Keep the fliers moving
At times, on trans-Atlantic flights, fliers can find themselves in line to the check-in counter until just minutes before their plane is scheduled to depart.
Simply put, Okecie needs to expand. The irony of this situation is that the problem is a result of Poland's strong economic situation over the past five years. Okecie's international terminal opened just seven years ago and at that time it was thought the new, modern facility would serve the capital for years to come. In what may have been seen as a serious bout of optimism at the time, the airport's runway infrastructure was made to have an even greater passenger capacity than the terminal.
It's no wonder that the booming economy that followed, and the resulting skyrocketing travel rates, took planners by surprise. Anyone predicting such a rapid sea-change in the country back in those immediate post-transition days would have been called crazy. So the airport's current problems are one of those, unfortunately, all too rare occurrences where everything was done properly, but plans were overtaken by events.
The question now is how the government, the airport authority and the city will work to deal with a welcome problem. The answer is to build a new terminal and there are plans in the works for this. If all goes according to schedule, a new terminal that will accommodate an additional 7 million passengers a year will open its doors by 2003.
The catch here is the phrase, "if all goes according to schedule." That's a lot to ask when there are three different arms of government involved. Not only must various agencies work together on planning and infrastructure requirements, they must also decide how the new venture will be financed. And that is the most worrisome aspect of this. Keep in mind that financing has been the sticking point in building motorways in Poland. To date, there aren't any. That's why we should all worry about whether a new terminal will open by 2003.
The solution is for the government to make this project a priority, setting a point person to shepherd the process through and to make the various parties work together, even if it means repeatedly beating them over the heads with whatever object comes to hand. As part of this, a firm deadline schedule and budgets must be established so that progress can be monitored on several different levels.
For the moment, Okecie can handle the growing number of passengers flying in and out. But in 2003 or maybe even slightly sooner, the situation could become intolerable. If the new terminal becomes another motorway mess, Poland's tourism economy will be hurt and its desirability as a business hub will also wane.
Simply put, Okecie needs to expand. The irony of this situation is that the problem is a result of Poland's strong economic situation over the past five years. Okecie's international terminal opened just seven years ago and at that time it was thought the new, modern facility would serve the capital for years to come. In what may have been seen as a serious bout of optimism at the time, the airport's runway infrastructure was made to have an even greater passenger capacity than the terminal.
It's no wonder that the booming economy that followed, and the resulting skyrocketing travel rates, took planners by surprise. Anyone predicting such a rapid sea-change in the country back in those immediate post-transition days would have been called crazy. So the airport's current problems are one of those, unfortunately, all too rare occurrences where everything was done properly, but plans were overtaken by events.
The question now is how the government, the airport authority and the city will work to deal with a welcome problem. The answer is to build a new terminal and there are plans in the works for this. If all goes according to schedule, a new terminal that will accommodate an additional 7 million passengers a year will open its doors by 2003.
The catch here is the phrase, "if all goes according to schedule." That's a lot to ask when there are three different arms of government involved. Not only must various agencies work together on planning and infrastructure requirements, they must also decide how the new venture will be financed. And that is the most worrisome aspect of this. Keep in mind that financing has been the sticking point in building motorways in Poland. To date, there aren't any. That's why we should all worry about whether a new terminal will open by 2003.
The solution is for the government to make this project a priority, setting a point person to shepherd the process through and to make the various parties work together, even if it means repeatedly beating them over the heads with whatever object comes to hand. As part of this, a firm deadline schedule and budgets must be established so that progress can be monitored on several different levels.
For the moment, Okecie can handle the growing number of passengers flying in and out. But in 2003 or maybe even slightly sooner, the situation could become intolerable. If the new terminal becomes another motorway mess, Poland's tourism economy will be hurt and its desirability as a business hub will also wane.
