIN piston aircraft, L-39 Skyfox jet trainers and the L-410NG turboprop transport aircraft. A common feature of the modernisation is the transition from older analogue instrumentation to modern avionics and glass-cockpit concepts.
The new piston-aircraft fleet comprises six two-seat ZLIN Z-242L Zeus aircraft and two four-seat Z-143LSi Genius aircraft. The Z-242L is intended primarily for basic and intermediate training, aerobatics, unusual-attitude recovery, night flying and instrument flight training. Equipped with an autopilot, the Z-143LSi will also support the preparation of transport aviation personnel.
The centre received its first Z-242L and Z-143LSi aircraft in October 2025. It currently operates six ZLIN aircraft, while the remaining two Z-242Ls are scheduled for delivery by the end of October 2026. Cooperation between LOM PRAHA and ZLIN AERO extends beyond the acquisition of the aircraft and also includes maintenance, servicing, spare parts, aviation material and additional technical support.
The L-39 Skyfox represents a fundamental change in the jet-training segment. The original contract signed in November 2022 covered four aircraft, with an option for four more. The first four aircraft were delivered in 2025, and the option was exercised in September of the same year.
In January 2026, the Flight Training Centre received its fifth and sixth Skyfox aircraft. The remaining two are expected to be completed and delivered by the end of 2026, bringing the Pardubice-based fleet to eight modern jet trainers.
The Skyfox is gradually replacing the older L-39C Albatros. Its modern avionics, head-up display, multifunction displays, HOTAS control concept and compatibility with night-vision equipment bring the training environment closer to that of modern combat aircraft. The aircraft is intended for both basic and advanced jet training and for preparing pilots who will subsequently transition to fourth- and fifth-generation combat aircraft.
The third part of the modernisation is the new L-410NG. The purchase agreement was signed on 30 June 2026. The aircraft, including integrated logistics support and personnel training, is scheduled for delivery by the end of March 2027, when the technical service life of the final L-410UVP-T currently in operation expires. The new aircraft will preserve the continuity of transport pilot training in the Czech Republic.
The result will be a modern training fleet based on aircraft from three Czech manufacturers: Aero Vodochody, ZLIN AERO and Aircraft Industries. This has not only symbolic but also practical value. The proximity of the manufacturers and their support capacities can simplify logistics, shorten response times and facilitate the further adaptation of the aircraft to the needs of the training organisation and the Czech Armed Forces.
The modernisation is not limited to fixed-wing aircraft. The Flight Training Centre’s helicopter training uses Mi-17 and Enstrom 480B-G helicopters. While the Czech Armed Forces are currently expected to operate Mi-series helicopters until approximately 2035, the Enstrom provides a suitable basic platform for pilots who subsequently transition to the H-1 system, represented by the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom.
THE PATH TO THE F-35 BEGINS IN PARDUBICE
The preparation of future F-35 pilots will not begin only when they first enter the aircraft’s cockpit. It must be preceded by a lengthy process of basic and intermediate training during which pilots develop experience in working with modern avionics, decision-making, situational awareness and the management of emergency situations.
The L-39 Skyfox is expected to form one of the key domestic stages of this system. Its significance lies not only in replacing the older Albatros, but above all in the opportunity to connect Czech basic and advanced training more effectively with the requirements of the future combat aircraft.
“We provide the basic training of future F-35 pilots and are developing it further in cooperation with Lockheed Martin, with which we have signed an industrial cooperation agreement. Today, pilots complete their training with us on the L-39, then transition to the L-159 and subsequently to the Gripen. The modernised Skyfox fleet is expected to allow this intermediate stage to be removed in the future, enabling pilots to proceed from the Skyfox directly to F-35 training,” explains Jiří Protiva.
The importance of the Flight Training Centre also extends beyond the Czech national framework. In December 2021, the Pardubice centre, together with the International Flight Training School at Decimomannu in Italy, was selected as one of the first two training campuses of the NATO Flight Training Europe programme. NFTE aims to establish a European network of facilities for training pilots of jet, transport and rotary-wing aircraft, as well as unmanned systems.
“Once we have satisfied the primary requirements of the Czech Armed Forces, we are prepared to offer our remaining capacity to NFTE in all three principal areas: tactical, helicopter and transport pilot training,” adds Jiří Protiva.
Simulation technologies are an important part of the training process. The Flight Training Centre operates a certified L-39 Skyfox Full Mission Simulator supplied by LOM PRAHA’s Brno-based subsidiary, VR Group. The simulator enables crews to practise standard procedures, emergency situations and complex scenarios without risk to personnel and without using a flight hour on the actual aircraft.
The combination of live flying and synthetic training increases training efficiency and allows student performance to be evaluated more precisely. It also makes it possible to repeat situations that would be dangerous, expensive or organisationally difficult to reproduce in live operations.
The centre’s international potential is also demonstrated by the training of cadets from the Estonian Military Academy. In 2026, they are undergoing theoretical and practical training in Pardubice on Z-142C AF piston aircraft. Once they have completed the required basic-training syllabus, they are expected to become the first foreign military pilots to transition to the L-39 Skyfox at the centre. In July 2026, the Estonian students had already completed their first solo flights without an instructor in the cockpit.
“WE WANT TO BECOME THE EUROPEAN GATEWAY FOR F-35 PILOTS.”
Once the Flight Training Centre obtains the relevant competencies for training Czech pilots, it may also be able to offer them through NFTE to other European countries introducing the F-35.
FROM TWO AIRPORTS TO THREE
Alongside aircraft overhaul, modernisation and training, LOM PRAHA has also become the operator of strategically important airport infrastructure. It has operated Přerov-Bochoř Airport since October 2013 and Plzeň-Líně Airport since July 2024.
Both locations have a military history, although their current use is broader. They support training for the Czech Armed Forces, civilian aviation operators, rescue and security services and other specialised activities.
A total of 48,426 aircraft movements were recorded at the two airports in 2025. Plzeň-Líně accounted for 19,840 movements and Přerov for 28,586. Both airports recorded an increase in traffic compared with the previous year.
Plzeň-Líně primarily supports the requirements of the Czech Armed Forces, but its services are also used by 18 civilian aviation operators. LOM PRAHA provides the operating conditions for activities including the military air rescue service, airborne-unit training and the training of military helicopter pilots. The air rescue service itself, however, is operated by the Czech Armed Forces, not by the state-owned enterprise.
Further infrastructure development is being prepared at Plzeň-Líně, including a mobile heliport for helicopter operations under visual flight rules by day and night, the reinforcement of the military fire and rescue unit and the gradual revitalisation of the site.
Přerov-Bochoř assumed another important role in January 2026, when the helicopter section of the Flight Training Centre was relocated there from Pardubice together with its Mi-17 and Enstrom 480B-G helicopters. Přerov is therefore increasingly combining airport operations with the practical training of military helicopter pilots.
Operating an airport involves far more than maintaining a runway. It requires air traffic management, infrastructure maintenance, fire and rescue protection, coordination between military and civilian users and the ability to keep the airport operational during extraordinary events.
Airports also represent an important element of national resilience. In a crisis, they can support the movement of personnel and materiel, the activities of the armed forces and emergency services, aerial firefighting, medical operations and the dispersal of aviation assets.
Karlovy Vary Airport is expected to bring a further important responsibility.
“Based on a decision by the Government of the Czech Republic, the state-owned enterprise LOM PRAHA is expected to take over the operation of Karlovy Vary Airport from 1 January 2027. We will be responsible for meeting the requirements of the Czech Civil Aviation Authority and for providing the airport fire and rescue unit, airport maintenance, handling and other related services. The largest anticipated investment concerns the widening and extension of the runway, although this investment will be financed by the state,” says Jiří Protiva.
The selection of LOM PRAHA builds on the experience gained during more than twelve years of operating Přerov-Bochoř Airport and, since 2024, Plzeň-Líně Airport. Taking responsibility for a third airport would further strengthen the company’s ability to support military training, crisis operations and broader national requirements.
UNMANNED SYSTEMS AS A NEW AREA OF GROWTH
Military aviation is undergoing a transformation in which manned and unmanned platforms will increasingly operate together. Unmanned systems are used for reconnaissance, surveillance, infrastructure protection, logistics and combat tasks. At the same time, the importance of defence against hostile drones is increasing, together with the need for the safe coordination of increasingly congested airspace.
LOM PRAHA is beginning to expand its existing capabilities in this direction. In June 2026, it signed a memorandum of cooperation with Primoco UAV during the opening of a training centre for professional unmanned-aircraft pilots at Písek-Krašovice Airport.
The memorandum establishes a framework for future cooperation in the development and production of unmanned aviation technology, personnel training and the provision of specialised services. LOM PRAHA already has experience in training pilots and technicians, simulation systems, technology integration, aircraft maintenance and airport operations. These capabilities can gradually be applied to the creation of a professional environment for unmanned aviation.
“We want to be a state-owned enterprise that follows, integrates and coordinates the field of unmanned systems. We already use drones as hostile entities in simulator training and train pilots to respond to such situations,” says Jiří Protiva.
The company has deployed the DroneTag Scout system at its airports in Přerov and Plzeň-Líně, enabling it to monitor the airspace and detect unmanned aircraft. The system was first deployed in Přerov, where Flight Training Centre helicopters, unmanned aircraft, civilian aircraft and other airspace users operate in the same area. It therefore supports better traffic coordination and improved safety.
In addition to DroneTag, LOM PRAHA cooperates with the Plzeň-based organisation Drony SIT, which is developing the use of unmanned systems for applications such as traffic-accident monitoring, rescue operations and the delivery of assistance into difficult-to-access terrain.
LOM PRAHA is also discussing joint training for unmanned-aircraft operators with Primoco UAV, combining the experience, personnel and technical facilities of both organisations.
FLYING HISTORY AS A LIVING PART OF AVIATION
Technological modernisation does not mean breaking with history. LOM PRAHA has a long-standing partnership with the Military History Institute Prague in the restoration and operation of historic aviation equipment.
The Flight Training Centre maintains the museum aircraft Let C-11, dating from 1955, and Zlín Z-381, dating from 1947, in airworthy condition. Both aircraft regularly appear in flying and static displays at air shows and events organised by the Military History Institute.
Since 2025, the centre has also operated the famous Zlín Z-526 AFS-V aerobatic aircraft from the institute’s collection.
In 2026, LOM PRAHA’s Aircraft Division completed the demanding restoration of the prototype VZLÚ TOM-8 Czechoslovak training aircraft. The objective was to return the unique aircraft to a condition corresponding to the period of its flight trials approximately seventy years ago.
The company also cooperates with Czech RAF Crew on public and educational activities commemorating the Czechoslovak airmen of the Second World War.
Maintaining historic aircraft in airworthy condition requires the same professional values as supporting modern technology: high-quality workmanship, precision, experience and personal responsibility. Flying legends are therefore more than a reminder of the past. They demonstrate the continuity of the Czech aviation industry and the specialist capabilities on which its future can also be built.
A CAPABILITY THAT CANNOT BE BUILT OVERNIGHT
LOM PRAHA now stands at the intersection of several fundamental changes. The Czech Armed Forces are transitioning to new Western helicopters, preparing for the introduction of the F-35 and C-390, modernising the training system and increasing their requirements for airport infrastructure, simulation technologies and unmanned systems.
The role of a state-owned enterprise is not to compete with every manufacturer or commercial service provider. Its importance lies primarily in its ability to maintain critical know-how, technical capacities and personnel required for national defence over the long term.
Under favourable circumstances, an aircraft or helicopter can be ordered from abroad. It is far more difficult to create a system capable of supporting it for decades, training pilots and technicians, providing simulation facilities, keeping airports operational and responding to an unexpected security situation.
The integration of these capabilities represents the most significant transformation LOM PRAHA has undergone in recent years. Overhaul and modernisation remain its foundation, but alongside them a broader national capability is emerging—one that can support the Czech Air Force from the first training flight through to the long-term operation of modern military platforms.
A new element of this portfolio is a construction division focused on military aviation infrastructure. Together with its partners, LOM PRAHA has participated, for example, in the construction of a taxiway for an Embraer aircraft at Prague-Kbely and in the preparation of design documentation for military facilities in Přerov.
“Our objective is to offer the Ministry of Defence a comprehensive range of services in the field of military aviation. We repair aircraft, operate airports and now also have a construction division focused on military aviation infrastructure. Connecting these activities creates a significant multiplier effect and allows us to provide the Czech Armed Forces with an integrated package of capabilities,” concludes Jiří Protiva.
Text: Katerina Urbanova
Photo credit: LOM Praha
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