Business takes off in the regions
The country's main commercial airports have welcomed a dramatic turnaround in their fortunes over the past two years. While Warsaw's Fryderyk Chopin Okęcie remains the center of operations, many of the regional terminals have been transformed from stop off points and feeder end points to major destinations.
Okęcie's operations
Okęcie handles around 70 percent of all air passenger traffic in Poland. The airport now serves more than 80 destinations, including familiar Polish towns and international cities.
The number of flight operations at the Fryderyk Chopin airport has been rising steadily since 2000, even when other Polish airports faced stagnation after the market experienced a downfall in both flight operations and passenger figures. In 2004 the airport handled 108,245 flight operations in comparison to 94,314 the previous year, and the number of passengers rocketed by 18 percent, surpassing the 6 million mark.
Kraków's clamor
The John Paul II Balice Airport in Kraków is the second busiest in Poland. It too saw a significant growth in the number of passengers over the past 12 months. Last year it served 841,123 passengers, while in 2003 the total was 593,214, which represents a 42 percent growth. It was a similar case with flight operations, which increased by more than 50 percent in Kraków. Airport sources expect the number of passengers served to surpass the 1 million mark in 2005 and reach around 1.8 million in 2010. The number of flights served should increase accordingly to more than 44,000 in 2010. A total of 19 airlines (including British Airways, Air France, and Lufthansa) operate out of Balice airport, offering flights to Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, London, most larger German cities, as well as Chicago and Tel-Aviv.
Katowice calling
However, it is Katowice's Pyrzowice airport that has benefited most from the boom on the flight market. Ranking fifth in Poland in 2003 in both flight operations and passenger traffic, it became the country's third busiest airport (in terms of passenger numbers) during the course of last year. In 2004 13,803 flights either touched down or took off from the Silesian airport-a significant increase from 9,357 the year before. The number of passengers grew by a massive 241 percent from 257,991 in 2003 to 622,612 last year. Pyrzowice's director of marketing and development, Leszek Kotelski, said: "Probably, we are the fastest developing airport in Europe."
Kotelski says this rise is mainly due to the entrance of low-cost airlines on the Polish market, but adds: "Our 'Fly from Katowice' campaign and the chartered flights during the summer holiday season have also significantly contributed to the rapid increase."
As to the future, Kotelski believes that in view of the continued development of low-cost airlines, it is possible that the airport will surpass the 1 million passenger mark in 2005. The Lech Wałęsa Airport in Gdańsk is the auxiliary port for Warsaw's Okęcie airport. It ranks third in Poland in the number of flights with more than 17,500 operations in 2004-a 22 percent increase on the previous year.
Gdańsk gateway
After a steady but slow growth in past years, the number of passengers at the airport also increased noticeably (by 28 percent) reaching 466,691. Wizz Air, SAS, Lufthansa, LOT, Air Lithuania and Denim Airways operate at the airport, which has connections with cities such as London, Copenhagen and Warsaw.
Wrocław has also experienced increases in both vital statistics last year.
Wrocław's way
Its 2004 figures of 18,509 operations and 363,244 passengers exceed the 2003 numbers of 12,395 and 294,334, respectively.
Four airlines (Lufthansa, LOT, Climber and SAS) operate on the airport connecting it with Copenhagen, Munich, Frankfurt and Warsaw, but the big news is that Ryanair-the largest low-cost airline-will enter the Polish market by launching flights between London and Wrocław.
Poznań's perspective
Poznań-Lawica airport has also seen its figures grow last year. The 14,081 flight operations in 2003 were surpassed by the 2004 number of 16,032. A total of 380,568 passengers were served in 2004 in comparison to 263,475 the previous year. Five airlines operate at the Lawica airport (LOT, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, SAS, European Air Express) offering flights to Warsaw, Copenhagen, Vienna, Munich and Frankfurt. The healthy economy of Wielkopolska region and the Poznań International Fairs are among the factors responsible for the recent growth.
Okęcie's operations
Okęcie handles around 70 percent of all air passenger traffic in Poland. The airport now serves more than 80 destinations, including familiar Polish towns and international cities.
The number of flight operations at the Fryderyk Chopin airport has been rising steadily since 2000, even when other Polish airports faced stagnation after the market experienced a downfall in both flight operations and passenger figures. In 2004 the airport handled 108,245 flight operations in comparison to 94,314 the previous year, and the number of passengers rocketed by 18 percent, surpassing the 6 million mark.
Kraków's clamor
The John Paul II Balice Airport in Kraków is the second busiest in Poland. It too saw a significant growth in the number of passengers over the past 12 months. Last year it served 841,123 passengers, while in 2003 the total was 593,214, which represents a 42 percent growth. It was a similar case with flight operations, which increased by more than 50 percent in Kraków. Airport sources expect the number of passengers served to surpass the 1 million mark in 2005 and reach around 1.8 million in 2010. The number of flights served should increase accordingly to more than 44,000 in 2010. A total of 19 airlines (including British Airways, Air France, and Lufthansa) operate out of Balice airport, offering flights to Amsterdam, Paris, Rome, London, most larger German cities, as well as Chicago and Tel-Aviv.
Katowice calling
However, it is Katowice's Pyrzowice airport that has benefited most from the boom on the flight market. Ranking fifth in Poland in 2003 in both flight operations and passenger traffic, it became the country's third busiest airport (in terms of passenger numbers) during the course of last year. In 2004 13,803 flights either touched down or took off from the Silesian airport-a significant increase from 9,357 the year before. The number of passengers grew by a massive 241 percent from 257,991 in 2003 to 622,612 last year. Pyrzowice's director of marketing and development, Leszek Kotelski, said: "Probably, we are the fastest developing airport in Europe."
Kotelski says this rise is mainly due to the entrance of low-cost airlines on the Polish market, but adds: "Our 'Fly from Katowice' campaign and the chartered flights during the summer holiday season have also significantly contributed to the rapid increase."
As to the future, Kotelski believes that in view of the continued development of low-cost airlines, it is possible that the airport will surpass the 1 million passenger mark in 2005. The Lech Wałęsa Airport in Gdańsk is the auxiliary port for Warsaw's Okęcie airport. It ranks third in Poland in the number of flights with more than 17,500 operations in 2004-a 22 percent increase on the previous year.
Gdańsk gateway
After a steady but slow growth in past years, the number of passengers at the airport also increased noticeably (by 28 percent) reaching 466,691. Wizz Air, SAS, Lufthansa, LOT, Air Lithuania and Denim Airways operate at the airport, which has connections with cities such as London, Copenhagen and Warsaw.
Wrocław has also experienced increases in both vital statistics last year.
Wrocław's way
Its 2004 figures of 18,509 operations and 363,244 passengers exceed the 2003 numbers of 12,395 and 294,334, respectively.
Four airlines (Lufthansa, LOT, Climber and SAS) operate on the airport connecting it with Copenhagen, Munich, Frankfurt and Warsaw, but the big news is that Ryanair-the largest low-cost airline-will enter the Polish market by launching flights between London and Wrocław.
Poznań's perspective
Poznań-Lawica airport has also seen its figures grow last year. The 14,081 flight operations in 2003 were surpassed by the 2004 number of 16,032. A total of 380,568 passengers were served in 2004 in comparison to 263,475 the previous year. Five airlines operate at the Lawica airport (LOT, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, SAS, European Air Express) offering flights to Warsaw, Copenhagen, Vienna, Munich and Frankfurt. The healthy economy of Wielkopolska region and the Poznań International Fairs are among the factors responsible for the recent growth.
