A Czech airline has announced it will be operating flights from Cork Airport to Prague from April 13th. The new CSA-Czech Airlines service will consist of four flights a week between Cork and Prague.

Boeing 737-500 airplanes create the backbone of the CSA fleet and are used on all European routes.

The planes can carry up to 160 passengers. CSA already runs eight flights a week from Dublin with Cork joining Edinburgh and Tallinn as one of the three new cities on the airline's flight map.

Fianna Fáil TD for Cork East Mr Michael Ahern said the new service was a perfect opportunity for Cork to forge links with the Czech Republic.

"We have much in common and there are many opportunities for both countries to do business with one another," he said.

A spokesperson for CSA Czech airlines said yesterday the company decided to include Cork on its itinerary because of the growing demand in the region from tourists and, in particular, business travellers for easy access to Eastern Europe.

Galen wins round one with FDA

Galen Pharmaceuticals has secured an "approvable letter" from the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) for an updated version of its Ovcon oral contraceptive.

The company's shares, which have been hit by rumours that rival Barr Laboratories might produce a generic rival to what is one of its main earners, rose on the news.

Analysts believe the company is now on course to win FDA approval for the drug by mid-2003.

Approvable letters indicate that the treatment is safe and effective but that there are issues to be resolved. They are seen as a key step on the road to approval.

"It tells a company that its product is on the right track," said a spokesman for the FDA.

Heineken appoints Irish chief

Heineken has named a replacement for Mr Padraic Liston who is stepping down as head of its Irish operations at the Murphy Brewery in Cork.

Mr Nico Vervelde, who is Dutch, will take over as managing director of Heineken Ireland from the end of next week.

Mr Vervelde was previously director of Heineken Africa/Middle East.

Cable & Wireless reassures clients

British telecoms firm Cable & Wireless said its Irish customers would not be affected by its decision to close a plant in Shannon.

The announcement was made yesterday by the company as it confirmed an earlier Irish Times report that it was shedding 50 jobs and closing its Shannon facility.

In a statement, the firm said just under 50 jobs would be phased out by November 2003 with the closure of its Shannon operation.

The role of Cable & Wireless in Shannon was to support continental European national business customers.