The Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IXe fighter bought by the owner of Seznam.cz landed for the first time at Letiště Točná in Prague on 7 October 2026 after a flight from Australia.
The fighter aircraft Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IXe, bought from Australia by the owner of Seznam.cz, Ivo Lukačovič, landed for the first time at Letiště Točná in Prague on the afternoon of 7 October 2026. According to the airport, on its way to the Czech Republic it symbolically flew over Václav Havel Airport Prague, and it did not announce the date of arrival in advance so that the organisers could prepare in peace.[1][2]
The aircraft and its purchase
The machine, designated JT-10 according to the airport, appeared on a foreign classified-ads portal with the note that it was in Australia. The advertised price was GBP 2.95 million excluding VAT, i.e. over CZK 80 million; Lukačovič announced the purchase on the social network Lidé.cz and did not state the final sum.[1][2] According to him, it is an aircraft with serial number 633 that was assigned to No. 312 (Czechoslovak) Squadron of the RAF, is painted in Czech colours and could be armed with additional weapons if there were a threat. He justified the purchase by the worsened security situation in the world.[1][2]
A representative of the association Classic Trainers, which runs an aviation museum in Líně near Plzeň, called the aircraft historically valuable. According to him, it is the machine in which the pilot Karel Pošta flew from England to liberated Czechoslovakia and then flew with the 4th Air Regiment.[1][2] Spitfires were delivered to Czechoslovakia after the Second World War, and most of them were sold in 1948 to the emerging state of Israel.[1][2]
Planned presentation
The airport plans a ceremonial presentation of the aircraft for 19 October 2026 from 15:00. Besides the Spitfire, visitors are to see a Hawker Hurricane, and if conditions allow, both aircraft are to perform in the air as well.[1][2]
Chronology
- — A Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IXe fighter aircraft, which flew in from Australia and was bought by the owner of the company Seznam.cz, landed at Točná Airport in Prague for the first time; the airport plans a formal presentation of it for 19 October 2026. Plzeňská Drbna Pražská Drbna
Sources
- Plzeňská Drbna — 8 October 2026
- Pražská Drbna — 8 October 2026