John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice

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John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice
Kraków Airport im. Jana Pawła II
(formerly: Międzynarodowy Port Lotniczy im. Jana Pawła II Kraków-Balice)
IATA: KRK – ICAO: EPKK
Summary
Airport type Public, military
Operator MPL Balice
Serves Kraków
Location Balice
Elevation AMSL 241 m / 791 ft
Coordinates 50°04′40″N 19°47′05″E / 50.07778, 19.78472
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
07/25 2,550 8,366 Concrete

John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice (Polish: Kraków Airport im. Jana Pawła II since 4 September 2007; earlier in Polish: Międzynarodowy Port Lotniczy im. Jana Pawła II Kraków-Balice) (IATA: KRK, ICAO: EPKK) is an international airport located near Kraków, in the village of Balice, 11 km west of the city, in the south of Poland.

Contents

The airport opened for civil aviation in 1964.

Kraków Airport is the second busiest airport in the country after the Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport. The airport has good growth prospects, as almost 8 million people live within 100 kilometers of it. It also has a favourable location in the network of existing and planned motorways in this region of Poland. Still, in October 2007 it will lose its status as a regional hub of the Slovakian low-cost carrier SkyEurope Airlines, which in practice means the elimination of 19 destinations to European cities that are important to Kraków as incoming tourism gateways. It also faces stiff competition from the nearby Katowice International Airport in Pyrzowice and other Polish airports.

In 1995 the airport's name was changed from Kraków-Balice Airport to John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice, to honor Pope John Paul II who spent many years of his life in Kraków. For marketing reasons, the official name was further "streamlined" on 4 September 2007 as Kraków Airport im. Jana Pawła II, a curious mix of Polish: im. Jana Pawła II and English: airport, albeit it remains to be seen if this name will gain currency outside Poland, or for that matter, remain in use, as Poland has language purity laws on the books designed to protect its native language.

In 2003, when Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair became interested in starting a service from the John Paul II International Airport, the airport authorities refused to reduce the airport fee. In response, the regional authorities of Kraków and Lesser Poland Voivodeship decided to build a new airport near the existing one, using the infrastructure of the military airbase adjacent to the shared runway. Finally an agreement was reached, and the existing airport was opened to Ryanair and other low-cost carriers such as SkyEurope, Germanwings, easyJet and Centralwings.

On March 1, 2007 a separate domestic terminal (T2) was opened. Plans are underway to begin construction of another terminal.

 This article or section contains information about planned or expected future infrastructure.
It may contain speculative information and may change upon or during construction.

The main terminal building (T1) is currently being expanded to cater to the growth in passengers the airport has experienced in the last two years. The terminal is being extended towards the apron, with five jetways being added and separate facilities prepared for Schengen and non-Schengen passengers. The next phase involves the construction of a multi-storey car park opposite T1. It is also expected that the railway line will ultimately reach the terminal building, rather than the current temporary stop 250 metres from terminal T1.

Fast train "Balice Ekspress"
Fast train "Balice Ekspress"

  • Fast train "Balice Ekspress" operates between Kraków Główny (Main railway station) and the Kraków-Balice airport stop everyday from 4:00 am to midnight, with trains every 30 minutes between 7:00 and 21:00).[1] Runs marked with an asterisk in the timetable operate only on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
    • Trains from Kraków Główny to Kraków Balice Airport depart from platform 1, track 9.
    • Trip time: 15 mins.
    • One-way fare: 6.00 zł (ca. £ 1.15 or 1.65 €).
      • No fare for luggage.
    • A free shuttle bus operates between the airport train stop and the terminals: international (T1) and domestic (T2).
    • It's possible to walk from the terminal to the railway stop (a walk of 250 metres).
    • Tickets at the airport can be bought:
      • from a ticket machine (located in the hall of the international terminal (T1) near the Tourist Information Office)
      • from the conductor aboard the train (no additional fee)
    • Tickets at Kraków Główny (main railway station) can be bought:
      • at any ticket desk
      • from a ticket machine on platform 1
      • from the conductor aboard the train (additional fee of 4.00 zł applies)

  • Bus 192 connects the airport with the main railway station in Kraków (Kraków Główny). It runs every half an hour (every hour off-peak).
    • Journey time: 36 mins.
    • One-way normal fare: 2.50 zł (ca. £ 0.48 or 0.69 €).
      • No fare for luggage.

  • Taxi:
    • Journey time to the center: 20-25 mins, depending on the route and traffic conditions
    • Cost: about 50 zł (ca. £ 10 or 14 €).
  • By car, the journey takes around 20 minutes depending on the route and traffic conditions
    • The parking in front of the main terminal (T1) is free for up to 10 minutes.

In 2005 there were more than 1.5 million passengers, a nearly 95% increase over 2004. In 2006 there were more than 2.3 million passengers, an increase of 50% over 2005. That gives the Kraków Airport 15% of all passenger traffic in Poland in 2006. The most popular international destinations are London (Gatwick, Stansted, and Luton) and Dublin.

SkyEurope uses Kraków airport as one of its main hubs, and it has more flights originating in Kraków than any other airline, including LOT Polish Airlines. On August 31, 2007, SkyEurope announced the closure of the KRK hub from the start of the 2007/2008 winter season, 28 October 2007.

The airport has one concrete runway, number 07/25, 2550 x 60 m. Runway 07 is open for landing only between sunrise and sunset.

The following airlines have scheduled services to Kraków as of June 2007:

On 28 August 2007 a Ryanair flight from Shannon blew its front tyre during landing, resulting in an airport closure for a few hours and requiring an emergency evacuation of the aircraft. There were no injuries and the aircraft sustained no further damage.

  1. ^ Train timetable

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