Jiří Horník

Masaryk University (M.A., 1998), Charles University (J.D., 2000), McGill (LL.M., 2001)

Having graduated from the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University, Jiri joined Kocian Solc Balastik in 2001 and started building the firm’s aviation practice. In this area, his experience ranges from advising to the government authorities and agencies, such as the Czech Ministry of Transportation or the Czech Air Navigation Services Provider, where he was for more than 6 years acting as a chief legal advisor in negotiating the establishment of a Functional Airspace Block Central Europe, an initiative of seven central European states/air navigation services providers to consolidate the provision of air navigation services within the region with the aim to implement the European Single European Sky project.

He has also been continuously advising Travel Service, a leading Central European charter and low-cost carrier, on all variety of issues linked with the airline business, including acquisition of its Boeing 737 family aircraft fleet.

Jiri’s comprehensive air law experience covers also representing lessors and financiers in a number of aircraft leasing transaction or providing advice, for example, to GE Aviation, Airport Prague, or to many airlines entering or operating in the Czech Republic, such as Air Canada, Air France, China Eastern, easyJet, Emirates or Pegasus Airlines.

Jiri is a member of the Management Committee of the European Air Law Association. He is also a member of the Czech Bar, the International Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association where he co-chairs Prague Chapter of the International Section.  He also chairs air transport section of the Czech Transport Law Society.